Exercise Will Be the Death of Me...

This morning I decided to exercise, you know, the basics…cardio on the treadmill, push-ups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, weights, etc. During this whole process I was silently thinking to myself, “Oh my gosh, I am SO completely out of shape.” I haven’t worked out for a while, and it definitely shows because I have not been consistent. I have not given my physical body the daily exercise that it needs to become better, stronger, and healthier. Just as our physical bodies need daily nourishment, so do our spiritual bodies. Our spiritual bodies can be "out of shape" just as easily as our physical bodies.

When we get ourselves into a habit of regular scripture study and prayer, and then go without for several days, we can notice a difference in our attitudes and outlook on life. Elder Dallin H. Oaks counseled, “Our spirits also require nourishment. Just as there is food for the body, there is food for the spirit. The consequences of spiritual malnutrition are just as hurtful to our spiritual lives as physical malnutrition is to our physical bodies. Symptoms of spiritual malnutrition include reduced ability to digest spiritual food, reduced spiritual strength, and impairment of spiritual vision.” There have been times when I have been on such a spiritual high for several weeks/months in a row, and then I just hit a rut. I go a week without reading the scriptures, praying as much as I should, or writing in my journal, and I feel sluggish, negative, and spiritually dehydrated.

          

 In an increasingly negative world, we need to do all that we can to make sure we are nourishing our spiritual bodies as much as possible. Elder Oaks gives us several ways in which we can keep increasing out spiritual nourishment, “We know the principal sources of spiritual food: prayer, studying the scriptures, attending inspirational meetings, singing the hymns of Zion, serving in our callings, fasting, partaking of the sacrament, and making other covenants, such as in the temple.” Though it may be difficult to do all of these things in a single day, there are a few that we can always do, such as reading our scriptures and praying to our Father in Heaven.

           

Every night we retire to our beds, exhausted from the events of the day. We have the opportunity to sleep, and recharge our bodies to be able to endure through the tasks of the next day. The same is true for our spirits. Each day our spirits are hounded by the things of the world, whether positive or negative. The difference is that we can constantly be nourishing our spiritual bodies. The communication lines to our Father in Heaven are constantly open, and we can talk to him whenever we want. He is always there to listen to us. The scriptures are ALWAYS available to us. We don’t need to have a physical set of scriptures in front of us to be able to read them. Most of us have them at our fingertips on our cell phones. Not only are scripture apps constantly available for us, but there are TONS of apps that we can have on our cell phones, tablets, computers, etc., that we can access many times throughout the day. We have the ability to keep our minds and thoughts on positive things, helping our spiritual bodies to be nourished and recharged.

           

Though there are many options for us to keep ourselves spiritually nourished throughout the day, there is one that I want to focus on more than any other, and that is scripture study. Personally, the days on which I do not study the scriptures are the days that I feel the most down and negative. President BoydK. Packer said of the scriptures, “The scriptures hold the keys to spiritual protection. They contain the doctrine and laws and ordinances that will bring each child of God to a testimony of Jesus Christ as the Savior and Redeemer…They teach us where to go and what to do. They offer hope and knowledge.” The scriptures are a spiritual roadmap for us to follow, and ensure that we can constantly have the spirit with us. President Packer counsels, “Make scripture reading a part of your regular routine, and the blessings will follow. There is in the scriptures a voice of warning, but there is also great nourishment.” If we can establish a daily routine of scripture study, we will open our hearts to have the Holy Ghost with us on a daily basis. By allowing the Holy Spirit into our lives on a daily basis, we will be more apt to pray to our Heavenly Father. Once these basic things are done, we are opening up our entire spiritual being to receive nourishment from anywhere that we can get it.

           

Spiritual nourishment is just as important, or more so, than physical nourishment. Our bodies require a daily intake of physical nourishment in the form of exercise and healthy eating. They also require a daily intake of spiritual nourishment as well. Surround yourself with things that will allow your spirits to be enlightened and uplifted. The more you are allowing spiritual enlightenment into your life, the more you are allowing Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ into your life.