In our bodies we shall see God. 2 Nephi 9

I pulled the dripping green wand upward from the small plastic bottle, puckered my lips and blew. Oodles of bubbles swam dreamily through the air between my thirteen month old grandson and I.  I watched as his face froze in amazement. He gasped and then his little voice began to trill a series of staccato giggles.  I’m not sure who was more amazed, he or I?  I saw him tremble with delight and then stomp his feet.  As his giggles grew louder, the sounds of his pleasure soon filled the room with raw delight.

Just a few moments before, while searching for something to ward off his boredom, I had discovered the unopened bottle of bubbles. I   He was both amazed and bewildered, over-joyed and mystified, happy for the opportunity to touch one, so round and shiny and new, and then sad when with a barely audible pop they disappeared.  By touching the fingertips of both of his hands together, he signed his desire, “more, more”.  I laughed and laughed and then took another breath and blew.

I had not realized that this was the first time he had seen bubbles. He took queue from our dogs Penny and Hobbes and began trying first to touch them and then to eat. 

Bubbles.  They are something to behold aren’t they? They are magical, light, and beautiful. They swim through the air, and in the right circumstances we can both see, hold and dance with them. They are transparent, wet, colorful mirrors of the air around us.  

And they fill us with wonder. They remind us that we need our bodies to experience joy.

Watching my young grandson experience joy for the first time helped me recognize on a deeper level, the purpose of our bodies. I see my grandson explore, touch, think, ponder, and reach for every new experience that his parents and grandparents will allow. I watch daily as his language, physical strength, and love for all of his surroundings grows. And I consider the time I have here on earth.

Jacob taught the people about their time on earth and how they too could experience not just a fleeting joy but also a more eternal joy. He says that he has read the words of Isaiah so that they might know of the covenants of God and understand that because of God’s great love for us, he wants to bless us so that when we die we will see Him.  He wants them to understand that our bodies are our connection to God and to eternal joy. He spoke about spiritual laws that bind us to heaven and to earth.  He taught, “In our bodies we shall see God.”(vs 4)

When I read these verses for the umpteenth time… I’ve read it, I’ve been taught it in Sunday school, I’ve probably even taught it, … this time I had to stop and consider that I’ve never considered that for all those who have passed on, for all of my deceased family members, the plan of salvation allows them to stand on the day of their judgment in a resurrected body.  I had to think about this because in my mind I have this picture of my body remaining in the earth. I had to question? … How many resurrected beings do I know? And remember that all of the prophets of Jesus Christ have taught that in our bodies we shall see God.

So I considered this marvelous chapter in 2 Nephi and I read about the plan for those who have not known God and I read about those who know God and rebel. And for all of them..  they shall see God in their bodies. As I read I considered my grandson’s joy and I considered how important our bodies are!

These verses helped me realize the importance of bodies, of temple work for those who are separated from their bodies, and for missionary work.  And, it made me love my body more.

It means that the temple work we do is so that when they stand before God, they will have the opportunity to stand within a clean body: one that has been baptized and given the opportunity to utilize the power of the Holy Ghost.

Resurrection is for every body. It is for all who have lived on the earth or who will ever live on the earth. It is part of God’s great plan of happiness. If we are resurrected back into our bodies, now is the time for us to learn to love our bodies and accept them as the gift that they are.

I love my body. It is not as thin as the models on the tabloid magazines, but it is healthy. I cannot eat all that the world would tempt me with for it does not bounce back from glutinousness bouts of frenzied eating, but I can still enjoy the aroma and tastes of cinnamon apples. When I look into the mirror the image no longer reflects a youthful smile, but it walks gracefully beside my eternal companion.  As I have aged it has continually increased my bodily limitations: it does not run without pain, it requires and I mean requires eight hours of regular sleep, though it still enjoys exercise it rebels at the mention of excessive exercise, it creaks in new places and causes me to slow down even when my mind wants to move, move, move. But as the years have progressed, I have learned to love my body more.

