Exercise

    Last year, President Russell M. Nelson gave a talk entitled, "We Can do Better and be Better." It was delivered during the priesthood session of the April General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The talk was an invitation to repent as we all have a need to correct mistakes and errors in our lives. Two specific ways mentioned that those listening likely had room for improvement were in the way we treat our bodies and in the way we treat the women in our lives. I have sought to improve in both of these ways in my life. I still have a long way to go.

    As some background, President Nelson was a cardiac surgeon by trade. He has given many talks about the wonder of the human body. I agree wholeheartedly with President Nelson. The human body is remarkable. In my training as a physical therapist, it was remarkable to see how things and processes are in place that allow the body to function and repair itself and do all sorts of other things. The eye focuses, the heart beats, muscles move limbs, and bony and soft tissue injuries repair themselves. I have been involved in sports for most of my life. I enjoy exercising, moving my body, and helping others to do the same. Therefore, this aspect of President Nelson's talk stood out to me. Since hearing these words, I have been trying to do better and be better in how I treat and care for my body.

    Part of this endeavor involved going to the gym earlier this year. Then the global pandemic of Covid-19 hit, and the gym was shut down. Since that time, I have been attempting to exercise outside or in my home with the use of water-filled milk jugs. In the course of my exercising, my brother let me know about a workout called "The Murph." It is an intensive series of movements and is in honor of a fallen United States Navy SEAL, Michael Patrick Murphy. Upon hearing about this workout, I knew it was something I would eventually like to try.

    Well, this Saturday, I completed it. I did not have a 20-lbs weighted vest, and it took me over an hour and a half to complete, but I did it! Now, let me go back to President Nelson's talk. He shared something that has been on my mind frequently since hearing it and since I have been trying to exercise more regularly. Here's what he said:

    "Your care of that temple [the human body] is important. Now, I ask you, brethren, are you more interested in dressing and grooming your body to appeal to the world than to please God? Your answer to this question sends a direct message to Him about your feelings regarding His transcendent gift to you."

  This begs the question, "Why am I exercising anyways?" I want to believe that I am doing this in order to stretch my muscles, to improve my physical function, to improve my body and health, and because I enjoy exercising. That being said, I find that pride can very easily creep in and become my motivator. The quote above from President Nelson serves as a good "check-in" question for me with regards to my motivation. So, I will keep moving and exercising in an effort to improve my overall physical well-being.

    Exercising has provided a means for me to set and work towards goals. Goal setting is not easy for me and goal achieving is even more difficult. I appreciate President Nelson's invitation, as it is an opportunity for me to exercise not only my physical body but to exercise self-discipline and hard work towards meeting goals. I do not mean to be boastful in highlighting the Murph, but I hope it can serve as an illustration of how it is possible to work towards and achieve goals.

    Now, I know I have written a lot about the first part of President Nelson's quote regarding caring for my body. I have not forgotten the second part about treating the women in our lives with respect, love, and care. I will elaborate more about this topic in next week's post. Until then, keep living the Wonderful Life!

Here is a link to President Nelson's Talk and a link for a video of what "The Murph" consists of. Enjoy!

Hope

Hope

 

Today I want to talk about hope. I recently was reading parts of Elder Holland’s talk: “A Perfect Brightness of Hope”. As I began reading it I was reminded of the questions that President Nelson shared during his October 2019 conference: “How would my life be different if my knowledge gained from the Book of Mormon were suddenly taken away” and “ How have the events that followed the First Vision made a difference for me and my loved ones?”

Those are powerful questions and I believe they are reasons to have hope. The Book of Mormon is on the earth. It is the word of God and that provides me hope. The First Vision really happened. This provides hope as I can have the assurance that God does hear my prayers. He lives and so does His son!

Elder Holland goes on to outline and highlight other truths that have been restored since the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I particularly love his hope in the temple and the work that is done in the temple.

