Bodies

Life didn’t begin when we were born and it does not end when we die, because we are more than just a physical body. The spirit or soul within us is a spirit child of God. We were created in his image. Our spirit bodies were created in the image of God. He has a body of flesh and bone. He wants us to become like him. He has a plan for our happiness.


In this pre earth life Jesus Christ was chosen as our savior. He wanted us to have a chance to know the difference between right and wrong. We were given agency, or the power to choose to follow Jesus.


Under Heavenly Father’s direction Jesus created the earth so we could have these experiences and get physical bodies.


Satan, one of God’s spirit children rebelled against Heavenly Father and did not accept His plan. He wanted to have God’s power. He was allowed to come to earth without a body to tempt us and try to make us miserable. It is a good test because we don’t remember living with God.


Adam and Eve, two of God’s spirit children were chosen to become the first parents on earth. They lived in a place called the Garden of Eden where they were still in God’s presence. They were innocent and could have lived in the garden forever. But they would have had no children. God warned Adam and Eve that if they ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil that they would die and he commanded them not to. But he gave them the power to choose what they would do.


Satan tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit and they chose to eat. Because of this they became spiritually separated from God suffering a kind of spiritual death.


It was a necessary part of God’s plan that they be able to know good from evil. But it was a choice they had to make for themselves. God had created them perfect. Some people think Adam was a bad man, but God wouldn't have chosen a bad man to be one of the first parents.


Once they became mortal, Adam and Eve would make mistakes and become unclean. Sin would make it so they could not return to live with God. They would have children who would also have the power to choose between good and evil.


Because they were mortal they would suffer a physical death as well as spiritual death. But God had a plan involving Jesus Christ that could take care of everything.


The Book of Mormon teaches about this plan. It is one of the reasons it is important to read the Book of Mormon. It is because of the Book of Mormon that we understand these things.


2 Nephi 2:22-25 If Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden…And Adam and Eve would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are that they might have joy.


I need to say more about bodies. God is the father of our spirits. We are literally his children and he loves us. We lived with him in Heaven. Our spirit bodies are in the image of his body. The body of God the Father is a body of flesh. Because God the Father has a body of flesh and bones, Adam and Eve were created in God’s image with bodies of flesh and bones. 


But they didn’t know how to be good. They didn’t know the difference between Good and Evil. They weren’t like God. They had to be fall and be cut off from God before they could be free to choose. Satan and the spirits who followed him are on the earth now. We can’t see them, but they can tempt us and give us bad ideas. But God’s spirit and the light of Jesus Christ can give us good ideas.


The Book of Mormon tells about a prophet who saw the spirit body of Jesus Christ before he was born as a baby. First the Brother of Jared saw just the finger of the Lord touching stones to make them shine. But because of his faith the Lord let him see his spirit body.
Ether 3:16 Behold, this body, which ye now bbehold, is the cbody of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh.


After the fall the bodies of Adam and Eve changed. They could bleed and die. They were able to have children and the bodies of their children could die.


It is good to have bodies Our bodies can get us into trouble, but part of God’s plan was for our spirits come to earth and get bodies. We’ll talk more about how wonderful this is when we talk about resurrection.


Part of Heavenly Father’s plan was that Jesus Christ would make it possible for every person to be resurrected.


What happened when Jesus was resurrected? 
What kind of a body did he have?


Luke 24:36-43 36And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, peace be unto you. 37But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. 38And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. 41And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43And he took it, and did eat before them.


3 Nephi 11:14-15 14Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may bfeel 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 dearth, and have been slain for the sins of the world. 15And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.


Because Jesus was resurrected he gained power over death for all of us. After we have spent time in the spirit world, we will all get our bodies back. They will be real bodies. The good will be resurrected first because they will be ready first. The bad will have to suffer for their own sins in the spirit world but when they are ready, they will also be resurrected and all of us will have to stand before God to be judged.


How do you think you will feel when your body is restored to perfect health? You will be young and strong. It will be a physical body of flesh and bone. You will be able to speak and sing and hear and see. You will be able to run and jump and dance. It won’t be just like being born again on the earth. It will be an immortal body that can never die again.


God will judge everyone fairly. We will be rewarded not only for our works but also for our desires. God will know our hearts. He will assign us to different kingdoms of glory and give us all the glory and goodness we are ready and able to handle. There are three kingdoms of glory. The scriptures compare them to the sun and the moon and the stars.


The sun is the brightest. It is the kingdom where God lives. It is called the celestial kingdom and those who receive this kingdom will live with him and become like him. They will have been made clean because of Jesus Christ and his mercy.


Those honorable people who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus Christ and who are blinded by the craftiness of men will receive the second kingdom that is compared to the moon.
It is called the terrestrial kingdom.


Those who sin and do not repent will receive the telestial glory after they suffer and pay for their own sins. Those who murder and lie and steal will have time to get ready for a kingdom of glory and light.


Only those very few like Satan who want to crucify Jesus again and want nothing to do with God will be in darkness.
Jesus Christ will save everyone who wants to be saved.


Doctrine and Covenants 88:28-32
28They who are of a celestial spirit shall receive the same bbody which was a natural body; even ye shall receive your bodies, and your glory shall be that glory by which your bodies are quickened.
29Ye who are quickened by a portion of the celestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
30And they who are quickened by a portion of the terrestrial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
31And also they who are quickened by a portion of the telestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
32And they who remain shall also be quickened; nevertheless, they shall return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received.


1 Corinthians 15:40-41
40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.