Having a body… what was the Lord thinking? Consider how all that we know comes from our body: the sweet smell of lilac on a spring day or the sound of a rhythmic rain storm, the way colors magically turn into happiness, the way a tender touch upon our arm warms our heart and how when we reach out to hold a loved ones hands it connects generations, and the way well prepared foods burst their flavors into memories.  Joy comes to us because of our bodies. 

When our spirits learn to appreciate all that our bodies offer as testimony to God’s love, we then begin to open up to the possibility of eternal joy.

Geneses 2 : Searching for Eden

I have always been enchanted by the four rivers that run out of Eden. I, (like many others) it turns out thought of them as a treasure map that would help find Eden. But like the chasing of rainbows Eden is not to be found. It is magical. It is not mystical. It is real.  It is not something you hold, but rather something deep and inspirational that holds you.  Eden comes to those who seek what Eden has to offer not- where is was originally found. 

I did some searching of my own. 

• I discovered that people have looked for centuries as to the whereabouts of the Garden of Eden.
•  I discovered that many believe it was in Africa, Mesopotamia, the Mountains near Iran, China, etc. 
• The 4 heads of the river were known as Pison, Gihon, Euphrates and Hidekkel
• There are as many speculative ideas as there are evidences for and against. So I decided not to be distracted by the exact whereabouts of Eden's Garden. 

When you consider there was a flood, etc.. it is unlikely that it is where it once was. Then I found a LDS reference to the Garden of Eden by Bruce A Van Orden, associate professor of Church history, BYU. Some key points he made concerning the whereabout of Eden are: 

• Before the fall of Adam (before he left the garden) the earth was in a paradisiacal form
• Before the fall, the Garden was the center of the paradisiacal earth. 
• After the fall there was no paradisiacal place. All of the earth fell. 
• Joseph Smith declared that (D&C 57) the ancient Garden of Eden was in Jackson Missiouri
• Brigham Young stated, "Joseph the Prophet told me that the garden of Eden was in Jackson Missouri."   (Journal of Wilfor Woodruff, vol. 5, 15 Mar. 1857 Archives Division, Church Historical Dept., Salt Lake City.) 
• President Joseph Fielding Smith said: “In accord with the revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith, we teach that the Garden of Eden was on the American continent located where the City of Zion, or the New Jerusalem, will be built. 
• When Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden, they eventually dwelt at a place called Adam-ondi-Ahman, situated in what is now Daviess County, Missouri. … We are committed to the fact that Adam dwelt on [the] American continent.” (Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols., comp. Bruce R. McConkie, Salt Lake City:Bookcraft, 1956, 3:74. Compare Answers to Gospel Questions, 5 vols., Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1957–75, 2:93–95, 4:19–24; and Alvin R. Dyer, in Conference Report, Oct. 1968, pp. 108–9.)

What I found more interesting is that Eden represents all that we hold dear. It's as if we are always searching for it, ever since Adam left Eden.  

Verse 9... talks about how God gave 

1. Beauty (trees that are pleasant to the sight)

2. Food (trees that are good for food)

3. Eternity (tree of life ) (Immortality)

4. Truth (tree of knowledge of good and evil) 

5. Water ( we know that a river ran out of Eden and divided into four branches.) 

 Think for a moment about your home. What do the common comforts of home offer? 

1. water 

2. food 

3. Beauty - for the soul.. visual, audio, touch, taste, thought (the 5 senses)

4. truth - for the spirit

5. knowledge of good and evil .. -for the experience of man that he might exercise his agency.

If a home has all of these things then you will have no need to leave. But they don't have them all and we must often leave our homes to find food, to find beuaty, to seek for truth and to learn about good and evil. 

It's as if we are always searching for the home we once knew as Eden's Garden. While we were there we did not have to work because all of our needs were provided for us. We did not have to fear because we did not know of evil.. or good.. we only knew of existence. 
As beautiful as the Garden of Eden was, I believe that I enjoy the experience of Eden much more than the place called Eden. For when we carry Eden in our hearts it can be with us everywhere we go.