23 And he commanded them that they should observe the sabbath day, and keep it holy, and also every day they should give thanks to the Lord their God.
As Alma instructs the people who have just been baptized in the waters of Mormon, he teaches them that, once a week, they should gather together, teach one another, and worship God (verse 25). This is the sabbath day.
He further instructs them to express gratitude to God every day. I find it useful to think about this commandment as similar to the sabbath day. Just as I dedicate a day each week to the worship of God and focus my activities on that purpose, so I must also dedicate sufficient time each day to thanksgiving and avoid distractions during that time. A half-hearted prayer won’t do, multitasking (such as praying while driving) would probably not suffice, and a prayer of pleading with no acknowledgement of God’s goodness would certainly not fulfill this duty.
Today, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, I will dedicate time and energy to an expression of gratitude to God. I will give this responsibility the same importance that I give to keeping the sabbath day holy.
