Decisions for Eternity
by Apostle Russell M. Nelson
WHAT?
A pivotal spiritual attribute is that of self-mastery—the strength to place reason over appetite. Self-mastery builds a strong conscience. And your conscience determines your moral responses in difficult, tempting, and trying situations. . . . Why the need for self-mastery? God implanted strong appetites within us for nourishment and love, vital for the human family to be perpetuated. When we master our appetites within the bounds of God’s laws, we can enjoy longer life, greater love, and consummate joy.
It is not surprising, then, that most temptations to stray from God’s plan of happiness come through the misuse of those essential, God-given appetites. Controlling our appetites is not always easy. Not one of us manages them perfectly. . . .
A strong human spirit with control over appetites of the flesh is master over emotions and passions and not a slave to them. That kind of freedom is as vital to the spirit as oxygen is to the body! Freedom from self-slavery is true liberation!
SO WHAT?
Someone I love often says to me, usually when she is about to do something questionable, "I fought long and hard in the pre-existence for the right to choose." She is right. When we came to this earth, we came with the right to choose. However, as we learn in the Book of Mormon, we are “free to choose liberty and eternal life … or to choose captivity and death." (2 Nephi 2:27) We do have the right to decide, but some decisions are not in our best interest. The long-term consequences of poor decisions can be heavy indeed.
NOW WHAT?
Elder Nelson, who was a medical doctor prior to becoming and apostle, wrote in his footnotes: Some are tempted to eat too much. “Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with at least 2.8 million people dying each year as a result of being overweight” (“10 Facts on Obesity,” World Health Organization, Mar. 2013). Others are tempted to eat too little. Anorexia and bulimia devastate many lives, marriages, and families.Sometimes, our appetites lead us to eat the wrong things. Someone in my family has a toddler who has special challenges. The parents recently changed the child's diet by removing wheat, dairy, sugar, preservatives, and food dyes. They shop carefully, bake their own non-wheat bread, and serve organic foods as much as possible. The positive changes have been astounding! The entire family is re-schooling their appetites to make healthier food choices as a result.
Others I know don't eat enough. The results are anemia, fatigue, irritability, dental problems, and too-low body weight. Decisions about food over decades of poor choices have determined this destiny. But it is never too late to change. It's about making healthier food choices in quality as well as quantity.
For example, I eat unhealthy things because I am older and don't take the time to prepare healthy meals for myself. I grab whatever is easiest, which is often fast food. I carry extra body weight as a result and have physical health challenges relating to many years of eating this way. I need to re-school my appetite and rethink my decisions. It means getting back into my kitchen and staying out of my car.
I covet your prayers for all of us, as these choices won't be easy! Speaking personally, this will be my most challenging Now What.
Text copyright November 2013, Gebara Education
Pictures:
Overeating from www.suethsayings.blogspot.com
Aneorexia from multiple sites on the web.
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