If we are obese do our spirits look obese also?

[JAHS]

We have been told that we have adult spirits in our bodies regardless of how old we are. If we are obese for most of our life do our spirits look obese also?  
I know some people who were obese as children and throughout their entire life. There was never a moment in their life when they were not obese. Does that mean their spirits look obese also?
Joseph Fielding Smith said "each body will come forth the same stature as when laid in the earth" (Joseph Fielding Smith, Church History and Modern Revelation, 2 vols.(Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1953, 2:110)
Does this mean If we are obese when we die and are buried will we be obese when resurrected or when we are exalted?
Perhaps such physical characteristics won't matter to us any more by then.
 

[blackstrap]

Will the person born without arms and legs have an armless and legless spirit? 

[JAHS]

21 minutes ago, blackstrap said:

Will the person born without arms and legs have an armless and legless spirit? 

I don't know but if they were cut off during this life they will be restored. 

Edited September 4, 2022 by JAHS

[jkwilliams]

9 minutes ago, JAHS said:

I don't know but if they were cut off during this life they will be restored. 

Apparently my resurrected body will just look old and tired. 

[InCognitus]

43 minutes ago, JAHS said:

We have been told that we have adult spirits in our bodies regardless of how old we are. If we are obese for most of our life do our spirits look obese also?  
I know some people who were obese as children and throughout their entire life. There was never a moment in their life when they were not obese. Does that mean their spirits look obese also?
Joseph Fielding Smith said "each body will come forth the same stature as when laid in the earth" (Joseph Fielding Smith, Church History and Modern Revelation, 2 vols.(Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1953, 2:110)
Does this mean If we are obese when we die and are buried will we be obese when resurrected or when we are exalted?
Perhaps such physical characteristics won't matter to us any more by then.
 

The statement you quoted is about the resurrection of the body (not about spirits), but your question (and quote) about the resurrection is based on what Joseph Smith is recorded to have said, and has to do with the person's height (not necessarily their weight):

"As concerning the resurrection, I will merely say that all men will come from the grave as they lie down, whether old or young; there will not be “added unto their stature one cubit,” neither taken from it; all will be raised by the power of God,  having spirit in their bodies, and not blood. Children will be enthroned in the presence of God and the Lamb with bodies of the same stature.  that they had on earth, having been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; they will there enjoy the fullness of that light, glory and intelligence, which is prepared in the celestial kingdom. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, for they rest from their labors and their works do follow them.” ("Discourse, 20 March, as Published in Times and Seasons," p. 752, also History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842])

[pogi]

2 hours ago, JAHS said:

We have been told that we have adult spirits in our bodies regardless of how old we are.

If this is true, it doesn’t seem that our spirit necessarily resembles the physical state/condition of our physical bodies - it doesn’t grow/shrink with our bodies.   I don’t see any reason why it would resemble an unhealthy state that our physical bodies are in.

[CV75]

2 hours ago, JAHS said:

We have been told that we have adult spirits in our bodies regardless of how old we are. If we are obese for most of our life do our spirits look obese also?  
I know some people who were obese as children and throughout their entire life. There was never a moment in their life when they were not obese. Does that mean their spirits look obese also?
Joseph Fielding Smith said "each body will come forth the same stature as when laid in the earth" (Joseph Fielding Smith, Church History and Modern Revelation, 2 vols.(Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1953, 2:110)
Does this mean If we are obese when we die and are buried will we be obese when resurrected or when we are exalted?
Perhaps such physical characteristics won't matter to us any more by then.
 

Clearly not:

Before Ressur-Slim: 

After Ressur-Slim: 

[JAHS]

39 minutes ago, pogi said:

If this is true, it doesn’t seem that our spirit necessarily resembles the physical state/condition of our physical bodies - it doesn’t grow/shrink with our bodies.   I don’t see any reason why it would resemble an unhealthy state that our physical bodies are in.

If that's true then it's good news for people who were obese since they were babies, but when they are resurrected they might not look at all like the people they were during life. 

[pogi]

8 minutes ago, JAHS said:

If that's true then it's good news for people who were obese since they were babies, but when they are resurrected they might not look at all like the people they were during life. 

