The creation

We should care for the earth, be wise stewards over it and preserve it for future generations. And we are to love and care for one another.

We are to build families and be sealed in holy temples. We are to build the Church and kingdom of God upon the earth. We are to prepare for our own divine destiny-glory, immortality and eternal lives. These supernal blessings can all be ours, through our faithfulness.

Your body is a magnificent creation of God.

The marvel of our physical bodies is often overlooked or underappreciated. Who has not encountered feelings of low self-esteem because of physique or appearance? Many people wish their bodies could be more to their liking. Some with naturally straight hair want it curly. Others born with curly hair want it straight.

Ponder the magnificence of what you see when you look in the mirror. Ignore the freckles, the unruly hair or the blemishes, and look beyond to see the real you-a child of God, created by Him in His image.

When you sing "I Am a Child of God," think of His gift to you of your own physical body. The many amazing attributes of your body attest to your own "divine nature."

Each organ of your body is a wondrous gift from God. Each eye has an autofocusing lens. Nerves and muscles control two eyes to make a single three-dimensional image. The eyes are connected to the brain, which records the sights seen.

Your heart is an incredible pump. It has four delicate valves that control the direction of blood flow. These valves open and close more than 100,000 times a day-36 million times a year. Yet, unless altered by disease, they can withstand such stress almost indefinitely.

Think of the body's defense system. To protect it from harm, it perceives pain. In response to infection, it generates antibodies. The skin provides protection. It warns against injury that excessive heat or cold might cause.

The body renews its own outdated cells. The body can heal its cuts, bruises and broken bones. Its capacity for reproduction is another sacred gift from God.

The body constantly regulates the levels of countless ingredients, such as salt, water, sugar, protein, oxygen and carbon dioxide. Regulatory controls are managed without our awareness of these amazing realities.

A perfect body is not required to achieve a divine destiny. In fact, some of the sweetest spirits are housed in frail frames. Great spiritual strength is often developed by those with physical challenges-precisely because they are challenged. Such individuals are entitled to all the blessings that God has in store for His faithful and obedient children.

Each mortal life is closed by death. Eventually the time will come when each "spirit and ... body shall be reunited again in ... perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame." Then, thanks to Jesus Christ and His Atonement, we can become perfected in Him.