Young Single Adults

I have come to the realization that I am not as young as I used to be. Now this is not a bad thing, far from it. I have grown in knowledge, experience and maturity over the years (I hope). I have earned every one of my 25½ years and wouldn't trade in a single one of them.

However, a not so fun part of growing older is that my body itself is not as forgiving as it used to be. Though I have never majorly abused the body God gave me (by intentionally harming myself, taking drugs, drinking etc…), I have not taken as good a care of it as I should have.

This neglect has been more pronounced in the years of my young adulthood. I have found myself being careless of my actions which have resulted in me injuring myself (like how I tore all the ligaments in my ankle and fractured my ankle bone a few weeks ago while playing on the trampoline with my 6-year-old brother), not eating as healthily as I should (which is compounded in not taking my needed vitamins), and not getting proper rest.

The last is actually my worst problem, and is something that many of my single adult friends have. There is just so much to do in a day that my activities take me late into the night. I am reminded of the poem,

"My candle burns at both ends
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends -
It gives a lovely light."
Edna St. Vincent Millay, "A Few Figs from Thistles", 1920

The Lord understands why it is important for us to take care of our bodies. He knows that the heath of our bodies affects the workings of the Spirit. In Doctrine and Covenants 88 and 89 (the latter section is on the Word of Wisdom) the Lord addresses the proper care of our bodies,

"Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated." Doctrine and Covenants 88:124

We are commanded to be active (not idle). I believe the Lord means active physically, spiritually, and mentally. When we do so then our bodies and our spirits find the proper harmony needed to be one.

To be able to be active and not idle we need proper rest. This means early to bed and early to rise. It has been proven that the body needs a certain amount of sleep to properly function, but that not just any sleep will do. A person needs to get to sleep by 10:00 p.m. to get into the proper sleep cycle that rejuvenates.

This is not always easy to do, but it is possible. To follow the counsel of the Lord it takes maturity, and discipline. However when we do so, we are blessed beyond measure.

Last week, in my Singles ward, our Sacrament talks were given by two of our Stake High Counselors. One of the talks was on the power of prayer. During his talk he quoted part of hymn #142

"Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care
And bids me at my Father's throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.

In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter's snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!"
Hymn#142 Sweet Hour of Prayer,
Text: Attr. to William W. Walford,
Music: William B. Bradbury

After quoting these words our speaker mentioned that not, many years ago, when he was a young single adult, he was inspired by this hymn and attempted to have a sweet hour of prayer. He was sad to admit that he ran out of things to say after five minutes. How was it he asked that he could spend hours interacting with people every day, and yet he was hard pressed to give God more then five minutes?

How often does this happen to us today? Our lives are filled with so many busy things, whether it is school, work, dating, trying to find our place in this adult world, we should have so much to say to our Maker. Yet more often then not, our prayers don't even 50 seconds, let alone five minutes.

I think back to my own life, and the times I actually took to have my sweet hour of prayer, and I realize now that it was at those times that I felt the closest to my Father in Heaven. Nowadays I find that my life is so busy it is not always possible to spend as much time in prayer as I would like as often as I like. Yet, I can always make sure that no matter the length of my prayers that they are purposeful, powerful, and sincere.

Our speaker mentioned this fact along with a few helpful hints in how to do so:

- Think about what you are going to say before you start. Think about your day. Thank about your Blessings. Think about your desires and needs.

"The trouble with most of our prayers is that we give them as if we were picking up the telephone and ordering groceries—we place our order and hang up. We need to meditate, contemplate, think of what we are praying about and for and then speak to the Lord as one man speaketh to another" (Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, 469)

- Remember whom you are talking to. God is the father of your spirit. He knows you, loves, you and cares about you.

"We are all children of God. He loves us and knows our needs, and He wants us to communicate with Him through prayer. We should pray to Him and no one else. The Lord Jesus Christ commanded, "Ye must always pray unto the Father in my name" (3 Nephi 18:19). As we make a habit of approaching God in prayer, we will come to know Him and draw ever nearer to Him. Our desires will become more like His. We will be able to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that He is ready to give if we will but ask in faith." Prayer, Gospel Library, Gospel Topics, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, www.lds.org

- Don't rush your prayer, or rush off after offering it. Take time to let God give an answer to your prayer. It doesn't have to be a long wait, just a purposeful one.

"Do you give Heavenly Father a chance to answer when you talk to him? Try listening before you jump up from your knees. You'll be more likely to recognize the guidance he wants you to receive." "The Way to Pray," Tambuli, Feb 1992