I suspect that the vast majority aren’t going to look like they do at the time of death.   I don’t think I would be able to ID my grandma when she is resurrected if it was based purely on looks.  I don’t have evidence, but I suspect there will be a spiritual component to identifying others which goes beyond physical characteristics.  
 

Some disciples didn’t recognize Christ when he was resurrected, but recognized how they felt.  The scriptures spoke of only recognizing the resurrected Lord after their “eyes were opened”.  I am confident that is not speaking of physical eyes/appearances.

[Scott Lloyd]

4 hours ago, JAHS said:

We have been told that we have adult spirits in our bodies regardless of how old we are. If we are obese for most of our life do our spirits look obese also?  
I know some people who were obese as children and throughout their entire life. There was never a moment in their life when they were not obese. Does that mean their spirits look obese also?
Joseph Fielding Smith said "each body will come forth the same stature as when laid in the earth" (Joseph Fielding Smith, Church History and Modern Revelation, 2 vols.(Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1953, 2:110)
Does this mean If we are obese when we die and are buried will we be obese when resurrected or when we are exalted?
Perhaps such physical characteristics won't matter to us any more by then.
 

Obesity is a function of metabolism, which is a process  pertaining to this mortal sphere. I cannot conceive that immortal spirits and especially beings with resurrected and perfected bodies would be dealing with this issue. 
 

Think about it. If it is unnecessary to eat food in the hereafter, why would obesity be a thing? 

Edited September 5, 2022 by Scott Lloyd

[Scott Lloyd]

1 hour ago, JAHS said:

If that's true then it's good news for people who were obese since they were babies, but when they are resurrected they might not look at all like the people they were during life. 

I’ve never bought into the assumption that we appear in the resurrection exactly as we do in mortality. There are too many blemishes and imperfections that I hope and expect will be eliminated. 

[MorningStar]

I don't care as long as I can do high kicks. 

[pogi]

1 hour ago, Scott Lloyd said:

Obesity is a function of metabolism, which is a process  pertaining to this mortal sphere.

To play devils advocate (even though I agree that they are not going to look obese), looking fit/trim is also a function of metabolism and other physiological factors that are processes pertaining to this mortal sphere.  

[JAHS]

48 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

I’ve never bought into the assumption that we appear in the resurrection exactly as we do in mortality. There are too many blemishes and imperfections that I hope and expect will be eliminated. 

If I got rid of all my blemishes and imperfections I wont look much like me anymore. I guess it depends on what would be considered blemishes and imperfections.
If we we are all created in God's image maybe we will all look like Him.

[JAHS]

1 hour ago, Scott Lloyd said:

Obesity is a function of metabolism, which is a process  pertaining to this mortal sphere. I cannot conceive that immortal spirits and especially beings with resurrected and perfected bodies would be dealing with this issue. 
 

Think about it. If it is unnecessary to eat food in the hereafter, why would obesity be a thing? 

I agree mostly. But if a person is obese from infancy, when resurrected he may not look like anything a person would recognize.

[BlueDreams]

I dunno, we all have features and things that are likely more current states and factors of mortality than a perfect state. My hair was at it’s best when I was young (though I liked it post-baby too) my body’s looked it’s best off and on during my 30’s. My skin has its moments and looks best now, though it’s increasing in blemishes as i age (mostly skin tags). My feet looked best when I was early teens probably? Will I be a hodgepodge of my best moments on earth? No idea. I figure we’ll be perfected and we’ll probably all look a little different (last time I checked, none of us had a glow more intense than the noon day sun). But how different is anyone’s guess.

 

with luv, 

BD 

[blackstrap]

Maybe the crowd is correct and we can look like whatever we ' identify ' as. 🥴

[Scott Lloyd]

53 minutes ago, pogi said:

To play devils advocate (even though I agree that they are not going to look obese), looking fit/trim is also a function of metabolism and other physiological factors that are processes pertaining to this mortal sphere.  

Looking fit and trim is a result of work/effort/energy expenditure. Obesity usually results from neglect and entropy. I don’t expect that entropy will prevail in the infinite, eternal realms. 

Edited September 5, 2022 by Scott Lloyd

[pogi]

11 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

Looking fit and trim is a result of work/effort/energy expenditure. 

Which is all a function/process of metabolism.  Physical nature.

11 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

Obesity results from neglect and entropy. I don’t expect that entropy will prevail in the infinite, eternal realms. 

