The Body: First Stewardship
& Liahona of the Spirit
Marcus
H. Martins, Ph.D.
Short
Essay Posted on Social Media - 2014
Introduction
Over the years
remarkable events led me repeatedly to ponder the role
of the human body in the divine plan of salvation. I put this subject
aside for more than a decade, but a recent conversation with a friend
led me to finally write a commentary about it. The following essay is
an edited and expanded version of what I wrote at that time.
In the Book of Mormon the Prophet Alma called the plan of salvation
"the great plan of happiness". (Alma 42:8)
Around 1840 the Prophet Joseph Smith declared: "The great plan of
happiness consists in having a body." (Teachings of the
Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, p.220)
I
was a young man in the mid-1970s when I read this statement for the
first time, and since then I have considered it as one of the most
profound and extraordinary truths of the restored gospel of Jesus
Christ. In the imperfect and fallen world the philosophies of men see
the human body as a mere object for personal gratification or for
aesthetic admiration, or as a temporary burden to be despised.
Fortunately, through modern prophets the Lord restored the knowledge
that the human body, regardless of any infirmities, imperfections, or
other mortal limitations, is an indispensable divine gift for our
eternal progression.
The
First Stewardship
We
can understand the body as the first stewardship or charge we receive
from God as we enter the earthly environment, and at the same time it
is an absolutely essential element in achieving future glories, honors,
and eternal privileges far beyond our current mortal comprehension.
Without a tangible body of flesh and bones there is no way to enjoy
immortal glory, and without a body spirits consider themselves in
bondage--imprisoned, enslaved, or subjugated, and yearn for the
resurrection (Doctrine & Covenants 45:17; 138: 50).
Through
his atoning sacrifice the Savior Jesus Christ assured to all mankind a
future resurrection, through which the software of life will be applied
to incorruptible matter, and all will receive their bodies again, free
of limitations, imperfections, and mortal infirmities, and clothed in
the measure of eternal glory that each person will be willing and
prepared to receive (Doctrine & Covenants 88:
21-24, 27-39).
A
"Liahona" to the Spirit
As
we ponder on what the restored gospel of Jesus Christ teaches about the
human body, we begin to see it as a tool, or figuratively as part of a
"Liahona," so to speak, for our eternal spirits. The Liahona given to
the Prophet Lehi was an object "of curious workmanship"—carefully and
accurately made, exquisite—activated (or "vivified") by the power of
God when its users exercised faith in the Lord (1 Nephi
16:10, 28-29). And the Liahona guided Lehi's family to
the more fertile parts of the wilderness (verse 16).
I
see in this an analogy with the human body in the mortal journey toward
eternal glory. The body is also accurately and exquisitely built, and
it doesn't take a degree in medicine to recognize that the human body
is a marvel, a magnificent and incomparable spectacle, whether in
mechanic, biochemical, hydrodynamic, electric, computational, or
aesthetic terms. The human body was the pinnacle of the divine
creation, and the only item in the creation identified as the "image
and likeness of God" (Genesis 1:27). When
we accept the doctrine of Jesus Christ and receive the ordinances of
baptism by immersion and the laying on of hands for the gift of the
Holy Ghost, our bodies cease to be mere complex biological organisms
and become the dwelling of the Spirit of the Lord, or "temples".
"But if the
Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that
raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by
his Spirit that dwelleth in you." (Romans 8:11)
"
And the light
which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth
your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your
understandings." (Doctrine & Covenants 88:11)
"For
man is
spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably
connected, receive a fulness of joy; And when separated, man cannot
receive a fulness of joy. The elements are the tabernacle of God; yea,
man is the tabernacle of God, even temples ..." (Doctrine
&
Covenants 93:33-35)
As we live
in a manner to have the "constant companionship" of the Holy Ghost (Doctrine
& Covenants 121:46; in the dictionary: "constant (adj.): firm;
invariable; dependable") we will be guided to the "more
fertile parts" of this life, and we will progress and prosper in our
righteous endeavors—be they related to families, professions, or other
associations and earthly concerns. And through the ordinances of the
gospel of Jesus Christ and a behavior in harmony with its principles
and standards, obeying the divine commandments, our spirits receive the
divine guidance and power necessary so that one day we may enter with
our families into worlds of glory, our "promised land" in eternity.
