Do Not Let Us Be Slothful

When I spent time in the High Uintas a weeks ago, I had to spend a little more time than I normally would to meet the basic necessities of life. For example, to get water I had to walk down to the creek and filter it into water bottles. I couldn’t just turn on a tap to get clean water; I had to purify it and go get it every day to have water to both drink and cook with. Also, eating took longer than throwing something from the fridge in the microwave or pouring a bowl of cereal (as my sons were used to doing). We had to get water boiling (after we got it from the creek and purified it), and use that in our freeze-dried meals. Following the directions on those meant that getting a meal done took about 15 minutes, as long as we didn’t lose a spoon or fork to the dirt!. That took much longer and more thought than the nachos or sandwiches or meals from their mother the boys could have ready in less than a minute. But, of course, we took whatever time it took to get water and food because we were thirsty and hungry! Spending more time on these two basic necessities reminds me that we have basic spiritual necessities that we should not neglect, even when they take time.

There are two fundamental spiritual practices that we need every day, just like we need water and food every day. Alma spoke about both of those as he taught his son Helaman. The first is to pray to our Father in Heaven. I love this invitation from Alma: “Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever. Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day” (Alma 37:36-37). I know there is indeed a power in prayer to shape our lives for the good. Some might not feel that a single prayer makes much of a difference, but as we make prayer, morning and night, a habit, I know there is a difference in our lives. I love these lyrics of the hymn Did You Think to Pray: “Oh, how praying rests the weary! Prayer will change the night to day. So, when life gets dark and dreary, Don’t forget to pray.” Prayer gives us rest so we are not so weary and worried and upset; prayer gives us light so that we can see the events of our lives more clearly and make better decisions; prayer lifts us when we feel darkness.

The second daily spiritual practice that Alma highlighted to his son is studying the scriptures. He spoke of the Liahona that guided Lehi and Nephi through the wilderness and described how when they failed to heed the Liahona, “they did not prosper.” He then taught, “Even so it is with things which are spiritual. For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land.” Alma then asked, “And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.” Some might think, “Reading the scriptures won’t make a difference in my life.” Alma would respond, “O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us” (Alma 37:43-46). Just as following the Liahona led them in the wilderness to food and safety, so too will reading the scriptures each day help us to be guided by the Lord to do the things we should be doing in our lives. President Nelson put it this way, “My dear brothers and sisters, I promise that as you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day. I promise that as you ponder what you study, the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to your own questions and direction for your own life. I promise that as you daily immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized against the evils of the day, even the gripping plague of pornography and other mind-numbing addictions.” Indeed, I have felt that reading the Book of Mormon again each day makes all the difference and is always worth the effort. We would rarely choose to go without food and water when we can help it, and we should never go without prayer and scriptures no matter how busy are day is.