MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE . . .

Fresh apples from eastern Tennessee

Since Adam and Eve first inhabited the planet, it has been known that among the children of men some people eat to live while others live to eat. To be sure the human body does require ample nourishment to sustain life from the time when we are born until the end of our days here on earth. But not all food is of equal value in providing what the physical body needs.

I love apples and would gladly eat one every day, but I readily admit to also enjoying some other edible items that I should probably for the most part avoid eating altogether. When we first arrived on our mission here in Baltimore, for instance, I was thrilled to see a Tastykake truck on a nearby street in our area, which is something I have never seen during the past 24 years we have lived in Greensboro, North Carolina. From the days of my childhood, I fondly remembered enjoying Tastykake cakes and pies every time we visited Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, my mother's home town and the longtime headquarters manufacturing location for this company.

There's a distribution center less than two miles away!

On a more serious note, the physical body when it is combined with the human spirit becomes a living soul. Spiritual nourishment for the well-being of the soul is just as essential as fruit and vegetables are for the body. Jesus said:

" . . . It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."  (Matthew 4:4)

As Sister Lindsay and I work to help less-active members find their way back into full fellowship within the Church, as well as bringing new souls to Christ, we try to teach correct gospel principles to help both individuals and families understand the importance of obtaining spiritual food, so they won't suffer from spiritual malnutrition.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles tells us that the principal sources of spiritual food are prayer, studying the scriptures, attending inspirational meetings, singing hymns, serving other people, fasting, partaking of the sacrament, and making other covenants (such as we do in the temple). He also warns us that anything that drives away the Spirit of the Lord, such as pornography, profanity, or anger, will prevent us from obtaining the spiritual nourishment we need from experiences that would normally be effective as spiritual food. We must make sure that our children have sufficient spiritual food and that they are protected from those influences that will prevent this food from being assimilated into spiritual nourishment.

We must always desire to feast upon the Word of God and to nourish others by sharing the truth that has so freely been given to us. And all of this, so our families, friends, and associates may see the light of Christ through the way we live our own lives.