It is also a “function of metabolism” as you stated previously.  

My point being that all of these things you mention are functions of the physical body, not the spirit.   So if your argument is that the spirit can’t look obese because that is a function of metabolism and processes of the physical realm, then it can’t look “fit” for the same reasons.  Being “fit” is probably not a function of the spirit.

Edited September 5, 2022 by pogi

[Scott Lloyd]

1 hour ago, JAHS said:

I agree mostly. But if a person is obese from infancy, when resurrected he may not look like anything a person would recognize.

Personally, I believe a perfected, heavenly sight, as it were, will be part of the perfection we enjoy as resurrected beings, and that sight will enable us to recognize one another not just by physical characteristics alone.
 

It would be the same with a person who is severely deformed from birth. All those defects will be eliminated in the resurrection, and that person’s loved ones will recognize him and rejoice at the appearance of his perfected body.  

[Scott Lloyd]

41 minutes ago, pogi said:

Which is all a function/process of metabolism.  Physical nature.

It is also a “function of metabolism” as you stated previously.  

My point being that all of these things you mention are functions of the physical body, not the spirit.   So if your argument is that the spirit can’t look obese because that is a function of metabolism and processes of the physical realm, then it can’t look “fit” for the same reasons.  Being “fit” is probably not a function of the spirit.

But being fit and trim is closer to  heavenly perfection — the default, as it were — than is being obese. Since metabolism is an earthly process, it will have no bearing upon spirits or upon those who are in a resurrected state. 
 

Again, think of the role that food consumption plays. If we accept that obesity is generally a condition that results from the failure to metabolize food in an ideal way, why would obesity exist in a realm where neither food nor metabolism is a factor? 

Edited September 5, 2022 by Scott Lloyd

[Scott Lloyd]

6 hours ago, InCognitus said:

The statement you quoted is about the resurrection of the body (not about spirits), but your question (and quote) about the resurrection is based on what Joseph Smith is recorded to have said, and has to do with the person's height (not necessarily their weight):

The statement he quoted was from Joseph Fielding Smith, not Joseph Smith. 
 

But I agree with your thoughts. 

[Chum]

If I'm ugly, will I get to look forward to perfected and permanent ugliness or do I get a totally different body altogether?

[pogi]

51 minutes ago, Chum said:

If I'm ugly, will I get to look forward to perfected and permanent ugliness or do I get a totally different body altogether?

My father used to say - “I may be fat but you’re ugly, and there is no diet for ugly.”

Our ugliness is a direct result of our pre-mortal valiance.  Don’t be confused like my dad though…beauty is the curse.

 

 

Edited September 5, 2022 by pogi

[pogi]

51 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

But being fit and trim is closer to  heavenly perfection — the default, as it were — than is being obese. Since metabolism is an earthly process, it will have no bearing upon spirits or upon those who are in a resurrected state. 

If our physical bodies were fashioned after our spiritual likeness, and if our spirits were designed with our physical bodies in mind (the end goal/result/creation) then our spirits do indeed take into account physical properties to some extent.  Do spirits need “eyes” to see?  Or do spirits simply have eyes because that’s what our physical bodies look like?  Sight itself is a physiological function.  What does “sight” even mean without a body?  Do our spirits have internal organs that match our bodies, or just external “organs” (for lack of a better word” like our eyes?   I don’t know if we have any idea what the spectrum of “heavenly perfection” looks like.  Clearly we are not all going to look alike.
 

51 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

Again, think of the role that food consumption plays. If we accept that obesity is generally a condition that results from the failure to metabolize food in an ideal way, why would obesity exist in a realm where neither food nor metabolism is a factor? 

Same problem here.  You have to consider the other side of the coin.  If being fit is also a condition that results from proper food intake and metabolization, why would being “fit” exist in a real where food nor metabolism is a factor?

The reasonI believe that there won’t be obese spirits is not because obesity is a physical:mortal trait.  On the contrary, I believe our spirits were created with our physical traits in mind.  Physicality was the end game.   So, it only makes sense to me that there won’t be obesity because that is not the prime physical state of health/well-being/function.   I think our best guess of how our spirits will look will be based on how our physical bodies look in their prime state of health/function - and thus we should consider metabolism, food consumption, and other physical attributes.   

Edited September 5, 2022 by pogi