God gave Martin Harris some practical counsel about his discipleship and warned him not to constantly look for updated guidance. “This shall suffice for thy daily walk,” He said, “even unto the end of thy life” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:32).
I’ve been thinking this week about the concept of a daily walk. I think it’s important that the Lord didn’t talk about Martin’s weekly walk, monthly walk, or annual walk. Obviously, it can be useful to have long-range goals that we’re working toward, but we must be careful not to allow our dreams to distract us from the duties of the day. After all, we achieve those goals and realize those dreams one day at a time. If we are negligent in our daily walk, we will surely be disappointed in our ultimate destination. In the words of Thomas S. Monson, “If we live only for tomorrow, we’ll have a lot of empty yesterdays” (“Now Is the Time,” General Conference, October 2001).
How can we ensure that our daily walk is aligned with God’s will? One important element is to engage in activities which are intended to be done every day. Book of Mormon prophets have emphasized two of those activities: prayer and gratitude.
- “Humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily” (Mosiah 4:11; see also Alma 31:10).
- “Live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which [God] doth bestow upon you” (Alma 34:38; see also Mosiah 18:23).
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf testified, “Our daily walk with Jesus Christ leads to peace and purpose in this life and profound joy and eternal salvation in the world to come” (“Come, Join with Us,” General Conference, October 2013).
Today, I will walk in harmony with the commandments I have received from God. In particular, I will pray humbly and express my gratitude to God, knowing that these are essential elements of my daily walk with Him.
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