Respect
and Reverence for the Body
The
Prophet Joseph Smith taught: "The design of God before the foundation
of the world was that we should take tabernacles [bodies], that through
faithfulness we should overcome and thereby obtain a resurrection from
the dead, in this wise obtaining glory, honor, power, and
dominion." (Teachings of Presidents of the
Church – Joseph Smith, p.211).
In
this manner we understand the indispensable role of the human body in
our eternal journey. And that we might preserve the sacred character of
our bodies, God gave us through the "Light of Christ", or
consciousness, a natural sense of respect and reverence for the body.
In the world this feeling is called decency, modesty, or even shame,
but in reality it is the Light of Christ reminding us that we are
dealing with the most sacred of all divine creations, the only
identified as the "image and likeness of God".
This
same divine influence causes us to cling to life and fear death, as
reportedly stated the Prophet Joseph Smith: "If the people knew what
was behind the veil, they would try by every means to commit suicide
that they might get there. But the Lord in his wisdom ...
implanted the fear of death in every person that they might cling to
life and thus accomplish the designs of their Creator." (quoted
by President Wilford Woodruff - 17 August 1877 - in Larson &
Larson, "Diary of Charles Lowell Walker" 1:465-466)
In
order to further protect the sacred character of the body and its
powers, the Lord decreed the Law of Chastity, and inspired his prophets
in every dispensation to teach us standards of dress and behavior to
help us live in harmony with this law, according to our circumstances.
One day we will have to give an account of how we took care of this
assignment. The Prophet Joseph Smith said: " We came to this earth that
we might have a body and present it pure before God in the celestial
kingdom." (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph
Smith, p.220)
The
mortal body was appointed by the God of heaven to be the dwelling of an
immortal and pure spirit. On one occasion, when writing to a young
woman about the respect for the body, I stated the following—and I
would have written something similar to a young man: "The body is such
a sacred gift that only one man on this planet should see it uncovered:
your spouse. Only you—exclusively you—will choose the young man who
will receive this rare and precious privilege. And only God and you
will grant to this man the official permission to have this privilege,
through the priesthood authority in the highest divine ordinance
accessible to mortals: the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. An
ordinance so sacred that can only be officiated in temples and after
several stages of preparation."
Symbolic
Clothing
The
human body has been covered in some form since the early dispensations
of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Apocryphal texts suggest that our first
parents, Adam and Eve, were clothed with glory or light while living in
the Garden of Eden (Apocalypse of Moses xx:3; xxi:6).
With the fall, the first couple lost that light and made for themselves
aprons, which the Lord complemented with coats (in the
dictionary: "lining" or "layers") of skins. (Genesis
3:21; Moses 4:27)
Since
then special clothing has also been used symbolically to represent
authority and priestly endowments (Exodus 40:13-14;
Doctrine & Covenants 138:30). Among these
clothes, it is worth noting that veils have been used to cover
extremely sacred objects (for example, the ark of the
covenant - Exodus 40:1-3), and the faces of consecrated
persons (as in the case of Rebecca, Moses and Elijah) in sanctified
places, or in events related to the highest order of the priesthood,
the new and everlasting covenant of marriage (Genesis
24:64-65; Exodus 34:30-35; 1 Kings 19:13). The sacredness
of the body is once again reiterated, it being ancillary, in part
conduit and auxiliary, in the manifestation of the power of the
priesthood and of life, towards eternal salvation (Doctrine
& Covenants 84:19-21).
The
mortal human body has powers and capacities whose full extent we can
hardly understand, despite all our scientific knowledge. These powers
and capacities can be used in this world to do good and bring us great
joy, and that's why the Lord has commanded that "men should be
anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free
will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them,
wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men
do good they shall in nowise lose their reward." (Doctrine
& Covenants 58:27-28)
The
Psalmist wrote: "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that
thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou
visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels,
and hast crowned him with glory and honour." (Psalm 8:3-5)
Higher
and Lower Forms of Life
Here
we see one of the great differences between the philosophies of the
world and the doctrines of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. The
current scientific theories, based on imperfect and limited tools, can
only see human beings as a higher form of animal life. The revelations
received from courts of eternal glory by prophets of God lead us, by
faith, to see human beings as a lower form of divine life.
On
the other hand, the powers and capabilities of the body can be used in
ways not entirely in harmony, or even contrary to divine laws and
principles. By doing this a person discovers physical sensations and
exaggerated emotions, which though "pleasing" to the body, do not
elevate the person, do not build a foundation for eternity, and in some
cases reduce the person to a mere servant of desires, appetites, and
passions that by divine decree must be kept within certain limits set
by God.
