“Let Them…Not Tarry”

I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.

Psalm 119:60

There is power in doing what needs to be done as soon as possible, without unnecessary delay.

When the Lord instructed Alma to return to the city of Ammonihah, “he returned speedily” (Alma 8:18). Sometime later, when Zeezrom asked Alma and Amulek to visit him, “they went immediately, obeying the message which he had sent unto them” (Alma 15:5). And when Mormon learned of disputations in the church regarding baptism, he “immediately…inquired of the Lord concerning the matter” and wrote to his son with clarifying instructions (Moroni 8:7).

In 1838, the Lord directed two church leaders, Newell K. Whitney and William Marks, to settle their affairs in Kirtland, Ohio and relocate to Far West, Missouri. He then warned them not to procrastinate these actions:

Let them awake, and arise, and come forth, and not tarry, for I, the Lord, command it.

Therefore, if they tarry it shall not be well with them.

Doctrine and Covenants 117:2-3

Prompt responsiveness communicates love and respect toward the one making the request. It also facilitates more opportunities to serve. As Elder Ronald A. Rasband observed:

The Lord knows the needs of all His children—and He knows who is prepared to help. If we let the Lord know in our morning prayers that we are ready, He will call on us to respond. If we respond, He will call on us time and time again…. We will become spiritual first responders bringing help from on high.

“Let the Holy Spirit Guide,” General Conference, April 2017

Today, I will strive to be a “spiritual first responder.” When the Lord asks me to do something, I will follow that prompting without delay. I will remember that “tarrying”—dragging my feet and delaying action—is not conducive to success and happiness.