Living healthier starts with making healthy choices, which then become healthy habits.

 One blessing which I feel sincerely fortunate to enjoy is my good health.  I was raised in a home where vegetables were a must-eat, sugar was rationed with caution, and outdoor recreation was a way of life.  To put it lightly, my parents were health nuts.  As a child, I sometimes grumbled, but now I’m truly grateful for the healthy habits they’ve instilled in me. 

I am also grateful  for the knowledge which my parents received from the Gospel concerning good health. In the Mormon church, we are taught the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. 

1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 reads, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

This scripture teaches us that our bodies are a blessing from God.

 Therefore, we adhere to the counsel revealed to our prophet Joseph Smith:

“Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.” (Doctrine & Covenants 88:124) 

Along with exercise and good rest, we strive to maintain a diet based on another significant revelation given to Joseph Smith known as the Word of Wisdom, found in the Doctrine & Covenants, Section 89. The Word of Wisdom is a commandment to abstain from partaking of harmful substances such as alcoholic drinks, tobacco, tea and coffee.  We are further instructed that grains, vegetables and fruits are good for us, as well as meats—used sparingly.  By following these nutrition guidelines, we are promised wisdom and good health. 

Because our bodies are a gift from God, we are given this counsel on how to care for them.  We understand that we must exercise regularly, rest sufficiently, and eat wisely.  Making our health a priority is key to living healthier.

Finding time to exercise may not always be easy. But changing the way our spare time is spent is a great start towards living a more active lifestyle and ceasing to be idle.  Then we’ll be blessed with the ability to “run, and not be weary.” (Isaiah 40:31) 

Resting sufficiently starts with rising early. This may take an extra effort for some of us, but the blessings of not being weary and feeling invigorated will come after we follow what we’ve been taught. 

Eating wisely starts with making a conscious choice each time we reach for some food.  We’ve all been taught what’s healthy to eat and what’s not, but it’s up to each of us to choose wisely.  The blessings of wisdom and good health will follow. 

I know the Lord loves us. He gave us His life and made it possible for us to return to His presence again. He also gave us our bodies to live in this mortal life, along with guidelines on how to care for ourselves.  May we all maintain our health to show our gratitude to the One whose given us everything.

By Shilowe Martin