“In 1820, we would have hoped to see fulfilled the eloquent promises of Isaiah, Micah, and other ancient prophets regarding the return of the majestic house of the Lord. We would have thrilled to see the glory of holy temples established again, with the Spirit, the ordinances, the power, and the authority to teach eternal truths, heal personal wounds, and bind families together forever. I would have looked anywhere and everywhere to find someone authorized to say to me and my beloved Patricia that our marriage in such a setting was sealed for time and all eternity, never to hear or have imposed on us the haunting curse “until death do you part.” I know that “in [our] Father’s house are many mansions,” but, speaking personally, if I were to be so fortunate as to inherit one of them, it could be no more to me than a decaying shack if Pat and our children were not with me to share that inheritance. And for our ancestors, some of whom lived and died anciently without even hearing the name of Jesus Christ, we would have hoped for that most just and merciful of biblical concepts to be restored—the practice of the living offering up saving ordinances on behalf of their kindred dead. No practice I can imagine would demonstrate with more splendor a loving God’s concern for every one of His earthly children no matter when they lived nor where they died.”

Isn’t that such a hopeful doctrine?!? Priesthood power has been restored to the earth and because of that, there are saving ordinances available to us!

I still remember the first time going to do baptisms for the dead. It was in the Portland Oregon temple and I was with my Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa Michael and I sure other aunts and uncles were also present. It was a lovely opportunity to be there with my family members. In addition to being there with family, I was able to be baptized and confirmed on behalf of my Great Grandpa Amos Russell Michael. He is the man for whom I have been named. What a blessing to be able to open the door to salvation for my grandpa.

As a result of that experience in the Portland Temple, my wife and I decided to be sealed for all eternity in the Portland Oregon Temple in 2013. What hope can come because of the temple!!

In August of 2019, my sister Ellen was sealed to her husband Vino in the Los Angeles Temple. As this beautiful ordinance was being celebrated, my wife was in the throws of a miscarriage. We had been married for going on 6 years and had yet to have the blessing of children. In spite of the difficulties of going through the pain and suffering of losing an unborn child, I feel hope knowing that the Savior died and is now resurrected.

Elder Holland shared the following quote in his talk titled “An High Priest of Good things to Come”: “Some blessings come soon. Some blessings come late. And some blessings don’t come until Heaven, but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, those blessings come.”

Moroni shared in Ether 12:4, “Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world…”. I recall a roommate of mine talking with me and a class about this verse. He posed the question and I pose it now to you, what does your better world look like? I think we all have hopes or things we want to have in our better world. Indeed, Elder Holland shares some of those hopes when he says:

“When we have conquered this—and we will—may we be equally committed to freeing the world from the virus of hunger, freeing neighborhoods and nations from the virus of poverty. May we hope for schools where students are taught—not terrified they will be shot—and for the gift of personal dignity for every child of God, unmarred by any form of racial, ethnic, or religious prejudice. Undergirding all of this is our relentless hope for greater devotion to the two greatest of all commandments: to love God by keeping His counsel and to love our neighbors by showing kindness and compassion, patience and forgiveness. These two divine directives are still—and forever will be—the only real hope we have for giving our children a better world than the one they now know. “

Fortunately for us all, the Lord is aware of our hopes and desires. He knows each of us better than we can know. He wants what is best for us. His timeframe may be different than ours, but as Elder Holland further shared, “Because the Restoration reaffirmed the foundational truth that God does work in this world, we can hope, we should hope, even when facing the most insurmountable odds.”

Heavenly Father loves me and He loves you. His love is a great source of love. I rest assured (some of the time) knowing this truth and that He loves me. That love can be anchor for my hope. And with that hope, I can and you can look forward to the future with faith and a positive outlook as opposed to despair.

Surely it was hope that carried our Savior through Gethsemane and Calvary. I know He loves us and died and rose again from the grave for me and you personally and for the whole world more generally. I have a testimony that He lives and is watching over us. He cares for us and it really is through Him that all our hopes can and will be fulfilled.