Orton enumerates causes for gratitude

With all the emphasis placed on the practicalities of Thanksgiving these days, former U.S. Rep. Bill Orton fears Americans are forgetting one thing: "Thanksgiving is actually for giving thanks. It's a novel idea."

"Today in America, Thanksgiving means many different things to many different people," he said. "(But) it's still a time to get together with family and friends; it's a time to share our fortunes with the less fortunate."

Orton shared his thoughts at a Thursday morning interfaith service at the Federal Heights LDS Church meetinghouse. He recounted the three-day Thanksgiving feast the Colonial Americans shared with the American Indians, two very different groups of people who came together to share with one another.

The holiday has undergone many incarnations since that first Thanksgiving feast in 1621, Orton said, but one thing has always stayed the same: It represents a time for grateful Americans to thank a higher power for the blessings bestowed upon them.

"As we thank God, let us also remember to thank those people for whom he works," he said.

God's presence is visible every day, Orton said, from the police officers patrolling Utah's streets to the soldiers risking their lives in Iraq, even in the next-door neighbor who helps push a car out of a snowy driveway.

Orton also gave thanks to God for the safe return of Elizabeth Smart, a member of the congregation who was kidnapped from her Federal Heights home in June 2002. Thursday marked her first Thanksgiving at home since she was discovered earlier this year in Sandy.

"For nine months we searched and prayed," Orton said. "Our prayers were truly answered."

Moments earlier, Elizabeth received a healthy round of applause after playing a short piece on her harp. The 16-year-old played "Have a Jazzy Christmas," an upbeat medley of several favorite Christmas songs.

She welcomed the applause with a small, shy smile before returning to sit with her parents, Ed and Lois Smart, for the remainder of the service. The family asked that no photos be taken of Elizabeth.

Every person, every day, should be thankful for his or her life and health, Orton said. He noted that it is not always "the thief in the middle of the night" that threatens people but also sickness and disease, declining values and intolerance.

He encouraged everyone in attendance to reach out to others throughout the year. "Let's share ourselves by giving of ourselves to our nation, our community and our neighbors."

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E-mail: awelling@desnews.com