Life is a Gift

A lot of thought went into the planning and creation of this world, and everything on it, including us. We know that the Lord “doth counsel in wisdom over all his works.” (Alma 37:12). In Moses we learn that everything was created in spirit before it was placed on the earth.

“For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth.…And I, the Lord God, had created all the children of men; and not yet a man to till the ground; for in heaven created I them; and there was not yet flesh upon the earth, neither in the water, neither in the air” (Moses 3:5)

Elder Russel M. Nelson states,

“We are dual beings. Each soul is comprised of body and spirit, both of which emanate from God….Your body, whatever its natural gifts, is a magnificent creation of God. It is a tabernacle of flesh—a temple for your spirit.” (link to talk).

If we look at the intricacies of the human body it is absolutely astounding. Elder Nelson spoke of the wonders of our bodies when he said,

“My professional years as a medical doctor gave me a profound respect for the human body. Created by God as a gift to you, it is absolutely amazing! Think of your eyes that see, ears that hear, and fingers that feel all the wondrous things around you. Your brain lets you learn, think, and reason. Your heart pumps tirelessly day and night, almost without your awareness.

“Your body protects itself. Pain comes as a warning that something is wrong and needs attention. Infectious illnesses strike from time to time, and when they do, antibodies are formed that increase your resistence to subsequent infection.

“Your body repairs itself. Cuts and bruises heal. Broken bones can become strong once again. I have cited but a tiny sample of the many amazing God-given qualities of your body.” (link to talk)

Our bodies are able to do incredible things because of how they were created. Our bodies, and sprits, are also incredibly capable because we are children of a Father in Heaven with the capacity to become like Him.

“All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny” (link to “The Family: A Proclamation to the World”).

Before we came to earth we lived with our Father in Heaven. He is a glorified, resurrected being, with a “body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s” (Doctrine & Covenants 130:22). We saw Him, talked with Him, and wanted to become like Him. Our Father in Heaven proposed a plan where we would receive a body and come down to earth. We would then learn, through our own experience, how to become like Him. We “shouted for joy” (Job 38:7) at this opportunity.

As part of our Father’s plan it was not intended that we would be left to wander alone and directionless on the earth. The Lord provided a plan for us, and a way for us to follow. We would have His words including the scriptures, words of the living prophet, and personal revelation. We would have the ability to pray to Him, and come to know His will for us. After we were baptized, and confirmed a member of His Church we would have the opportunity for the continuing guidance of the Holy Ghost in our lives.

We would be human, and it was known that we would sin and come far short of perfection. Because of the fall of Adam we would become fallen beings, making it impossible to return back to our Father. Through His infinite foreknowledge, and love for us, the way was provided for us to return to Him. It is through, and only through, the Atonement of Jesus Christ that we can return to live with our Father in Heaven again.

Jesus Christ our literal spirit brother was “Chosen from the beginning” (Moses 4:2) to come down and atone for our sins. We would have the ability to choose for ourselves to accept or reject His Atonement while in this life. There would be many who would, but many who would not, choose to follow our Father’s plan while on this earth. But it would be our choosing.

Elder ElRay L. Christiansen states,

“When the great council was held in heaven, in which all of us were involved, the Father presented his plan for peopling the earth, and for the salvation of man. Lucifer wanted to amend the plan. He proposed to destroy the agency of man and to save all mankind, that not one soul would be lost. This he would accomplish through outright force and coercion, denying all persons the right of choice.

“Satan’s proposal of compulsion was rejected by the Father, and Lucifer ‘was angry, and kept not his first estate; and, … many followed after him.’…

“The Father’s plan, accepted by Jehovah, provided man the right of choice, that through its exercise he might become strong and advance in learning, wisdom, and righteousness by conquering weaknesses and by resisting the temptations to do wrong.” (link to talk)

Satan does not, and never will, have a physical body. I think that is why many of his temptations seem to focus primarily on the physical body. His plan, however, is the same – to oppose the Lord’s plan. Slowly and subtly he uses his time-tested methods to cheat the souls of men and “[lead] them away carefully down to hell” (2 Nephi 28:21). But we need not feel deceived nor powerless against him.

