Your Body

It's under constant scrutiny.

It changes, breathes, moves. 

It is part of you.

Or is it you?

Our bodies go through more than we sometimes realize. They are discussed or ignored. They are abused or spoiled. They are criticized, analyzed, and cast aside.

With everything our bodies are put through, it is easy to lose sight of what they really are. Is a body a blank canvas? A gob of fat and skin? A vehicle? A disappointment? A tool?

My goal today is to give us all a bit more perspective, to remind us of what your body is and what it is not.

1) Your body is a masterpiece

Your body was handcrafted by the same hands that created worlds, by the Master Creator himself. It is unique. It is a masterful work of art that functions beyond that of anything else on earth. It is complex and beautiful.

2) Your body looks like God and Jesus

"And I, God, created man in mine own image, in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him; male and female created I them." (Moses 2:27)

 God created you to look like Himself. How would you feel if someone said "Wow, she looks just like you! I hate her hair. And she's too fat. And what's with that acne on her chin?" How do you think God feels when we insult our image? The image that is His own?

3)Your body is not yours

Yep, you read that right. Your body is a gift that God has given to you. You owe everything you have and are to God and Jesus Christ. 

"Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Christ paid an infinite price for you. So why are you insulting the gift of your body? You are priceless. Your body is a gift that deserves to be awed and thanked for, not criticized.

4) Your body is part of your soul

If you saw a human soul walking towards you, how would you treat it? What kind of thoughts would you have about it? Would you immediately look for the negative parts of it? Or would you just be amazed to be looking at a soul?

Doctrine and Covenants 88:15 says "And the spirit and the body are the soul of man."

This means that every single day you see hundreds of souls. The person with a teal mohawk, the old lady wearing pants past her belly button, your own imperfect reflection. These souls are precious and dear. They are sacred and divine. Your body is one half of that soul. Why insult or degrade something so precious as a human soul?

I hope you gained a bit of perspective on your body today.

It is more than flesh and blood.

It is more than an ornament or tool or vehicle.

It is a masterpiece.

It is God's own image.

It is a gift bought with a price.

It is part of a soul.

Please look at your body with these things in mind.

Don't try and find the parts of it that don't meet arbitrary standards set by those who have forgotten these truths. Don't degrade or defile it. Don't criticize or abuse it.

Your body is amazing.

Don't forget that, please.