Reverencing Our Bodies in the Sunlight of Easter

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16)

"If anything is sacred, the human body is sacred." (Walt Whitman, American Poet)

It's Easter.

It's that wonderful time of year when we reflect on that most matchless of Christ's gifts to us: the promise of eternal life with our loved ones through His Atonement and Resurrection.

It's that wonderful opportunity for us to reflect on the preciousness of mortal bodies, tabernacles worthy of even the Son of God and, thanks to His victory over death, integral parts of our eternal souls.  What a wonderful thing it is to be alive!

But with the advent of the same technology that allows us to transcend the limits of geography and connect with our loved ones in ways previously unthinkable, we face the very real dangers of warped concepts of physical beauty and value for both men and women.  Mses. Lexie and Lindsay Kite eloquently address this modern day danger in their insightful article "Beauty Redefined: Rejecting the Media's Impossible Standards," (http://ldsliving.com/story/63275-beauty-redefined-rejecting-the-medias-impossible-standards) by highlighting the "lies we buy," the current "battle to take back beauty," and the importance of "redefining [our] reality."

As husbands, fathers, sons and brothers, ours is the opportunity to protect the women in our lives from the tremendous psychological and emotional damage of "body hatred" by recognizing and encouraging feminine beauty in all of its wonderfully diverse and vibrant forms.

For wives, mothers, daughters and sisters, the opportunity exists to sustain and encourage virtuous, self-confident manhood by eschewing pop-culture's superficial criteria of masculinity.

As children of God, we have a sacred stewardship over our mortal "tabernacles of clay," a responsibility to get fit, eat healthy, dress with class, and express constant gratitude for the wonderfully unique gift our Heavenly Father has given each us.

Within this framework of safeguarding femininity, supporting masculinity, and reverencing the physical bodies entrusted to our care, what specific things can each of us do to "take back beauty" in this virtual age of ours?

In Defense of Manhood

"Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed. (3 Nephi 18:21)

"True manhood is not always measured by the fruits of one's labors but by the labors themselves--by one's striving." (D. Todd Christofferson, Let Us Be Men, October 2006 LDS General Conference)

Sometimes it's not easy being a man.

Mind you, it's not all doom and gloom.  The extra upper body strength comes in handy, relative emotional constancy is kind of nice, and concepts like the "glass ceiling" and "mascara" rarely enter into our psyche.  Throw in our rustic good taste and charming demeanors, and the male condition begins to look pretty good.

But before you think men have it easy, make sure you check the small print.  Manhood, true manhood, is firmly linked with stewardship, with a solemn responsibility to care for life's talents, abilities, possessions and resources, all with the ultimate object of providing "the sacred support which we owe to our wives and children." (Alma 44:5)  The men I know shoulder this accountability gladly.  And manfully.

But sometimes, it's not easy.

Especially nowadays.  It seems that everywhere we turn, our modern-day society is launching attack after attack on manhood.  Even among devout Christians, we hear subtly condescending sentiments such as "all men are little boys at heart," "men are commitment-shy," and "men need to feel needed."  Let's take a quick look at each of these unfortunate generalizations, shall we?

1. "All men are little boys at heart."

It should be a compliment, but this smug, glib phrase is often used in a way that slights both men and boys, suggesting an irresponsible immaturity that undermines the innate male nobility.  That nobility should be clear to anyone who has watched a little boy courageously square his shoulders under his father's admonition to "take care of Mom" while he's away.  It should be clear to anyone who has heard a young son's exuberantly expressed desire to be a fireman, a soldier, a pilot, a father--in short, a hero.  And it should be clear to anyone who has watched their father or husband sacrifice a dream career (so long, dreams of Mesoamerican archeology!) for the greater dream of a family.

Both men and little boys are, at heart, divinely designed and appointed presiders, providers, and protectors (albeit at different developmental stages), and they deserve respect and encouragement in their roles.

2. "Men are commitment-shy."

We hear that there are plenty of men in their 20s who enter into a "strange, transitional never-never land between adolescence and adulthood in which people stall for a few extra years" while putting off adult responsibility. (Lev Grossman, "Grow Up? Not So Fast," Time, Jan. 24, 2005. 44, 42.)  And when we're looking for slackers, they're easy to find; so easy, in fact, that we overlook legions of earnest young men diligently completing school, embarking on careers, serving faithfully in their churches, and in general doing what good men do best: making the world a safer, better place for their loved ones, one step at a time.  

And if some of them seem hesitant, as though sincerely anxious not to rashly make those momentous choices that will impact their ability to be faithful stewards...perhaps they deserve, every now and again, the benefit of the doubt.

3. "Men need to feel needed."

Let us be clear.  Men are needed.  Men are extremely needed!  There has never been a time when the world (and each and every family in it) has absolutely needed strong, righteous men.  We don't need the superficially perfect men of the misleading "chick-flick" genre.  We need men who kneel in humble awareness of their imperfections, stand tall in spite of those imperfections, and gladly take upon them the name of Him who heals imperfections.

Christian men live each day of their lives under a weighty, but tremendously empowering injunction: "[The Savior] gave His life to redeem mankind.  Surely we can accept responsibility for those He entrusts to our care.  Brethren, let us be men, even as He is." (D. Todd Christofferson, Let Us Be Men, October 2006)

A great majority of the men around us are sincerely trying to live up to the responsibilities of manhood.   And as long as we're online, it would sure be easy to send one of them an email, a chat message, a Facebook post, or even a real-time phone call (or is that just crazy talk?) to let him know just how much we appreciate who he is, and who he's trying so hard to be.

"Where do you want to be ten years from now?"

What a wonderful question, if perhaps a tad bold for a first date.  But then, fortune favors the bold...if by "fortune" we mean "unexpectedly verbose responses" and by "favors" we mean "overwhelm."  Where do I want to be ten years from now?  Perhaps the truer question is who I want to be ten years from now, a question largely shaped by the people with whom I will choose to be.
 
A wise man once (in fact, frequently) said: "What matters most in life is the relationships you maintain and the lives you touch." (Kelly Jensen, Unsolicited [but Always Appreciated] Fatherly Advice, 1986-present.)  I know many people who feel as though that all-too-crucial "decade of decision" (those years in their 20s of university education, career choice, and maybe a crazy European adventure or two) has passed them by.  But academic acolades fade, professional success proves capricious, and Europe is...admittedly still pretty cool, but that's not the point.  The point is that relationships will always be with us, in every stage of life.  How we choose to nurture, cherish, and enjoy them is among the most important indicators of a life well-lived.

So where do I want to be ten years from now?*  Wedged tightly between family one one side, friends on the other, living in the present while using technology in moderation to maintain, not replace, the relationships that uplift and refine my own character as I seek to serve those I love during the next "decade of decision."


*...And maybe on a Carribean island, too.

Go and Do.

"I will go and do." (1 Nephi 3:7)

"My dreams are worthless, my plans are dust, my goals are impossible. All are of no value unless they are followed by action. I will act now." (Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World.)

It's Sunday morning.  A beautiful sunrise is breaking across our neighborhood.  Birds are singing.  A cool spring breeze is rustling the newly born buds and leaves of the graceful trees that line the quiet street.  The entire scene is oddly idyllic, in a Thomas Kinkade, Disney-esque sort of way.

And there are people with whom to share it.  And thank you cards to deliver.  Family to email and bread to bake for the new neighbors.  Journal entries to record for my children (or future children...as the case may be).  In short, there's a beautiful life beckoning through the window.

So as much as I'd love to wax verbose on this lil' electronic forum, I'd much rather log off and share myself with others.  And live.