FOOD FOR THE SPIRIT

As most of my blog followers already have figured out, I am currently a member of Weight Watchers. One of the things we learn in WW is that there are "filling foods," foods which naturally have a way of giving you long-term satisfaction and a sense of being full. These foods include things like fruit, vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy, lean protein, etc. When I eat these foods, my cravings are tempered and I truly do feel more satisfied, and much healthier. My energy levels go up, and my weight goes down. In contrast, when I eat junkie foods, I keep wanting more and more, my energy drops, and I find myself constantly eating in an attempt to fill myself.

Then today I read the following passage in 3 Nephi 12:6: "And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost. So, there are "filling foods" doctrinally speaking too! These might include: scripture study, daily prayer, fasting, serving others, attending the temple, attending our church meetings, listening to Conference, keeping the commandments, etc. When we participate in these wholesome activities, we are keeping our spirits full, minimizing our "cravings" for the world's solutions, which inevitably will leave us hungering for more.

As James E. Faust taught, we need to have daily, "conscious contact" with God. He said: "Some time ago in South America, a seasoned group of outstanding missionaries was asked, 'What is the greatest need in the world?' One wisely responded, 'Is not the greatest need in all the world for every person to have a personal, ongoing, daily, continuing relationship with Deity?" Having such a relationship can unchain the divinity within us, and nothing can make a greater difference in our lives as we come to know and understand our divine relationship with God and His Beloved Son, our Master. As Jesus said in the great Intercessory Prayer, 'This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.' (John 17:3)