I have a doctrinal question for everyone. The Bible and Book of Mormon talk about how our bodies will be perfected when we are resurrected, corruption to incorruption. I always took that to mean that we would never get sick again, that any limbs we have lost, etc. would be restored. (Alma 11:44, 40:23 and 1 Cor 15) But, does this mean that if we are fat, we will be skinny? There are other verses stating that we will be given the same body when we are resurrected. (D + C 88:28) But does that mean that we will have the same body habitus too?
I’m just interested to see what people think about this.
12 comments:
I'm definitely voting for a slim, youthful, beauty enhanced body! I think that having weight problems in life is one of those challenges that are connected with earthlife....I sure hope that is the case!
Mom Fromm
I absolutely agree! It seems to me that what it all means is that we will be raised in the same body but it will be perfected in every way! Somewhere it says that we will be ressurected at our prime.
I agree! It seems to me we will be ressurected with the same body brought to its perfect frame.
Todd, I am not so sure that it is that simple to get skinny. Just wait 'til you die and walah! I think just as you said our bodies will be perfect in that they are immortal, body and spirit joined forever, and that any genetic defects or problems will be healed, or made whole. However, I think that the Lord has always wanted beauty and variety. I also think that we must strive to overcome whatever challenges we have been given in this life, including being fat. What we learn here we will take with us. If that is eating ice cream whenever we want because it is so yummy, then that's what we will feel like there. If it is living moderately and healthily that too will come with us. So, I guess that I think it will be possible to still have fat peopl after we are resurrected. What do you think?
If you consider that when the Savior showed his hands and side to the Nephites when he visited America, what does that say about resurrection?
I don't remember where I read it (one of the G.A.'s), but I remember reading that we won't be resurrected to a perfect frame immediately. It will be a process through priesthood ordinances and our faith (and mastery) that we will gain our perfect frame. That was quite startling to me because I had always imagined it to be an immediate thing (in a twinkling), but perhaps that is not so, and we will be called upon to exercise our faith & power in combination with the priesthood. An interesting thought!
The gospel according to Ann is simply an opinion in this case. I have heard that we will be resurrected with the addictions and problems that we have not overcome. So I think that if we are without a limb or blind or deaf....those problems will be immediately fixed. But if we are fat or addicted to things (food, alcohol, drugs, etc. ) because of our own choices and weaknesses we will still need to work on those problems. Now, I don't think that too much food or bad substances will be available to us in the next life, but we will have cravings and problems that we will need to work through as part of our continued progress. I don't know if that means we will be fat until we have worked through the problems, but we will not be perfected just through death. Obviously this is not a throughly thought out conclusion and I still have things to think about and ponder, but it was an interesting question and it was fun to think about.
Tammy, I have no idea. But I appreciate everyone's thoughts!
Todd when in doubt go with what GMA&GPA say ;). Good discussion.
Steve we're glad you still have so much wisdom. It will be nice to see you and your family next year when we come see Todd and Deanna.
After much thought, I think there will be lots of fat people in heaven because that is probably the perfected state!
The Gospel according to Brian:
I had a discussion about this in a religion class a few years ago. We talked about some of the scriptures referenced earlier which state that our spirit will be reunited with the same body we have now. The teacher then went on to talk about the process of "restoration". The basic idea was that we will be resurrected in the same form we were in when we died. So if we are big or little when we die, we will be the same when we rise. It is then, through the process of restoration, that we will eventually be perfected physically. We don't know how long that process will take, but it will gradually happen over time, following the rules or laws of restoration.
This means that if we have scars or tattoos, for example, we will still have them initially when we are resurrected, at least until the process of restoration restores us to a perfect state without them. The same goes for the size and shape of our bodies minus sickness and disease which will no longer exist due to our immortal state. It will be interesting to see if the restoration process will be rapid or gradual.
A great example of all of this is the Savior. Although He was resurrected 2000 years ago, He still has the wounds of His death - prints of the nails in His hands, wrists, and feet as well as a wound in His side. The rest of His body has been perfected. These wounds still have a purpose in identifying Him as the Redeemer of the world.
In D&C 45:51-53 it talks about the return of Christ to the earth - "And then shall the Jews look upon me and say: What are these wounds in thine hands and in thy feet? Then shall they know that I am the Lord; for I will say unto them: These wounds are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I am he who was lifted up. I am Jesus that was crucified. I am the Son of God. And then shall they weep because of their iniquities; then shall they lament because they persecuted their king." They will also serve as a personal witness to each of us when we are brought into His presence. I am sure that we will each have the same experience that those in Jerusalem as well as those in ancient America had when He appeared to them and said, "Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world."
Eventually, I would imagine that even these wounds will be healed through the laws of restoration unless they are needed for an eternal purpose or identification for Him.
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