“Lesson 5 Class Preparation Material: Our Mortal Experience and the Gift of a Physical Body,” The Eternal Family Teacher Material (2022)
“Lesson 5 Class Preparation Material,” The Eternal Family Teacher Material
Lesson 5 Class Preparation Material
Our Mortal Experience and the Gift of a Physical Body
Have you ever marveled at the miracle of your physical body and all that it can do? On the other hand, have there been times when you have felt frustrated by challenges you experience because of your body? As you study, consider how our physical bodies are connected to the purpose of our mortal experience in God’s plan of happiness.
Section 1
How is my physical body essential to my eternal progression?
Our physical bodies were created in the image of God (see Genesis 1:26–27). President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency explained, “The purpose of mortal life and the postmortal growth that can follow it is for the offspring of God to become like He is” (“The Great Plan,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 94).
So, what do we need to experience in mortal life to become like God? Two important elements are mentioned in the following statement from the family proclamation: “In the premortal realm, [we] … accepted [God’s] plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
Watch the video “God’s Greatest Creation” (2:51), and consider the miracle that your physical body is and some of its sacred purposes.
In a revelation about the pre-earth life, Abraham was shown the Council in Heaven (see Abraham 3:22–28). At that time he learned an important truth about our mortal life.
Study in Preparation for Class
Read Abraham 3:24–26, and look for what Abraham learned about one of the purposes for us coming to earth and receiving a physical body. (It may help to know that our “first estate” refers to our premortal life, and our “second estate” refers to the time between our mortal birth and the Final Judgment.)
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught about how having a physical body is part of us being proved, or tested, in mortality:
If, then in the course of our mortal experience, we chose to “do all things whatsoever the Lord [our] God [should] command [us]” [Abraham 3:25], we would have kept our “second estate” [Abraham 3:26]. This means that by our choices we would demonstrate to God (and to ourselves) our commitment and capacity to live His celestial law while outside His presence and in a physical body with all its powers, appetites, and passions. Could we bridle the flesh so that it became the instrument rather than the master of the spirit? Could we be trusted both in time and eternity with godly powers, including power to create life? Would we individually overcome evil? Those who did would “have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever” [Abraham 3:26]—a very significant aspect of that glory being a resurrected, immortal, and glorified physical body. No wonder we “shouted for joy” at these magnificent possibilities and promises [Job 38:7]. (“Why Marriage, Why Family,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 51)
Because of Jesus Christ, we can one day receive an immortal, perfect body like our Father in Heaven has (see Doctrine and Covenants 130:22). This is the only type of body in which we can “receive a fulness of joy” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:33–34; 138:17). The Prophet Joseph Smith also taught that true happiness involves having a physical body:
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. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 211)
As noted earlier in the statement shared from the family proclamation, gaining earthly experience is also important in progressing toward perfection and becoming like God. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained how our physical bodies amplify our mortal experience:
Our physical bodies make possible a breadth, a depth, and an intensity of experience that simply could not be obtained in our premortal existence. Thus, our relationships with other people, our capacity to recognize and act in accordance with truth, and our ability to obey the principles and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ are amplified through our physical bodies. In the school of mortality, we experience tenderness, love, kindness, happiness, sorrow, disappointment, pain, and even the challenges of physical limitations in ways that prepare us for eternity. Simply stated, there are lessons we must learn and experiences we must have, as the scriptures describe, “according to the flesh” (1 Nephi 19:6; Alma 7:12–13). (“We Believe in Being Chaste,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 41)
Ponder in Preparation for Class
How would you explain why our physical bodies are important in Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness?
Section 2
Why is it difficult to master some of my physical desires and appetites?
Our Heavenly Father has placed certain appetites in our bodies to perpetuate life and help fulfill His plan. Part of our mortal testing “is to determine if the appetites of [our] body can become mastered by the spirit that dwells within it” (Russell M. Nelson, “Your Body: A Magnificent Gift to Cherish,” New Era, Aug. 2019, 5).
Each of us is influenced by the natural man. (Note that natural man is a term that refers to both men and women.) This is the mortal part of us that allows our physical appetites and worldly desires to go unchecked and to overcome our desires and efforts to become like God (see Guide to the Scriptures, “Natural Man,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
Study in Preparation for Class
Read Alma 41:11 and 1 Corinthians 2:14, and consider marking words or phrases that describe succumbing to the natural man in us.
Elder Bednar added to our understanding of the natural man when he taught:
To some degree, the natural man … is alive and well in each of us (see Mosiah 3:19). The natural man or woman is unrepentant, is carnal and sensual (see Mosiah 16:5; Alma 42:10; Moses 5:13), is indulgent and excessive, and is prideful and selfish. …
As sons and daughters of God, we have inherited divine capacities from Him. But we presently live in a fallen world. The very elements out of which our bodies were created are by nature fallen and ever subject to the pull of sin, corruption, and death. Consequently, the Fall of Adam and its spiritual and temporal consequences affect us most directly through our physical bodies. (“We Believe in Being Chaste,” 42–43)
Ponder in Preparation for Class
Select one of the characteristics of the natural man described in Alma 41:11 or 1 Corinthians 2:14 or in Elder Bednar’s statement. How can that characteristic affect a dating or family relationship?
Section 3
How can Jesus Christ help me overcome the natural man?
During King Benjamin’s sermon to his people, he shared what an angel taught him about the ministry and Atonement of Jesus Christ (see Mosiah 3:5–19).
Study in Preparation for Class
Read Mosiah 3:19, and look for how we can overcome the natural man. (Note that in this context, to yield means to submit to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and saint refers to someone who is becoming sanctified or holy—someone who is devoted to God.)
Read the following statements by Elder Bednar and Bishop Gérald Caussé of the Presiding Bishopric, and consider how Jesus Christ can help you overcome the natural man and become more like Him:
Every appetite, desire, propensity, and impulse of the natural man may be overcome by and through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We are here on the earth to develop godlike qualities and to bridle all of the passions of the flesh. (“We Believe in Being Chaste,” 43)
Through His Atonement, Jesus Christ not only washes away our sins, but He also provides enabling power through which His disciples may “[put] off the natural man” [Mosiah 3:19], progress “line upon line” [2 Nephi 28:30], and increase in holiness so that one day they might become perfect beings in the image of Christ [see Moroni 10:32–33], qualified to live again with God and inherit all the blessings of the kingdom of heaven. (“A Living Witness of the Living Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 40)
Record Your Thoughts
Think about a family relationship you would like to improve. What characteristics of the natural man are hindering that relationship? How can you access the blessings of the Savior’s Atonement and yield to the Holy Spirit to put off those characteristics and become more like the Savior?