For a look back at Part One or Part Three, click here.
Today's quote isn't a quote really - it's an aside reference to a well-known story that emphasizes a point about being idle:
This, again, comes from Elder Alvin R. Dyer's talk from the October 1971 General Conference, "The Nobility of Man in Choosing Good Over Evil." The reference in parenthesis refers to modern-day scriptures known as the Doctrine & Covenants or D&C:
The Literary Reference
“Cease to be idle;
cease to be unclean;
cease to find fault one with another;
cease to sleep longer than is needful;
retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary;
arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.” (D&C 88:124.)
This is a very controversial subject, with many different ideas.
I once heard of a man by the name of Wilson
who slept so much that his friends nicknamed him “Rip Van Wilson.”
He said, “I don’t sleep long. I just sleep slow.”
The Story of Rip Van Winkle
The 'Rip Van Wilson' reference goes back to a story called "Rip Van Winkle", by Washington Irving.
Rip Van Winkle was an easygoing man, whose wife would constantly berate him for his 'laziness'. He escaped her by going into the mountains. He meets there some supernatural folk who are bowling and drinking. He joins in their game and falls asleep. When he wakes up 20 years later, his wife is dead, and the world as he knew it is twenty years changed.
The Concept of Laziness Has Changed
The name 'Rip Van Winkle' came to be synonymous with laziness, which is why the man who slept so much got that particular nickname.
We live in a much different time these days - not in a time of laziness, but in a time of overwork and overdoing things, as well as a time of more individualistic routines.
Can we sleep too much? Yes. But we know now that different people require different periods of rest.
Can we sleep too little? Certainly, and there's dangers in both.
Can someone sleep for other reasons than a need for rest? Yes, mental illness can influence how much someone sleeps. Sometimes, what looks like simple tasks to one person is a herculean effort for another.
These days, health is less about what other people are doing, and more about what works best for each person.
The times, they are always a-changin', just like they did for Rip Van Winkle...and that's another reason why I appreciate the gospel of Jesus Christ so much. It's a steadying rock for me in changing times. It teaches me how to adapt to new ideas, and when to stay anchored to basic eternal principles.
