Profound and Simple Truth
Satan has waged a full attack on bodies.
He has declared war on my body. Not just my body, but my mind as well.
This week I read "Decisions for Eternity" by Elder Russell M. Nelson.
Elder Nelson stated some amazing and profound (at least for me) truths about our bodies.
Just as a little history, Elder Nelson is a Medical Doctor, specifically a heart surgeon. Check him out here.
Some direct quotes from his talk:
"Stellar spirits are often housed in imperfect bodies."
"With your body being such a vital part in God's eternal plan, it is little wonder that the Apostle Paul described it as "a temple of God." Each time you look in the mirror, see your body as a temple. That truth -- refreshed gratefully each day -- can positively influence your decisions about how you will care for your body and how you will use it. And those decisions will determine your destiny. How could this be? Because your body is a temple for your spirit. And how you use your body affects your spirit."
"You were chosen not for your bodily characteristics, but for your spiritual attributes such as bravery, courage, integrity of heart, a thirst for truth, a hunger for wisdom, and a desire to serve others."
"A pivotal spiritual attribute is that of self-mastery--the strength to place reason over appetite. Self-mastery builds a strong conscience. And your conscience determines your moral responses in difficult, tempting, and trying situations. Fasting helps your spirit to develop dominance over your physical appetites. Fasting also increases your access to heaven's help, as it intensifies your prayers. Why the need for self-mastery? God implanted strong appetites within us for nourishment and love, vital for the human family to be perpetuated. When we master our appetites within the bounds of God's laws, we can enjoy longer life, greater love, and consummate joy."
Those are just a few of my favorites from this talk.
As my battle with self image rages on and I begin more and more to focus on what the Lord has to say about our bodies and less on what the world has to say about our bodies I am filled with love and gratitude. My body is strong and healthy. It is the means by which I can love, serve, and experience life. It was given to me as a great learning tool.
Often times I think about the pre-mortal world. I believe that we knew in our minds the things that we would suffer here on earth. I believe we knew the specific challenges that we would face. I often wonder what Heavenly Father and I talked about when it came to self image. I wonder if I struggled with the fear of being fat or being unattractive. Throughout the day, when negative thoughts come into my mind I try to listen for the spirit and replace those thoughts with truths that I know and that has been revealed to us through living prophets. I would imagine Heavenly Father taught me about Jesus Christ's role in his great plan. I imagine he taught me about my role as a woman, mother, and wife. I imagine we discussed true beauty and he reminded me of his constant love. These things are easy to imagine because I feel them now, on earth, in the midst of all the noise and distractions and ads and expectations. The spirit reminds me of the truths that my loving, kind, thoughtful, perfect, and compassionate Heavenly Father taught me as he prepared me to come down to earth and have this experience.
I believe that this struggle, this weakness, is not permanent, that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ my spirit can gain dominance over my physical appetites. I believe that Jesus Christ knows how I feel. He understands the pressure, the twisted view, and the overwhelming expectation that is thrown in my face daily. He also understands how to support, strengthen, and motivate me personally. He knows what will drive me toward the excellence that he sees in me.
I am more than a body. My body is my spirit's temple. I have a Heavenly Father who is real and He loves me beyond my body. He sees who I am and who I will become. He loves me no matter what kind of hair day I am having or what kind of clothes I am wearing. Make up, perfect hair, manicured fingers, or fancy jewelry are not requirements for God's love. He does not care about the things of this world. He cares about the welfare of my soul. He cares about my virtue, purity, and modesty.
If this is how God feels about me then, this is how God feels about all his daughters, all his children.
What beautiful truth. Plain and simple.
My sweet fiance who reminds me of who I am and what I am worth. And loves me for what is in my heart.
He has declared war on my body. Not just my body, but my mind as well.
This week I read "Decisions for Eternity" by Elder Russell M. Nelson.
Elder Nelson stated some amazing and profound (at least for me) truths about our bodies.
Just as a little history, Elder Nelson is a Medical Doctor, specifically a heart surgeon. Check him out here.
Some direct quotes from his talk:
"Stellar spirits are often housed in imperfect bodies."
"With your body being such a vital part in God's eternal plan, it is little wonder that the Apostle Paul described it as "a temple of God." Each time you look in the mirror, see your body as a temple. That truth -- refreshed gratefully each day -- can positively influence your decisions about how you will care for your body and how you will use it. And those decisions will determine your destiny. How could this be? Because your body is a temple for your spirit. And how you use your body affects your spirit."
"You were chosen not for your bodily characteristics, but for your spiritual attributes such as bravery, courage, integrity of heart, a thirst for truth, a hunger for wisdom, and a desire to serve others."
"A pivotal spiritual attribute is that of self-mastery--the strength to place reason over appetite. Self-mastery builds a strong conscience. And your conscience determines your moral responses in difficult, tempting, and trying situations. Fasting helps your spirit to develop dominance over your physical appetites. Fasting also increases your access to heaven's help, as it intensifies your prayers. Why the need for self-mastery? God implanted strong appetites within us for nourishment and love, vital for the human family to be perpetuated. When we master our appetites within the bounds of God's laws, we can enjoy longer life, greater love, and consummate joy."
Those are just a few of my favorites from this talk.
As my battle with self image rages on and I begin more and more to focus on what the Lord has to say about our bodies and less on what the world has to say about our bodies I am filled with love and gratitude. My body is strong and healthy. It is the means by which I can love, serve, and experience life. It was given to me as a great learning tool.
Often times I think about the pre-mortal world. I believe that we knew in our minds the things that we would suffer here on earth. I believe we knew the specific challenges that we would face. I often wonder what Heavenly Father and I talked about when it came to self image. I wonder if I struggled with the fear of being fat or being unattractive. Throughout the day, when negative thoughts come into my mind I try to listen for the spirit and replace those thoughts with truths that I know and that has been revealed to us through living prophets. I would imagine Heavenly Father taught me about Jesus Christ's role in his great plan. I imagine he taught me about my role as a woman, mother, and wife. I imagine we discussed true beauty and he reminded me of his constant love. These things are easy to imagine because I feel them now, on earth, in the midst of all the noise and distractions and ads and expectations. The spirit reminds me of the truths that my loving, kind, thoughtful, perfect, and compassionate Heavenly Father taught me as he prepared me to come down to earth and have this experience.
I believe that this struggle, this weakness, is not permanent, that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ my spirit can gain dominance over my physical appetites. I believe that Jesus Christ knows how I feel. He understands the pressure, the twisted view, and the overwhelming expectation that is thrown in my face daily. He also understands how to support, strengthen, and motivate me personally. He knows what will drive me toward the excellence that he sees in me.
I am more than a body. My body is my spirit's temple. I have a Heavenly Father who is real and He loves me beyond my body. He sees who I am and who I will become. He loves me no matter what kind of hair day I am having or what kind of clothes I am wearing. Make up, perfect hair, manicured fingers, or fancy jewelry are not requirements for God's love. He does not care about the things of this world. He cares about the welfare of my soul. He cares about my virtue, purity, and modesty.
If this is how God feels about me then, this is how God feels about all his daughters, all his children.
What beautiful truth. Plain and simple.
My sweet fiance who reminds me of who I am and what I am worth. And loves me for what is in my heart. 
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