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Why is it important for us to take care of our bodies? Why are our bodies called temples of God in the Bible?

Official Answer

Man is composed of two parts: a mortal body, and an immortal spirit. The Lord calls our body a ‘tabernacle’ or a ‘temple’ since it is the temporary residence of our eternal spirit (see Book of Mormon, Mosiah 3:5; 1 Corinthians 3:16). Since the spirit and the body together are the soul of man (see Doctrine and Covenants 88:15), what affects one affects the other. By taking care of our bodies we make our “tabernacles” an acceptable house for our spirits. By defiling our bodies with drugs, tobacco, or unwholesome foods it affects our spirits adversely.

  • Shirley Barron Russell

    Our body is a temple for the Lord and the residence of our eternal spirit. What we do to our body will affect our ability to perceive and receive the promptings of the holy spirit and we need to be always ready to receive the promptings and do as told to do! If we defile our body with drugs, tobacco, or unwholesome foods it will affect our spirit tremendously! Show more

  • Cary

    Of all the gifts that omnipotent Being we call God has given us, our body is among the most important. Bodies are just a mortal shell for our spirits, but without the body, the spirit would have no capacity to act for itself in the material world. Because it is such an important gift, because our spirit's power to act is through a body, the better condition we keep our bodies in, the more of our potential for good we can reach. By the same token, treating our bodies as something less than sacred--neglecting their health, failing to keep them in good working order, abusing them with drugs or inappropriate clothing, even treating them like an art canvas instead of as a treasured gift--can diminish our capacity to become like our Father in Heaven, and can therefore be considered sinful in some degree. In another sense, the Spirit of God, God's way of communicating good thoughts and feelings, of prompting good actions, contacts our own spirits in the body they reside in. Therefore, whenever we feel to do something good, it is because our bodies have become a dwelling place in which God's own Spirit can at least temporarily reside. In that sense, just as the Temple is conceived of as God's House, our bodies can be a metaphorical sort of "house" for God too.  Show more

  • Monica

    I have a tattoo. I know that my body is a gift from Heavenly Father. Before joining the church I did not know how much our bodies represent our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. They are gifts and we need to return our gratitude for our bodies to Him by maintaing healthy bodies, not partaking of unhealthy things. I am not ashamed or embarassed by my tattoo, but now respect my body more and have refrained from getting others because I know my body is a temple, a sacred gift from my Father in Heaven. Show more

  • Michelle

    Our bodies and our spirits comprise the soul of a person. Whatever we do to our bodies we do to our spirits. We obey the Word of Wisdom, which includes not intaking harmful or addictive substances in order to preserve our connection with the Holy Spirit. By avoiding these harmful substances we are better able to live the principles of the gospel, kindness, compassion, patience, and are able to live a Christ-centered life. Show more

  • Karla

    We all have a purpose for being here on earth, a mission if you will...some important thing or things that Heavenly Father sent us here to accomplish. Having a body is a necessary part of our earthly experience. Because our bodies are special, sacred gifts to us from Heavenly Father that house our spirits, they are called temples, and we should treat them as such. Just like we work to take care of and protect our homes...keep them looking nice and in good repair, we should do everything we can to take care of our bodies, protect them from damage and keep them in good repair so we can better accomplish our mission here on earth. Show more

  • Jeremy

    It is very important to take care of our bodies because it is a creation of God. If we understand the significance of how our bodies and form were molded after the image of God, we can understand the necessity of treating it with the utmost respect and care. Our bodies is a gift from Heavenly Father, given to us so we may have the oppotunity to exist and experience mortality. Without such, our spirits would not have the opportunity to experience mortality, and the Lord's plan of Salvation would not have the opportunity to be fulfilled. Quoted from a conference talk, "be loyal to the royal within you", recognizing that our bodies are in fact "temples" help us understand the importance of keeping it clean, within and without. Our bodies hold within a Son or Daughter of God. Therefore, we must do our very best to keep their temporary stay in this life wonderful. Show more

  • Erik

    When the Savior was on the earth, he linked our bodies to the temple when he said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). The Jews didn't understand what he meant, supposing he spoke of the building he had just cleansed, not "the temple of his body" (John 2:21). The apostle Paul built on this teaching when he testified, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16). Our body is the instrument of our Spirit. When we choose to care for it as we would a temple, we more readily receive personal revelation and spirituality. Personally, I've found that when I eat healthy and participate in regular exercise, I have greater mental clarity, more self-control with my thoughts, more power over temptation, and more drive to be my very best self. I am closer to God. Show more

  • Jake

    I've had my body all my life. I cant say anything about yours, but mine has been difficult. I have Marfan Syndrome. Thats a disease that effects the connective tissues in my body. Most people who have Marfan's are pretty tall and have long features. One of the risks of Marfans is that the connective tissues in my aorta stretch out real big. (Your aorta is on top of your heart) And if it stretches too much, things could rip, and needless to say, ripped hearts are bad. Because my doctor was keeping an eye on me, i had to have corrective heart surgery when I was 21. And because I took care of my body growing up, no drinking, no drugs, no smoking, major heart surgery wasn't much of a risk. After having the surgery, i have a new, huge scar, but i have a bit of a new chance at life. My father had Marfan Syndrome, but died before he could have corrective surgery. This body is the only one i've got and the only way to go through life is to go in this body. Show more

  • Ashley

    Elder D. Todd Christofferson, of the 12 Apostles, said in the Oct 2010 Gen Conference, “A consecrated [consecrated to God] life respects the incomparable gift of one's physical body, a divine creation in the very image of God. A central purpose of the mortal experience is that each spirit should receive such a body and learn to exercise moral agency in a tabernacle of flesh. A physical body is also essential for exaltation, which comes only in the perfect combination of the physical and the spiritual, as we see in our beloved, resurrected Lord. In this fallen world, some lives will be painfully brief; some bodies will be malformed, broken or barely adequate to maintain life; yet life will be long enough for each spirit, and each body will qualify for resurrection. “Those who believe that our bodies are nothing more than the result of evolutionary chance will feel no accountability to God or anyone else for what they do with or to their body. We who have a witness of the broader reality of premortal, mortal, and postmortal eternity, however must acknowledge that we have a duty to God with respect to this crowning achievement of His physical creation. In Paul's words: 'What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 'For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's' (1 Cor 6:19-20).” Show more

  • Mike

    We should keep our bodies clean both physically and spiritually. There are many scriptures that refer to our bodies being the "temple of God," and if it is the temple of God, then we should keep it clean. A clean temple will allow us some day to be in the presence of God. Show more

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