The mind-body connection and emotions

Thoughts and emotions greatly affect your health. The Bible says “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he...” (Prov 23:7); Job said, “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.” (Job 3:25). Behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts. (Jer 6:19) President Kimball taught: "Every thought that one permits through his mind leaves its trace. Thoughts are things. Our lives are governed a great deal by our thoughts." (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball p 154) Evidently, thoughts becoming things was taught by prophets long before the people quoted on the popular movie "The Secret." The book of Moses teaches us this creation principle, that things are created first spiritually, then temporally. Lectures on Faith 7:3 teaches, “When a man works by faith he works by mental exertion instead of physical force.”
Brent & Wendy C. Top pose a very interesting thought, “Perhaps in discovering the electromagnetic field scientists have merely found a way to detect and measure the real energy of the spirit body and the intelligence or Light of Christ which comprises it.” ( Glimpses Beyond Death’s Door, p254) I believe their supposition has merit since D&C 84:45 teaches “...whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.”
It seems to me that science and religion might be talking about the same things, just using different language. Quantum physicists say everything is composed of vibrations that emit frequencies into the universe. Dr. Sari Suttka wrote, “Energy is in-FORM-ation which creates a vibration that manifests into a pattern which emits a signal that can be found somewhere along an electromagnetic spectrum.”
Religious leaders use different words to teach the same principle. David O. McKay taught that we affect others constantly by “radiation.” He said the effect of our words is being broadcast to the world. “There is one responsibility which no man can evade; that responsibility is his personal influence. Man's unconscious influence is the silent, subtle radiation of personality -- the effect of his words and his actions on others. This radiation is tremendous. Every moment of life man is changing, to a degree, the life of the whole world. Every man has an atmosphere which is affecting every other man. He cannot escape for one moment from this radiation of his character, this constant weakening or strengthening of others. Man cannot evade the responsibility by merely saying that it is an unconscious influence. Man can select the qualities he would permit to be radiated. He can cultivate sweetness, calmness, trust, generosity, truth, justice, loyalty, nobility, and make them vitally active in his character. And by these qualities he will constantly affect the world. This radiation, to which I refer, comes from what a person really is, not from what he pretends to be. Every man by his mere living is radiating either sympathy, sorrow, morbidness, cynicism, or happiness and hope or any one of a hundred other qualities. Life is a state of radiation and absorption. To exist is to radiate; to exist is to be the recipient of radiation.” (David O. McKay, April 1948, emphasis added)
Pres. McKay shared more on how our thoughts vibrate outward and how we are the recipients of other’s vibrational frequencies toward us. “Every man and every person who lives in this world wields an influence whether for good or for evil. It is not what he says alone; it is not alone what he does. It is what he is. Every man, every person radiates what he or she really is. Every person is a recipient of radiation. The Savior was conscious of that. Whenever He came into the presence of an individual, He sensed that radiation -- whether it was the woman of Samaria with her past life; whether it was the woman who was to be stoned, or the men who were to stone her; whether it was the statesman, Nicodemus, or one of the lepers. He was conscious of the radiation from the individual. And to a degree so are you, and so am I. It is what we are and what we radiate that affects the people around us. As individuals, we must think nobler thoughts. We must not encourage vile thoughts or low aspirations. We shall radiate them if we do. If we think noble thoughts; if we encourage and cherish noble aspirations, there will be that radiation when we meet people, especially when we associate with them. (David O. McKay, 1964, emphasis added)
“Thought is electrical energy or vibration that quickly enters your brain-servant, and stimulates the creation of matching molecules of emotion- (endorphins or depressants, etc.) The information and emotion molecules relay the positive or negative chemicals along with their connecting thought vibrations, down the nervous system, and direct the nerves and muscles in this intelligent human body. You can feel the vibrations as tingling sensations. This is an amazing discovery in each of us. What you think about becomes the directives for this two-part system to follow! Say what you desire for you to become.” (Carolyn Ringger, anangelstouchstor.com) Elder Packer said, “Remember, Nephi told his rebellious brothers, who had rejected a message from an angel, “Ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words. (see1 Nephi 17:45, Ensign, Apr 2005, 8 ) A related principle is taught by Nephi who said his spoken words were even mightier than his written ones. (2 Nephi 33:1 See also Ether 12:23)
The words we use affect our health. The Old Testament teaches: “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” (Prov 16:24). I believe Jesus taught the principle of the power of our words when he said: “Not that which goeth into a mouth defileth a man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” (Matt. 15:11) No wonder we are taught “If ye do not watch yourelves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds... ye must perish.” (Mosiah 4:30) LDS author, Garth Allred wrote a fabulous book which emphasizes the effect of thoughts on health. Traditional medicine has mostly ignored the mind/body connection, but fields such as psychoneuroimmunology are changing that.