Elder David A. Bednar says this about the physical body.

“Because a physical body is so central to the Father’s plan of happiness and our spiritual development, we should not be surprised that Lucifer seeks to frustrate our progression by tempting us to use our bodies improperly. One of the ultimate ironies of eternity is that the adversary, who is miserable precisely because he has no physical body, invites and entices us to share in his misery through the improper use of our bodies. The very tool he does not have and cannot use is thus the primary target of his attempts to lure us to physical and spiritual destruction.

“The adversary attempts to influence us both to misuse our physical bodies and to minimize the importance of our bodies….

“[But] according to your faithfulness and diligence, you will have the power to discern the deception and repel the attacks of the adversary as he tempts you to misuse your physical body.”  (link to article)

Joseph Smith said,

 “We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the celestial kingdom. The great principle of happiness consists in having a body. The devil has no body, and herein is his punishment. He is pleased when he can obtain the tabernacle of man, and when cast out by the Savior he asked to go into the herd of swine, showing that he would prefer a swine’s body to having none. All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not. …

“The devil has no power over us only as we permit him; the moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes power.” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 211, 214.) (as quoted by Elder Bednar: link to talk)

Our physical and spiritual bodies are very closely tied together. It is important that we take care of them; we will have them for a very long time. The state of our physical body can have a significant effect on the state of our spirit. Elder Richard G. Scott counseled,

“[S]piritual communication can be enhanced by good health practices. Exercise, reasonable amounts of sleep, and good eating habits increase our capacity to receive and understand revelation. We will live for our appointed life span. However, we can improve both the quality of our service and our well-being by making careful, appropriate choices.” (link to talk)

Care for our physical body includes rest, exercise, and good nutrition. It is important to take care of ourselves that we may have the ability to use our bodies throughout our lives, and not be limited by our poor choices. Each of us has physical limitations that we also need to be mindful of. I know from experience that I am not at my best (usually grouchy and quick to anger) if I don’t get enough sleep, or if I’m not eating right. It seems to be the small, seemingly insignificant, things can add up to be much bigger than we had planned.

Thankfully, the Lord has given us instructions in his scriptures to direct us in our quest.

“[R]etire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.” (Doctrine & Covenants 88:124)

“Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength” (Doctrine & Covenants 10:4)

We have also been given the Lord’s law of health, known as The Word of Wisdom (see also Doctrine & Covenants 89), which gives us specific instructions on how to care for our bodies.

“On February 27, 1833…the Lord revealed which foods are good for us to eat and which substances are not good for the human body. He also promised health, protection, knowledge, and wisdom to those who obey the Word of Wisdom.” (link to article)

Caring for our physical body also includes caring for our minds.

“[S]eek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith. (Doctrine & Covenants 88:118)

Our mind and our spirit need to be strengthened in order to help control our body. President Boyd K. Packer states, “Your body really is the instrument of your mind and the foundation of your character” (link to talk). Our mind is in control to choose the path we will take, as shown by our actions. Or, as Elder Neal A. Maxwell more eloquently states,

“Therefore, what we insistently desire, over time, is what we will eventually become and what we will receive in eternity.” (link to talk)

In the booklet For the Strength of Youth it summarizes what we can do to care for our body, and protect it from harm.

“Your body is a temple, a gift from God. You will be blessed as you care for your body. Choose to obey the Word of Wisdom. When you are obedient to this law, you remain free from harmful addictions and have control over your life. You gain the blessings of a healthy body, an alert mind, and the guidance of the Holy Ghost. You will be prepared to serve the Lord.” (link to article)

The Lord always keeps his promises. As we choose to obey the Word of Wisdom, we will receive the promised blessings. I love how President Boyd K. Packer explains the importance of obeying the Word of Wisdom, and the blessings that pertain to it.

“The Word of Wisdom does not promise you perfect health, but it teaches how to keep the body you were born with in the best condition and your mind alert to delicate spiritual promptings.

