Simplify

Elder L. Tom Perry, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, General Conference, Saturday Morning Session, October 4, 2008

Elder Perry began his remarks by relating an experience he and his wife had when they were younger. They lived near Walden Pond in Massachusetts where author and philosopher Henry David Thoreau spent two years. When times would get difficult for the Perry's, they would take a walk around Walden Pond. It was a time for them to take a break from stress and challenges and talk with and comfort one another. He recounted a little of Thoreau's experience on Walden Pond. During his simple time near Walden Pond, Thoreau lived with only basic needs. According to him, there were four: Food, Clothing, Shelter and Fuel. Elder Perry suggested we too could simplify our lives by focusing on these four basic needs and he then broke them down a little.

The first basic need is food. We believe in the Word of Wisdom given in Doctrine and Covenants 89. The body and spirit are interconnected and thus when one is suffering the other suffers as well. I have seen this to be true in my own life. The times when I have done something to offend my spirit (i.e. sin) or have invited or allowed an evil spirit to come into my home because of contention, my physical body always gets sick. From the minor stomach ache or headache, to the much more serious migraines, depression and panic attacks. Likewise, when we allow our bodies to become malnourished, sleep-deprived or when we suffer from illness and certainly if our bodies are addicted to certain foods or drugs, it is much more difficult for us to maintain a Christ-like spirit. As I've gotten older, I have especially noticed this interconnectedness between my physical body and my spirit. We are at our best when both body and spirit are properly nourished.

The second basic need is Clothing. Elder Perry reminded us that our clothing sends a message to those who view us and it also affects the way we act. He said "Very casual dress is almost always followed by very casual manners." Interesting thoughts.

The third basic need is Shelter. He referred here to the present mortgage crisis. His council was much the same as we've been told all our lives: Don't get into a bigger mortgage than you can meet with your current income. Probably my favorite quote from Elder Perry's remarks was this one: "Members of well-managed families do not pay interest, they earn it." Fantastic! I loved this one so much I printed it out and posted it near our computer monitors.

The fourth basic need is fuel. And for this, Elder Perry referred to spiritual fuel. He asked the question, "How do we ensure that we have a sufficient store of spiritual fuel?" and then he responded by suggesting that we need to understand God's plan and then surrender our will to it. Easier said than done, right? I'm working on it.