Thanks? (FDREL)

     In light of the thanksgiving spirit, I decided to focus on one of the parables we read in class this week. Can you guess which one it is?....If you guessed the one were Jesus heals the 10 lepers you are right! This is one of my favorites. And for those of you who have no idea what this parable is about here is a brief summary: Jesus heals 10 lepers of their disease and tells them to go and show the priests what has happened. As they all run off one of them stops and decides to go thank the Savior for what He has done. So there you go that is the jist (sp?). But now I want to get into a couple of things...1) in one of the verses the after the man comes back to thank Him it says " Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?.....and He said unto him, Arise, go they way; thy faith hath made thee whole." Alright what are you thoughts on this? To me it almost sounds like because that one was thankful and faithful he stayed clean, but because the others didn't thank him they got the disease back. Is that what you see in those verses? I really want to talk to someone who was there or is the prophet and ask them if those 9 got their disease back. Not that it really matters because the lesson is still well taught in this parable.
    We need to be thankful for EVERYTHING we have and we need to show GRATITUDE for it all. I think that is one thing that is hard for our society. We are too prideful sometimes and assume that whatever we gain is because we are so great. That is sad. Who gave us those talents and abilities? Who helps us strengthen them? And who can take them away? There is one simple answer. Heavenly Father. I don't know about you but I don't see my name or anyone else typed there. We do not do it on our own. If we are ungrateful for the talents he has given us and do not use them He has warned that He can and will take them away from us. He has given them to us to further the gospel. If we are going to ignore the talents we have then why should he waste them on us?
2) Think of what the Savior did for these lepers. Not only did heal them of a terrible disease that rots the skin starting at the fingers and toes and moves its way in; but He gave them a life again. At that point in time, the lepers were confined to an area outside of the city walls because they were so contagious. People would avoid them at all costs (which is understandable, but sad). They had to wear bells so that others would know that they were around and they were basically left their to die. Who wants that kind of life of solitude? Not a single healthy person. So by taking this disease from the lepers the Savior literally made it possible for these people to have a life.
    Can you imagine walking away after this happens to you and not saying thank you? I can't. Yet we do little things on our own that show ingratitude. Talking about this makes me think...did I pay my tithing this month? Have I given any service to anyone or used my talents lately? When we do these small things we are showing Heavenly Father and the Savior that we recognize our blessings and are giving them the credit. When we pay our tithing we are saying "thank you", for the job they let us have, or for the health that we have so that we can work.