Filled with Life and Energy

I read an article in the Ensign this month that I want to share with you.  I'm going to put a few of the quotes here but if you want to read the whole article click on this link.

I have done a blog post before about early to bed and early to rise but this article is much better and there are quotes from apostles and prophets to back up the claims.

"As a new General Authority, Elder Marion G. Romney (1897–1988) felt inadequate in fulfilling his important calling, so he sought advice from his friend Elder Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The counsel offered that day both surprised and motivated Elder Romney. Elder Lee said: “If you are to be successful as a General Authority, you will need to be inspired. You will need to receive revelation. I will give you one piece of advice: Go to bed early and get up early.If you do, your body and mind will become rested and then in the quiet of those early morning hours, you will receive more flashes of inspiration and insight than at any other time of the day.”"

The article mentions many scriptural examples of rising early. I won't mention them here but click on the link to read the article.

“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” (D&C 88:124)  Invigorate means “to fill with life and energy.”

"The ancient philosopher Aristotle suggested other benefits to those who keep an early schedule: “It is well to be up before day-break, for such a habit contributes to health, wealth and wisdom.”2 Early U.S. statesman Benjamin Franklin later put that thought into his well-known maxim: “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”3 Most people put health, wealth, and wisdom toward the top of things most desired in life."

"Former Brigham Young University president Ernest L. Wilkinson suggested that keeping an early schedule is associated with health benefits. Referring to President David O. McKay (1873–1970), President of the Church at the time, he said: “One of the great reasons, I am sure, why President McKay has lived to such a good, ripe, and vigorous old age has been the fact that as a young man he developed habits of retiring to bed early, arising early, generally before sun up, when his mind was clear and his body vigorous, to do the day’s work.”5"

"Connections have also been made between keeping an early schedule and mental and emotional health. Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has said, “To those who feel defeated and downtrodden, look to the early hours of the day for your rescue.”6"

"The connection between sleep patterns and wisdom is not just a theory. A study conducted by researchers at Brigham Young University looked at the effect of several variables—such as exercise, nutrition, and sleep habits—on students’ grade point average (GPA). The researchers found that of all the variables, “weekday and weekend wake-up times had the largest relative effects on semester GPA. For each hour of delay in reported average weekday wake-up time, the predicted GPA decreased by 0.132 on a standard 0.00 to 4.00 grading scale. … Each hour of delay in average weekend wake-up time corresponded to a decrease in predicted GPA of 0.115.”7"

"Have we become like the children of Israel, who refused to follow the Lord’s antidote for snakebites “because of the simpleness of the way”? (1 Nephi 17:41; see alsoHelaman 8:14–15)."

"Consider the counsel President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, gave related to gaining wisdom: “I counsel our children to do their critical studying in the early hours of the morning when they’re fresh and alert, rather than to fight physical weariness and mental exhaustion at night. I’ve learned the power of the dictum, ‘Early to bed, early to rise.’”8"

Interesting sidenote -- at President Packer's funeral Elder Ballard mentioned Sister Packer encouraging her husband not to call the brethren before 5 AM. He said for that he was grateful to her. :-)

"During a fireside address at Brigham Young University, Elder Christensen further stated: “Some of you are not getting the rest that you need. Some are habituated to going to bed late and sleeping much longer than your system really needs, thus missing out on some of the personal inspiration you could be receiving.”10"

"President Hinckley added another promise to the obedient: “If you go to bed at 10:00 and get up by 6:00 a.m., things will work out for you.”11"

Quotes taken from the following article: Filled with Life and Energy, Randal A.Wright, Ensign, July 2015

There is some pretty powerful evidence that getting up early and going to bed early is good for you. I guess Ben Franklin and Aristotle were both onto something.  :-)

That's my two cents.