Wear sunscreen

That was the first line of advice given by Mary Schmich's, "Advice, like youth, often wasted on the young," a column written in 1997. Her column gained notoriety when it was put to music and read by the actor Lee Perry (see video here). I remember hearing in on the radio while I was in high school. As I've matured, I realize the sage nature of the counsel given by Ms. Schmich's. Alas, if only I had remembered this counsel last weekend.

We had a ward camp out along the Wisconsin River at the Riverside Resort in Spring Green (map here). While it poured Friday evening, Saturday was spectacular. The activities planned for Saturday included, among other things, canoeing. Not planning to take my shirt off, I applied sunscreen to my arms, face, and neck and thought that sufficient. However, during our travels down the river we beached our watercraft on a sandbar and played "500" for almost an hour in the shallows. I played shirtless and am now suffering the effects of those UV-B rays. It didn't help that I had sunscreen on part of my body; all exposed flesh should have been protected.

This experience is analogous to our journey throughout this mortal life. We must protect ourselves from all physical, mental, and spiritual perils. Applying figurative sunscreen in the form of a good diet and exercises may protect one's physical and mental well-being but one is still left exposed to the spiritual barbs of the adversary. We may not need that protection now but the time will come when we will.

Like sunscreen, we did not know how much spiritual protection we will need. Therefore, we should lather it on! Remember, no one ever regrets being too righteous or having acted on a generous thought!