There’s nothing wrong with doing things just for ourselves.  Indeed, a daily quiet time and some periods of solitude are necessities for me.  One of the big problems with people in the world today is that they spend their time feeding their bodies and their passions, and completely neglect their spirits.  Our bodies are designed to cry out for attention, so naturally we’re constantly busy providing them with food, warmth, comforts, and stimuli.

Our spirits, on the other hand, are so quiet that we forget we have them.  They never cry out to be fed; yet if nothing is done to feed them, they atrophy and die to all good things.

That’s one reason we go to church.  At least for those three hours each week our spirits are being nourished.  That little bit of spiritual nourishment goes a long way, and might be enough to put a shine on an otherwise dull person.  The person who only goes to church, though, and never studies the scriptures, or prays, or spends time in the service of others is neglecting his spiritual self, and is leaving himself vulnerable to temptations.

The spirit is a quiet, gentle, kind and peaceful thing.  It is, therefore, fed by quietness, gentleness, kindness and peace.  A few minutes alone each day with the scriptures, prayer, quiet music, nature, or meditation does wonders for the soul.  Those few minutes are essential—a necessity—and should be scheduled into a person’s day just like a meal.  It might mean arising 15 minutes before everyone else, or taking a 30-minute walk, or singing, or listening to an uplifting tape during your commute, or finding a place to be alone during lunch break, or reading at bedtime, or all of the above.  Every little bit helps.—A lot.  The spirit draws strength from these things and thus gains power over the body.  When temptations come calling, the spirit is able to take control and to tell the body to be quiet.