Physical and Emotional Health: Lesson 182
Caring for Our Physical Body
Improving Our Physical and Emotional Health
Visit “Studying the Scriptures” to help prepare yourself spiritually to learn.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, shared:
It may seem odd to think of having a relationship with ourselves, but we do. Some people can’t get along with themselves. They criticize and belittle themselves all day long until they begin to hate themselves. May I suggest that you reduce the rush and take a little extra time to get to know yourself better. … Learn to see yourself as Heavenly Father sees you—as His precious daughter or son with divine potential. (“Of Things That Matter Most,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 22)
As we develop a good relationship with ourselves, we realize that caring for our bodies influences our physical health as well as our spiritual and emotional well-being.
Lesson Purpose: To help you understand how your choices impact your physical and emotional health.
Learn How
Our choices affect us physically and emotionally
You have likely experienced some of the difficulties that come with having a physical body. Maybe you’ve broken a bone, caught a cold, or felt sore after an activity. While these experiences are uncomfortable and sometimes painful, your physical body is a powerful gift from a loving Heavenly Father.
Read and link the following passages. Look for truths they teach about your physical body.
All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Gospel Library)
Because your physical body and spirit are connected, your health choices impact more than just your body. Think about the following scenario to see how caring for your body can affect your feelings.
Your friend Maya shared with you that she has been feeling tired and discouraged for the last several weeks. You want to help and ask her what happened that has her feeling this way. Maya responds with some poor choices she made over the last month that impacted her physical health.
Respond to the following questions in your notebook:
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What choices might Maya have made that could affect her physical body and how she feels?
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How might the choices Maya made affect how she feels physically? emotionally?
Create a list in your notebook, and title it “Choices I Could Make.” As you study, invite the Holy Ghost to help you recognize and record ways you could improve how you care for your body. As you discern ways you want to improve, remember to be kind to yourself. Strive to see yourself as your Heavenly Father sees you.
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has counseled:
We will not attain a state of perfection in this life, but we can and should press forward with faith in Christ along the strait and narrow path and make steady progress toward our eternal destiny. …
I witness that the Savior will strengthen and assist us to make sustained, paced progress. (“Clean Hands and a Pure Heart,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 82)
progression, goals
Caring for our physical body brings blessings
Imagine you are talking to Maya, who shares, “I wish I could stop feeling so tired and discouraged all the time.” You recognize that Maya doesn’t realize how the choices she is making are affecting her.
Use the “Taking Care of Our Physical Body” resource below. Prepare a response that includes scriptures and teachings of Church leaders that could help someone like Maya understand:
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How her choices are affecting her physically and emotionally
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Why God cares about how we care for our body
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The blessings God promises to those who take care of their body
The Savior will help you make healthy choices
God wants to help you be happy. He loves you, watches out for you, and wants you to seek His help.
Read one or more of the following passages. Mark truths that teach how to receive the Savior’s help as you strive to make healthy choices.
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have the power to help you. Fill your life with things that invite that power into your life, such as prayers, scripture study, and service to others. Turn to Jesus Christ and His gospel and you will find that weaknesses can become strengths. Seek help from parents, leaders, and professional counselors as needed. (For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices [2023], 27)
Dig Deeper: Find additional resources about the blessings of healthy living.
Now What?
Bishop Gérald Caussé, the Presiding Bishop, taught:
Some of you might think that as young people you are immune to physical troubles. On the contrary, the habits you establish now pertaining to your personal well-being will impact you both temporally and spiritually for the rest of your lives. Your focus should not be on following the vain trends of the world. It is not simply a question of losing some fat here or there or weight lifting an additional twenty pounds to appear as buff as your roommate! The goal is to feel better and to find a temporal and spiritual equilibrium. (“Harmony of Body and Spirit: A Key to Happiness” [Brigham Young University devotional, Oct. 13, 2020], 5, speeches.byu.edu)
Look at the list you created in your notebook. Add your responses to the following questions:
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From what you have studied, which choices could you adjust to help improve your physical and emotional health?
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How will you involve Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in your efforts?
Share Your Thoughts
Lesson Purpose: To help you understand how your choices impact your physical and emotional health.
Share the following with your teacher or class:
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One thing you would like to remember when you are making choices that impact your physical and emotional health.