Lehi is commanded to leave Jerusalem, his house, the land of his inheritance, gold, silver, and his precious things; he took nothing else with him, save his family, provisions, and tents.
Only three days later Lehi built an altar of stones and made an offering unto God “and gave thanks unto the Lord our God.” - 1 Nephi 2:7
What needs to happen in our minds and our hearts in order to give thanks to God when all is lost or taken away?
Building our altar of stones may be a process of one stone at a time, but the quicker we recognize that each stone represents a blessing God has given us, it should not be too long before we have built an alter of a suitable size on which we may give back to God our humble offering and our “thanks unto the Lord our God.”
Two more altars and expressions of gratitude come in 1 Nephi 5:8-9 and 1 Nephi 7:22.