In the Day of Their Peace…

Why are we so prone to be complacent?

Speaking for the Lord, the prophet Jeremiah expressed frustration with people who had failed to listen when everything was going well:

I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth.

Jeremiah 22:21

The prophet Mormon lamented our tendency to become uncooperative during periods of peace and prosperity:

At the very time when [the Lord] doth prosper his people,… then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One—yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.

Helaman 12:2

In 1833, the Lord made a similar observation about church members who had been forced out of their homes in Jackson County, Missouri:

In the day of their peace they esteemed lightly my counsel; but, in the day of their trouble, of necessity they feel after me.

Doctrine and Covenants 101:8

Maybe we just have a short memory: when we’re getting along well with other people, accomplishing our goals, and experiencing good health, it’s easy to forget that things haven’t always been this way. Maybe we take too much credit for our success, failing to recognize the contributions of others and the blessings of the Lord. Either way, negligence is bound to lead to disappointment:

Today, I will be receptive to guidance from the Lord. Instead of minimizing potential issues, I will acknowledge them and address them early, recognizing that it is far easier to maintain health and prosperity than to regain it when it has been lost.