“I remember a blessing I received when I was serving in the military. It included counsel that’s good for every…person: ‘You have been given a body of such physical proportions and fitness as to enable your spirit to function through it. … You should cherish this as a great heritage. Guard [it] and protect it. Take nothing into it that shall harm the organs thereof because it is sacred. It is the instrument of your mind and [the] foundation of your character.’ That counsel had great influence on me.

“The promise of health for living the standard of the revelation is not limited to members of the Church. Tell your nonmember friends about the Word of Wisdom and urge them to live it.

“And then there is a greater blessing promised in the Word of Wisdom. Those who obey it are promised that they ‘shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures’ (Doctrine & Covenants 89:19). This is the personal revelation through which you can detect invisible crocodiles or hidden mines or other dangers.” (link to talk)

Obeying the Word of Wisdom is one of the ways that we can be protected from the power of the adversary. Another way is by keeping our bodies, and our minds, clean and pure.

President Marion G. Romney declared:

“I can think of no blessings to be more fervently desired than those promised to the pure and the virtuous. Jesus spoke of specific rewards for different virtues but reserved the greatest, so it seems to me, for the pure in heart, ‘for they,’ said he, ‘shall see God’. And not only shall they see the Lord, but they shall feel at home in his presence.

“Here is … the Savior’s promise: ‘Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God’” (link to talk) 

Elder David A. Bednar adds,

“We also are promised that, as we pursue the pathway of virtue, “the Holy Ghost shall be [our] constant companion.” (link to talk)

We learn from the apostle Paul that our body is a temple where the spirit of God can dwell (1 Corinthians 3:16). Temples are a sacred place where we can make covenants, feel the spirit of the Lord, and worship Him (see also: Temples). As we keep our bodies clean we can feel the Spirit in our lives. In the Book of Mormon we learn that the Lord cannot dwell in unholy places, but dwells in the hearts of the righteous (Alma 34:36). It is critical that we care for our body as a holy and sacred edifice so the Spirit can dwell therein.

Elder N. Eldon Tanner said,

“Joseph Smith through revelation taught a new concept of the human body as the tabernacle of the spirit. A man’s body is sacred and is not to be violated. Any willful impairment is an affront to God, and therefore care of the body is of spiritual significance.” (link to talk)

As we take care of our bodies, our spirits can be greatly blessed. As we chose to nourish our spirit our faith and testimony will grow. We can come to know for ourselves that we are truly children of a Father in Heaven who knows us and loves us.

In the book of Moses we read about how Moses speaks with God “face to face” and God calls him “my son” (Moses 1:2-4). Moses sees the wonders and glories of God’s majesty. After the spirit of the Lord withdraws Moses is approached by Satan and immediately recognizes the difference between God’s glory, and the lack thereof with the adversary.

“And it came to pass that when Moses had said these words, behold, Satan came tempting him, saying: Moses, son of man, worship me.

“And it came to pass that Moses looked upon Satan and said: Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is thy glory, that I should worship thee?

“For behold, I could not look upon God, except his glory should come upon me, and I were transfigured before him. But I can look upon thee in the natural man.” (Moses 1:12-14)

Moses came to know that he was a child of God and, through that knowledge, was able to withstand the attacks of the adversary. Sister Susan W. Tanner states,

“Moses learned who he was through a powerful spiritual experience. He talked with God face-to-face and learned that he was God’s son, with a special mission to perform. After having this experience, Moses was then buffeted by Satan. But because Moses had felt of God’s glory, he recognized that Satan did not have any glory. Because Moses knew that he was God’s son and that God had a mission for him, he had the power and ability to resist Satan, to make righteous judgments, to call upon God for strength, and to continue to have His Spirit to be with him.” (link to talk)

The same is true for us. As we come to truly know and understand that we really are children of God and that he loves us, we can be strengthened in our trials. As we are obedient to his direction we can be blessed with the guidance of the Holy Ghost. We will find comfort and peace through the whisperings and tenderness of the Comforter. We can access the power to change through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As we strengthen our physical and spiritual bodies to work in unison we can be an instrument in the hands of God and fulfill our purposes for being here on this earth.

Life is truly a gift from the Lord. How grateful I am for each new day and the opportunities that await.