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Both Physical and Mental Faculties to Be Cultivated, October
29
Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in
you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
1
Corinthians 6:19
, NKJV.
Health is a great treasure. It is the richest possession mortals can have. Wealth,
honor, or learning is dearly purchased, if it be at the loss of the vigor of health.
None of these attainments can secure happiness if health is wanting. It is a terrible
sin to abuse the health that God has given us. Every abuse of health enfeebles us
for life and makes us losers, even if we gain any amount of education....
Poverty, in many cases, is a blessing; for it prevents youth and children from
being ruined by inaction. The physical as well as the mental powers should be
cultivated and properly developed. The first and constant care of parents should be
that their children may have firm constitutions, that they may be sound men and
women. It is impossible to attain this object without physical exercise.
For their own physical health and moral good, children should be taught to
work, even if there is no necessity as far as want is concerned. If they would have
pure and virtuous characters they must have the discipline of well-regulated labor,
which will bring into exercise all the muscles. The satisfaction that children will
have in being useful, and in denying themselves to help others, will be the most
healthful pleasure they ever enjoyed....
Physical labor will not prevent the cultivation of the intellect. Far from it. The
advantages gained by physical labor will balance a person and prevent the mind
from being overworked. The toil will come upon the muscles and relieve the
wearied brain....
It does not require a frail, helpless, overdressed, simpering thing to make a
lady. A sound body is required for a sound intellect. Physical soundness and a
practical knowledge of all the necessary household duties will never be hindrances
to a well-developed intellect; both are highly important for a lady.
All the powers of the mind should be called into use and developed in order for
men and women to have well-balanced minds. The world is full of one-sided men
and women who have become such because one set of their faculties is cultivated
while others were dwarfed from inaction....
The human mind will have action. If it is not active in the right direction, it will
be active in the wrong. And in order to preserve the balance of the mind, labor and
study should be united in the schools.—
Testimonies for the Church 3:150-153
.
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