What Church Leaders Are Saying about the Gift of Our Bodies

Mother and Daughter Dancing, by Kathleen Peterson, may not be copied

President Russell M. Nelson

“The gift of our physical bodies is a transcendent miracle. A unique body is given to each of us by our loving Heavenly Father. He created it as a tabernacle for our spirits, to assist each of us in our quest to fulfill the full measure of our creation. Our bodies allow each of us to experience the great plan of salvation that He has designed for all His precious children. He wants us eventually to become more like Him and return to live with Him. That great blessing would not be possible without our first receiving a physical body in this probationary estate.”

“Your Body: A Magnificent Gift to Cherish,” New Era, Aug. 2019, 2.

“With your body being such a vital part of God’s eternal plan, it is little wonder that the Apostle Paul described it as a ‘temple of God’ [1 Corinthians 3:16; see also 6:19]. Each time you look in the mirror, see your body as your 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.”

“Decisions for Eternity,” Ensign, Nov. 2013, 107.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

“We are all different. Some are tall, and some are short. Some are round, and some are thin. And almost everyone at some time or other wants to be something they are not! … We should all be as fit as we can be—that’s good Word of Wisdom doctrine. That means eating right and exercising and helping our bodies function at their optimum strength. We could probably all do better in that regard. But I speak here of optimum health; there is no universal optimum size.”

“To Young Women,” Ensign, Nov. 2005, 29.

Elder David A. Bednar

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

“Because a physical body is so central to the Father’s plan of happiness and our spiritual development, 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, entices us to share in his misery through the improper use of our bodies. The very tool he does not have is thus the primary target of his attempts to lure us to spiritual destruction.”

“We Believe in Being Chaste,” Ensign, May 2013, 43.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

“As God and Christ are deserving of our reverence, so Their works are deserving of our respect and reverence. That of course includes the marvelous creation that is this earth. And yet as wonderful as this earth is, it is not the greatest of God’s creations. Greater still is this marvelous physical body. It is in the very likeness of the person of God. It is essential to our earthly experience and key to our everlasting glory. …

“How are we to preserve the sanctity of this most important and sacred of God’s creations? At a minimum, we would not in any way defile our bodies.”

“A Sense of the Sacred” (Brigham Young University devotional, Nov. 7, 2004), 3–4, speeches.byu.edu.

Michelle D. Craig

First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency

“Satan wants us to … compare our looks, our skills, our talents, our bodies to other people and to feel bad about our failings. If we listen, we may never realize the great inner beauty that God has granted each of us. …

“… Each one of us is a child of God with unlimited potential waiting to be developed and an inner beauty to be trusted and revealed. As we exercise faith in God and live as disciples of Jesus Christ, His Son, we can live with confidence, find joy, and reach our eternal potential.”

“What Voices Will You Listen To?” New Era, Aug. 2019, 33.