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!

Change

Last night, I watched the movie “Aladdin” with my wife Molly. One thing that stuck out to me in the movie was the Genie’s desire to be freed. Eventually Aladdin is able to set the Genie free. This reminded me of my desire to be free and the desire we all have to become free from sin and sorrow and heart ache and all other afflictions. While we may not have a magic lamp or genie who can grant us wishes, we do have a master who sets us free. That master is our Savior Jesus Christ. He sets us free. I love these words found in Alma 7:11-13:             

“And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to their flesh, that he may know according to the flesh, how to succor his people according to their infirmities. Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people; that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold this is the testimony which is in me.”

What a miracle and blessing it is that Jesus came to earth and prepared a way for me and you to be able to repent and change and overcome natural tendencies in order to return to live with our Heavenly Parents.

                I recall a talk from Elder Robbins who spoke about repentance and forgiveness. In that talk he said with regards to our constant need for repentance: “Our success, then isn’t going from failure to failure, but growing from failure to failure without any loss of enthusiasm.”  I love this idea of growing from mistake or failure to failure. I used to think of repentance as being a bad thing because it implied I had done something wrong; that I had failed. I have a great fear of failure. I do not like to fail or feel that I have disappointed someone. To quote the British track athlete Harold Abrams, “If I can’t win, then I won’t run.” Fortunately, for me and for you, there is a way for us to run and to win, even if we stumble and fall along the way. Harold Abrams’ girlfriend replied to his comment with one of her own, “If you don’t run, you can’t win.”  And so it is in life. We run the race of life and yes, we stumble. Yes we fall down. But we have a loving Father in Heaven who prepared a way through His Son Jesus Christ for us to grow from each misstep and each fall along the way.

                That way is through repentance. Through turning to Jesus and asking for his help. A talk given at BYU in 2011 by Brad Wilcox titled “His Grace is Sufficient” has really been a go to talk for helping me understand how Jesus’ amazing grace works. In the talk, Brad Wilcox talks about one of the ways in which grace works:

“So grace is not a booster engine that kicks in once our fuel supply is exhausted. Rather, it is our constant energy source. It is not the light at the end of the tunnel but the light that moves us through the tunnel. Grace is not achieved somewhere down the road.  It is received right here and right now. It is not a finishing touch; it is the Finishers touch (see Hebrews 12:2).”

                Because of the Savior’s amazing grace, I can repent and be changed from a sinner to a saint. I can become what the Lord wants me to be. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneht me.” (Philippians 4:13). I know that Jesus lives and loves me and all of us very much. It is my hope that the next time we stumble or fall, we reach our hand out to His, which is always stretched out to us, and walk with Him hand in hand. I know as we do so, we can and will be changed.