The Perfect Body

Ouch! My head! Ouch! My body! Will the aches and pains of illness and growing older never end? I am not that old. After all, my brain still tells me that I'm 16. Yet, there is definitely something different about that person staring back at me from the mirror. When did she get so much older? Why can't she move, bend, and twist the way she used to? I try to get her to perform the same acts of yesteryear but her body just doesn't want to listen. It also seems like illnesses incapacitate her longer the older she gets. How is that fair? Perhaps it is a trade off. As you grow older and gain more knowledge about life you pay the price with the aging of your body. Knowledge vs. Physical Prowess. Which would you prefer? It seems like a no-brainer, doesn't it? Until your legs ache with every move. Until you get a crick in your neck or sharp pain in your back.

There is still hope for all of us feeling the physical effects of getting older. The Lord always provides hope. Right now, I consist of a spirit and a body. Combined, they allow me to live a life rich in both spiritual and physical experiences. Aging of the body is just part of the process and believe it or not is considered progression not regression. It is not necessarily a fun part of progression, mind you, but it is a part of the process nonetheless.

As death is a necessary part of God's plan, all of us will pass through it. No exceptions. So what happens when we die? Well, our spirit and body separate. We already know that the body goes into a grave in the earth. But where does the spirit go? It is important to understand that we do not cease to exist when we die. If you have ever studied physics you know that energy cannot be created nor destroyed. We are comprised of energy that is for sure (just ask any mother with children). So when we die our energy (spirit) goes to another place to rest for awhile from all the trials and tribulations suffered through during earthly life. We'll call this place the Spirit World. It is a place of peace where we can enjoy mental and spiritual tranquility. In other words, we don't have to worry about this or that, be stressed, or wonder if we are doing our part anymore. It is a time and place of peace, free from strife. We also don't have our bodies while there so there is no real physical pain to suffer. So is that it? Our spirits and bodies stay separated forever? Of course not! Heavenly Father is so much more generous than that!

There will come a time when our spirits and bodies will reunite. It is called the resurrection. Except this time, rather than have bodies that are ravaged by illnesses, diseases, and pain, we will have perfect bodies. No aches, no pains, no scars, no diseases....perfect. A perfect body. Not a hair on our heads will be missing. Amulek, a servant of the Lord, taught that

"43 The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame...

44 Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame..." (Alma 11:43-44).

What a fantastic promise! What a generous gift! The hope that we will someday have a perfect and immortal (unable to die) body. How amazing!

If we are honest with ourselves, we know that we would never be able to appreciate such a marvelous endowment from our Heavenly Father if we didn't first pass through the pains of having an imperfect and mortal body. So I will tolerate all my aches and pains because I know someday this body is going to be the perfect body for me!