In
view of this, the divine instructions that constitute the "Word of
Wisdom" given by the Lord to members of his Church in the latter days
can be seen as a form of "spiritual discipline". Through it, Latter-day
Saints show their devotion to God, increase the intensity of the power
of the priesthood in their lives, and qualify for great blessings yet
to take effect in their fullness. Every now and then one asks whether
we may ingest "this-or-that," when in fact it would be better to ask:
"What measure of the divine power do I want in my life? And what
influence would this substance have on my sensitivity to the power of
God?"
The
divine guidance that comes to us through the Light of Christ invites us
to exercise our moral agency and dominate the desires, appetites, and
passions of the mortal body (Doctrine & Covenants
93:30-31; 101:78). When a large number of people follow
the good conscience, the Light of Christ, social norms tend to be based
on that divine guidance. When that doesn't happen, and people resist
the influence of the Light of Christ, society begins to degenerate (Mosiah
29:26-27) under the pernicious influence of the "anything
goes" mentality of moral relativism that preaches the basic idea that
"If I think it's good, or if I feel good about it, then no one should
prohibit it."
Our
Duty and Accountability
President
Brigham Young explained clearly our duty toward our spirits:
"You
cannot inherit eternal life, unless your appetites are brought in
subjection to the spirit that lives within you, that spirit which our
Father in Heaven gave. I mean the Father of your spirits, of those
spirits which he has put into these tabernacles. The tabernacles must
be brought in subjection to the spirit perfectly, or your bodies cannot
be raised to inherit eternal life. … Seek diligently, until you bring
all into subjection to the law of Christ." (Teachings of
Presidents of
the Church: Brigham Young, p.204)
The
Lord said:
"And
now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that
Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to
judge righteously; and this is my Spirit. Verily, verily, I say unto
you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your
mind, which shall fill your soul with joy" (Doctrine
& Covenants
11:12-13).
"Blessed
is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in
death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same
is greater in the kingdom of heaven. Ye cannot behold with your natural
eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those
things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow
after much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings.
Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the
hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand. Remember this, which I tell you
before, that you may lay it to heart, and receive that which is to
follow. ... ye are not able to abide the presence of God now, neither
the ministering of angels; wherefore, continue in patience until ye are
perfected." (Doctrine & Covenants 58: 2-5; 67:13)
And
regarding the future, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught:
"While one
portion of the human race is judging and condemning the other without
mercy, the Great Parent of the universe looks upon the whole human
family with a fatherly care and paternal regard; He views them as His
offspring, and ... He is a wise Lawgiver, and will judge all men, not
according to the narrow, contracted notions of men, but, ‘according to
the deeds done in the body whether they be good or evil' ...
"We
need not
doubt the wisdom and intelligence of the Great Jehovah; He will award
judgment or mercy to all nations according to their several deserts,
their means of obtaining intelligence, the laws by which they are
governed, the facilities afforded them of obtaining correct
information, and His inscrutable designs in relation to the human
family; and when the designs of God shall be made manifest, and the
curtain of futurity be withdrawn, we shall all of us eventually have to
confess that the Judge of all the earth has done right." (Teachings
of
the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp.217-218)
Through the
divine revelations given in the latter days, we can feel extremely
grateful for the divine blessing of having a mortal body, and for the
opportunities and privileges available to us through it.
Marcus
H.
Martins
is a professor of religion and leadership and former dean of religious
education at Brigham Young University-Hawaii. He wrote the book
"Setting the Record Straight: Blacks and the Mormon Priesthood", and
the manuscript "The Priesthood: Earthly Symbols and Heavenly
Realities". He has spoken at conferences and events in the United
States (where he has lived since 1990), Brazil, China, England, Hong
Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Portugal, Qatar and Singapore.
Brother Martins joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
in 1972 and became the first Latter-day Saint with Black African
ancestry to serve a full-time mission after the 1978 Revelation. He
served twice as bishop, seven times as stake high councilor, three
times as temple worker, translator of the Book of Mormon, and president
of the Brazil Sao Paulo North Mission with his wife, Mirian Abelin
Barbosa. The couple has four children and eight grandchildren.
Copyright -
Marcus H. Martins, 2014