Wholesome Recreational Activities

George H. Brimhall, who served as president of Brigham Young University from 1904 to 1921, once used a vivid metaphor to encourage the wise use of leisure time. Comparing people to either eagles, who soar toward “highest realms of heaven,” or hogs, who “roll and soak [themselves] in filth,” he invited his listeners to fill their time with uplifting activities. He said:

You can’t tell the character of an individual by the way he does his daily work. Watch him when his work is done. See where he goes. Note the companions he seeks, and the things he does when he may do as he pleases. Then you can tell his true character.

Raymond Brimhall Holbrook and Esther Hamilton Holbrook, The Tall Pine Tree: The Life and Work of George H. Brimhall, 1988, pp. 111–13

A young man who heard that sermon, Eugene L. Roberts, said that it instilled in him the desire to organize “wholesome recreational activities” to help young people participate in “the eagle type of leisure.”

President Gordon B. Hinckley quoted that story in a general conference talk in October 1994 (“Don’t Drop the Ball“). One year later, he introduced the Family Proclamation, which included “wholesome recreational activities” in a list of foundational principles for successful marriages and families. I think the phrase was carefully chosen. “Entertainment,” “amusement,” or “doing something fun” would all represent uses of our free time, but none of them sound as intentionally uplifting.

• Wholesome means good for your health and well-being, physical and emotional.
• Recreation means literally re-creation, restoring and renewing your energy.
• An activity implies some level of planning and engagement: doing something together at an agreed time and place.

The Book of Mormon frequently warns us about the dangers of “idleness.” For example, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies, who were converted by the preaching of the sons of Mosiah, covenanted that “rather than spend their days in idleness, they would labor abundantly with their hands” (Alma 24:18). And Alma warned his son Shiblon to “refrain from idleness” (Alma 38:12). I don’t think he meant for Shiblon work 24/7, but I do think he wanted him to participate consistently in uplifting activities.

President D. Todd Christofferson spoke about the importance of being intentional with our free time:

Just as honest toil gives rest its sweetness, wholesome recreation is the friend and steadying companion of work. Music, literature, art, dance, drama, athletics—all can provide entertainment to enrich one’s life and further consecrate it. At the same time, it hardly needs to be said that much of what passes for entertainment today is coarse, degrading, violent, mind-numbing, and time wasting. Ironically, it sometimes takes hard work to find wholesome leisure.

“Reflections on a Consecrated Life,” October 2010 general conference

Sometimes the simplest (and cheapest) activities are the most rewarding. President Dallin H. Oaks shared the following story:

A friend took his young family on a series of summer vacation trips, including visits to memorable historic sites. At the end of the summer he asked his teenage son which of these good summer activities he enjoyed most. The father learned from the reply, and so did those he told of it. “The thing I liked best this summer,” the boy replied, “was the night you and I laid on the lawn and looked at the stars and talked.” Super family activities may be good for children, but they are not always better than one-on-one time with a loving parent.

“Good, Better, Best,” October 2007 general conference

Today, I will plan wholesome recreational activities for our family to enjoy during this Christmas season. I will remember that meaningful family activities need not be complicated or expensive but that they should be intentional and participatory.