At today’s BYU-Idaho Devotional, Sister Rachel Huber, an online instructor developer at BYU-Idaho, spoke on how our physical bodies are essential to our happiness.
In her address entitled “Your Body: A Key to Happiness,” Sister Huber shared personal experiences that have taught her the importance of the body in spiritual matters.
She taught that many things like lack of sleep, poor diet, or not exercising regularly are rarely considered to be of much spiritual significance.
“With so much at stake, it becomes a priority to learn about and act on truths which lead to a strong spirit that is master over the body,” she said in her talk.
Learning and mastering the principles of maintaining our body enables us to grow closer to God, Sister Huber taught.
“In addition to a nutritious diet, behavioral factors such as adequate sleep, regular exercise, time spent outdoors, and a practice or meditation are closely tied to having an alert, clear thinking mind and a healthy body,” she taught. “Even missionaries, who spend much of their day strengthening their spirits, need to make sure they practice healthy habits.”
Sister Huber’s remarks also addressed the need for physical trials in mortality. Those challenges, she taught, range from a stubbed toe to a cancer diagnosis.
“In His perfect wisdom, Heavenly Father has given each of us the unique temples we need to fill the missions He sent us here to accomplish,” she said. “In mortality there are no perfect bodies. In fact, physical challenges are part of the plan. They are not the plan gone wrong.”
In an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio, Sister Huber explained the Spirit prompted her to speak about bodies after reading a quote from President Russell M. Nelson in the August 2019 Ensign.
Sister Huber was disappointed to realize so few of the people she interacted with had read the talk and she quickly went to work on developing her address.
The concepts she outlined in her address, however, had already been studied extensively in her life through both paper and experience.
Sister Huber said we must embrace “the true principles related to our body so that we become physically what the Lord needs us to be to accomplish what He sent us here to do.”
When it comes to bodies, gratitude is essential for Sister Huber. She addressed it quite comprehensively in both her devotional and interview.
She taught that we must be grateful for the uniqueness of our individual body and strive to keep that thankfulness during times of trial. Understanding where our bodies come from helps us have more confidence and happiness in our lives.
“The world would have us think of our bodies as objects to be used [and] paraded around,” Sister Huber explained. “We are children of God and our bodies are a gift from Him.”