One Step Enough for Me

By Anne Maxson

What type of trip planner are you? Do you like to have everything sorted out with all the details for every hour of the day? Or, would you rather have some more spontaneous adventures as you go along?

When I was in college, a friend and I raced through Europe in 20 days. This was back before online booking services were available, and I honestly don’t remember how we did it. We had a Eurail Pass and a Lonely Planet Guidebook. The night before arriving in a new city, we called hostels or local Bed and Breakfast places to find places to stay. It was fun and exciting - and, if I’m honest, a little anxiety-inducing. Nowadays, I much prefer a well-planned schedule with very few “unknowns.” 

A friend recently shared about when she was struggling to make some major life decisions. A relationship that seemed headed towards marriage had just fallen apart, and she was unsure what to do about her college studies. She prayed and prayed to understand what this new trajectory may look like. Eventually, an answer came, but it was simply a bit of comfort to continue moving forward for now in her current studies. There was no inspiration regarding a full trajectory, a 5-year plan version, of what she should do.

She testified how this version of inspiration, with “just the next right thing,” helps us to focus on the Savior and look unto Him in every thought. If we were given the whole map, we may not feel we need to look to Him every step of the way. But, if we are using an inspirational GPS that will just give us the next step, then we will be better attuned to the voice of the Spirit guiding us more frequently through the choices and decisions that we make. 

In the “Come, Follow Me” Manual lesson for Doctrine and Covenants 102-105, it discusses the experiences of early Saints in Zion’s Camp. It states, “Rather than questioning the value of this seemingly unsuccessful task, they learned that the real task is to follow the Savior, even when we don’t understand everything.” Sometimes, it is in the not knowing of the next steps that we are able to gain valuable insights that help us in the future. In his talk, “Bread or Stones:  Understanding the God We Pray To,” S. Michael Wilcox shares, “Somewhere in the past of your life, experiences have been placed by a wise and foresighted Father in Heaven to prepare you to face the very things that you are facing.” The hard things that we face, especially when it seems we have been unsuccessful, may have the greater purpose of preparing us for future experiences. 

On September 11, 2025, Sharon Eubank, a former member of the Relief Society General Presidency, shared these thoughts on social media: 

“Today is the anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy and, like everybody else, I remember the shock, the terror, the fear, and the terrible grief. But I also remember how it brought us together. We helped each other. Prayed with each other.  Treated each other more gently. Made special efforts to defend one another and share our pain and comfort. I hope we still have some of that spark in us today…In 2001, I went to the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City to hear a special remembrance for the people lost on September 11. The Tabernacle Choir sang Lead Kindly Light and I sat on a narrow bench with tears streaming down my face. It did something to heal me.

“Lead kindly light amid the encircling gloom, lead thou me on.
The night is dark, and I am far from home. 
Lead thou me on.Keep thou my feet, I do not ask to see the distant scene – one step enough for me.

“My prayer in the pre-dawn of this morning was for the Kindly Light to lead us on."

One of the many blessings of the temple is that it provides more insight into the destination available at the end of the map. In his April 2024 General Conference talk, “Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys,” President Nelson said,  “Time in the temple will help you to think celestial and to catch a vision of who you really are, who you can become and the kind of life you can have forever. Regular temple worship will enhance the way you see yourself and how you fit into God’s magnificent plan. I promise you that.”

Even though we may not know the specific steps in our lives that we need to take, attending the temple will help us gain an eternal perspective. We gain of clearer picture of what it means when we press the “Go Home” button on our map and what a glorious home and reunion that will be. As we look to the Savior in every thought, we can be reminded of His power and His love for us.