11. Happy Thanksgiving - Let Your Heart Be Full

The other day I was reading from the Book of Mormon in Alma 34. The chapter is a powerhouse, covering topics ranging from the infinite atonement, to prayer to enduring to the end. This time while I was reading though, I was hit by a line in verse 27. After Amulek exhorts his audience to pray in whatever circumstances they may be in (34:17-26), he tells that even when they do not cry unto the Lord, they should "let [their] hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for [their] welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around [them]."

When I read that we should "let our hearts be full," I suddenly paused to think of the meaning of a "full heart." What does it mean if my heart is "full?" I thought back on the times when my heart was so full that it seemed to be stretching. It contrasts with a "broken" heart, which has a similar feeling but of pain, or an empty heart, which is a heart of apathy. A full heart is one which is full of good feelings.

As I thought on these experiences, I realized that there was a common thread binding them: I had a full heart when I was best following the commandment to not covet. Though the previous verses seem to be talking about imploring the Lord for blessings for ourselves, the implications of a full heart for me seemed to be the opposite.

I'm an analytical kind of person, and this diagram came to mind.

Our prayers can be directed towards two groups: ourselves or others.

Our prayers can have basically two purposes: to ask for blessings or to thank God for blessings already received.

Human nature is to think about ourselves and what we need. That is, quadrant one, top left. Human nature keeps us from having a full heart or feeling that immense joy.

But if we can leave that quadrant, all we find is happiness. The holiday season is all about helping us leave that quadrant.

On Thanksgiving, we are encouraged to think about the many blessings we have, moving from the top left to the bottom left. This leads to happiness.

As we all know, as soon as the turkey is gone, the Christmas music comes out. Despite the commercial nature of Christmas, which seeks to trap us back into square one, the true Christmas spirit leads us to think of others, and what gifts we can give to them, and to be thankful for the birth of Jesus Christ. Thus, the true nature of Christmas is to live outside square one.

Amulek is inviting us to live in the spirit of Christmas and Thanksgiving all year round. Yes, he encourages us to pray over our fields and our flocks - but what percentage of our time do we really spend praying? A very, very small one. The rest of the time, our hearts should be full, drawn out for our welfare and for the welfare of those around us. This includes gratitude, and seeking to meet the needs of those around us. Thus verses 28-29 teach us that we must live in the right half of the diagram. If we ignore the needs of those around us, our prayers are in vain: we'll be stuck in the empty  heart of square one.