--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Roberts, B. H. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 15 number: 10 published: 1912-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Brigham H. Roberts, "Physical Development," *Improvement Era* 15, no. 10 (August 1912): 919–921.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera15010unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera15010unse start_page: 919 end_page: 921 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1912-08) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera15010unse publication_year: 1912 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1912, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Physical Development PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT BY ELDER BRIGHAM II. ROBERTS My brethren and sisters: — I am indeed taken by surprise in beingcalled upon to address you in consequence of the absence of Brother Hinckley. I regret for the sake of our conference and the completeness in the treatment of the themes regarded as of sufficient importance to bring to the attention of this great gathering, that Brother Hinckley is absent as, of course, it is certain that it will be absolutely impossible for me to say the excellent things that I am sure he has prepared in his talk to deliver upon this subject. However, there is one thought connected with the attention that we are now paying to the physical development of our youth that is extremely impressive, and that is the sacredness of the human body and the necessity there is for treating it as something holy and to be preserved and developed. This to me is beautiful in contemplating the revelations of God pertaining to man, that one interest of the human individual is not neglected to the advantage of another interest, but the knowledge which God has restored to the earth in this dispensation of the gospel concerns itself with the physical, intellectual and spiritual salvation of man. In one of the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants, it is written : "Every man whose spirit receiveth not the light is under condemnation, for man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receiveth a fulness of joy; and when separated, man cannot receive a fulness of joy. The elements are the tabernacle of God; yea, man is the tabernacle of God, even temples; and whatsoever temple is defiled, God shall destroy that temple." In this important passage we are taught the vast importance that there is in bringing about union of spirit and element, in which we learn that it is only by the union of spirit and element that man can receive a fulness of joy; and naturally, in thought, we link this declaration with that other declaration of the Lord's namely, "This is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." , And we learn from these great truths that the body of man, whal we call the physical part of him, is a necessary factor in the perfection of the purposes of God with reference to man. We pass through birth and infancy and childhood and manhood, and finally through death to the resurrection of the body, to bring to pass the great purposes of God in the completion of man, and putting him in the way of progress, to which there is no other end, in which there are no ultunates, but 920 IMPROVEMENT ERA. eternal progression, and the body of man is to become an eternal temple in which the spirit of man shall dwell, and through which it shall manifest itself in that completeness that shall proclaim its kindred to the divine intelligences who have attained unto their exaltation and glory. No wonder, then, that the inspiration of the Lord is operating upon the minds of his servants to devise ways and means by which this tabernacle of man shall receive due attention and care, and healthful growth and development, that it may attain unto all those possibilities, even as we desire that the spirit of man should be instructed and attain unto its intellectual and spiritual and moral development. Development of the whole man, spirit and body, is becoming the slogan and spirit of our Mutual Improvement work, and I am satisfied that in following out these lines, and providing, through gymnasiums, through our boy scout movement, and, through the exercises that are being recommended to the youth of our Church, we are working in harmony with God and his purposes concerning the growth and development that he is looking for in this great latter-day work. The body of man, no less than his spirit, is to become holy and immortal; part of the immortal personage, when redemption shall be completed, consummating the union of spirit and body, the whole as indestructible as the spirit of man. That is what I understand immortality to be. So, I would urge upon the officers of the associations to regard this work of physical development as a very essential part of our labors, and just as sacred as when our efforts are devoted to the spiritual and the moral. Of course it is a commonplace that a "sound mind in a sound body" is the acme of human desire ; and the thought is growing, that you cannot have a completely sound mind, nor can that mind attain to its best functions and highest development, without the accompaniment also of a sound body. And that, parents of the youth of Israel, is what we are working at in our play. We are not playing without a purpose. We are not seeking to take the youth of Zion and direct their physical activities in their amusements, we are not working at that, without a purpose, and that purpose is the development of the spirit of manliness in your sons and womanliness in your daughters. We anticipate great results from our efforts along these lines, and while I am not skilful in any exposition of the details that are being worked out by our athletic committee and by those who are sitting at the feet of our gymnasium instructors, I do want to say these few general words in behalf of this department of our activities, bespeaking in your mind, a hearty reception of the effort, and the cooperation of our parents in assisting us along the lines of physical activities and development. And, parents, do not suppose that because you found all the exercise that you wanted in the excessive labors and toils through which you have passed, that you can justify yourselves in withholding opportunities for the better physical development of your children than has fallen to your lot to enjoy. Take a wider view of life than that and say, if men who have been giving attention to these subjects that look for the better physical and moral development have found more than my labor and toil have brought to me, then I want my son and my daughter to have the full enjoyment of all that has been discovered, CONJOINT SESSIONS M. I. A. CONFERENCE. 921 and of all that has been devised for the development of a better physical manhood than has been known in the past. I believe that is the true spirit in which to look upon this effort for the physical development of the youth of our Church, that in all things physical, as well as in morals and in spiritual life, Zion may keep her place in this great modern world of ours, in leading the way to the development of better physical manhood and womanhood, and above all, holding before tinview of the world this important truth, taught to the Church of Christ, that the body of man, as well as his spirit, is sacred and will become divine. The Lord bless you. Amen.