"Just as a reliable physical heart is needed to provide nourishment to our physical bodies, a reliable spiritual heart is needed to provide nourishment to our spirits," said Professor of Physiology and Developmental Biology Michael D. Brown at the campus Devotional on Tuesday.
A heart beats about 75 times each minute, pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood every day, and is the most used muscle in the entire body.
It is crucial to existence.
Just as a physical heart is crucial for living, a spiritual heart is crucial for spiritual liveliness. Every minute of every hour, as our physical heart pumps blood through our veins, we should asses the health of our spiritual hearts, Brown said.
There are five easy questions to ask when completing a spiritual heart check-up: Is my heart pure? Is my heart soft? Do I have a grateful heart? Do I have an obedient heart? And are we as individuals, families, and neighbors of one heart?
- Having a pure heart is having honesty and humility in repentance.
- Having a soft heart is being patient, humble and full of love.
- Having a grateful heart is seeking out the sunlight, instead of the storms.
- Having an obedient heart is preparing for the future by living your covenants.
- Being of one heart is forgetting selfishness for love and service.
"How is your heart doing? Spiritually speaking, is it beating regularly, or is it skipping beats? Is it beating strongly or is it weak?" Brown asked.
The Lord has the power to change hearts, as it is seen time and time again throughout the scriptures. It is one's righteous duty to assess their hearts, submissively accept the changes to be made, and use the atonement to better themselves, and strengthen their heart.
"[The Lord] will lead and guide us as we show our willingness to submit to the will and timing of Him in all things," Brown said. "It is easier to feel the Spirit of the Lord, easier to feel close to our Heavenly Father, easier to want to be good, and easier to be happy when we look for the good in life."
Next Week's Devotional
The next BYU Devotional address will be held on Tuesday, April 7, at 11:05 a.m., in the Marriott Center. The School of Music will present a devotional featuring a broad range of choral and orchestral talent.
The performance will be broadcast live on BYUtv, BYUtv.org (and archived for on-demand streaming), KBYU-TV 11, Classical 89 FM and BYU Radio.
Writer: Jenna Randle
