Wrestling and Playing

The Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith loved wrestling and stick pulls. He also loved to get on the floor and play with his children. It is said that he "did more for the salvation of mankind than any man, except Jesus Christ". While priests of other sects criticized his enthusiasm for physical sport, he sanctioned it, saying that the mind is like a violin string, it needs to be relaxed between periods of serious mental thought.

I remember a seminary teacher who got on the floor and wrestled with a boy in our class. I remember thinking that something was seriously wrong until I saw both of them stand up grinning from ear to ear, red in the face. He probably was my favorite seminary teacher.

In any case, if you want to be in shape, and you have kids, get down on the floor and tickle, wrestle, hug, roll, make shapes for them to crawl through, and go down the slide at the park with them. Enjoy your body.