34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof.
(3 Nephi 13:34)
I don’t think the Savior is telling us not to plan for the future. But I think He is telling us not to obsess about it, not to live in the future. We could miss the opportunities of today if we spend too much time and energy dreaming of or worrying about possible future events.
As President Thomas S. Monson taught: “The past is behind—learn from it; the future is ahead—prepare for it; the present is here—live in it” (“Go For It!,” General Conference, April 1989)
The last sentence in the verse provides valuable context. In the Bible, it reads like this: “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:34). In other words, you have plenty to do today without adding all of your future opportunities and obligations to your to-do list. I also like the way it is phrased in the Book of Mormon: “Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof.” In other words, you have plenty of time today to do everything you need to do.
Today, I will exercise faith in God by fulfilling the duties of the day and not being distracted by my expectations for tomorrow.
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