Sleep vs. Action

This semester I moved to a new apartment and since then have been living with amazing new roommates! One of my roommates, Betsy, likes to wake-up at 5am, no matter how late she stayed up the night before. Her example has made me want to be getting up earlier too. I have noticed in my life that I usually feel better--physically, emotionally, spiritually--when I wake-up early, excited and with purpose, and get going with my day. 

So last night, when we were getting ready to go to bed, I mentioned to Betsy that I wanted to get up early. We started talking about the whole getting-up early thing, and I really like the way she put it. She said that her dad always told her there were two parts to the commandment we receive about getting sleep: to "retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary," and to "arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated." (D&C 88:124). Even when we don't follow the first part (going to bed at a decent hour), her dad told her, we can still follow the second part--to "arise early." Then, if you need to, just take a quick nap later in the day. 

I really like that. Sleep--as much as I want to sometimes barter limb and soul for it--is not my favorite thing in the world. I hate getting too much sleep. I don't like sleeping in because it makes me feel like I've wasted my day away. As President Hinckley said: "We have work to do, you and I, so very much of it. Let us roll up our sleeves and get at it, with a new commitment, putting out trust in the Lord." (We Have a Work to Do, April 1995). I don't want to waste away my time sleeping when I could be up and doing and alive an at 'em. I'd much rather follow the counsel found in D&C 58: 27-28:

"Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward."