Master Your Body—The Journey to Emulating Christ

Align your body with celestial principles to become a vessel of light, love, and divine service.

Your Body: A Sacred Gift from God

You are a child of God, created in His image. He is a glorified, corporeal being, and your body is patterned after His. Your body is a sacred temple entrusted to you by God, designed to reflect His glory and fulfill His divine purposes. This life is the time to refine and master your body, for it is much easier to do so in mortality than to wait until the next realm. As you care for your body, you prepare it to house His Spirit more fully and fulfill God’s purposes to have an exalted body like His.

The body is not merely flesh and bone—it is spiritual in nature. As you grow in light and truth, you become more aware of what you allow into your body and what you give from it. What do you consume physically, emotionally, and spiritually? What do you offer to others? Every choice shapes the temple that God has entrusted to you. To honor your body is to align it with His laws, allowing it to reflect His glory.

Your body is eternal, and as a son or daughter of God, you were given it to learn how to master and develop a body like His—a body fit, full of life, and ready to serve at the highest levels. In the resurrected state, what kind of body will you present before your Master? For sloth returns to sloth, and likewise holiness returns to holiness.

Here and now, we can practice handling and controlling the powers of heaven, just as Nephi did in the book of Helaman and as described in D&C 121:36 (removing the double negative). Jacob 4:6-9 and Moses 7:13 remind us of this power, as does the Savior’s invitation to align with divine principles and do greater works. The first step in wielding the powers of heaven is to bridle your body, aligning it with the will of God.

Steps to Mastering Your Body

1. Honor the Temple
The first step to mastering your body is to honor it as a sacred gift. This begins with paying attention to your daily choices. What are you letting into your body—food, drink, and media? What are you allowing out—words, actions, and offerings to others? These choices determine whether your body becomes a temple of light or is weighed down by neglect.

Saint Francis of Assisi called his body “Brother Donkey.” He fed it and cared for it, but he didn’t let it control him. In the same way, you can train your body to serve as a faithful companion. Choose wholesome foods that energize, engage in regular movement, and protect your mind from harmful influences. Each small act of care brings your body closer to its divine design.

2. Bridle the Passions
Mastering your body is about transforming it into a finely tuned instrument for God’s work. Your body is a "perfect recording device," as Brother Philip Allred described. It holds the potential to reflect God’s glory as you align your choices with His will.

Imagine an athlete training for a marathon. Their success depends on consistent discipline—wholesome food, regular exercise, and intentional rest. In the same way, your spiritual and physical fitness grow through daily effort. When you bridle your passions, aligning your desires and actions with divine law, your body becomes a powerful instrument in God’s hands.

3. Consecrate Your Temple
Mastering your body is an invitation to consecrate yourself to God. Nourish your body with something wholesome. Move with intention, honoring the gift of movement. Remove one harmful influence that weighs you down. Each choice is an act of worship, preparing your body to reflect the glory of God.

The Savior as Our Example

The Savior Himself exemplified the harmony of body and spirit. As a fit carpenter, He was prepared for the physical demands of His ministry, yet His strength came from the unity of His body and spirit with His Father’s will. To emulate Christ is to train your body to be a vessel of service, love, and light.

I’ll Walk with You

I’m a fellow traveler on the path of discipleship, striving daily to align my life with celestial principles. If you feel the call to magnify your stewardships, focus your heart on Christ, and discover joy through Christlike thinking, I invite you to walk this path with me.

Together, let’s grow in a Christ-centered community. Subscribe below to receive weekly inspiration, free Christ-centered tools, and timeless treasures to guide your journey in emulating Christ. Let’s uncover the joy, growth, and transformation that come from walking His way—united in purpose and discipleship.

This is the second chapter in The Journey to Emulating Christ. Stay tuned for the next chapter, where we delve into the transformative power of mastering your thoughts to align with God’s will and unlock your divine potential. Subscribe below for updates, exclusive gifts, and Christ-centered insights delivered to your inbox.