Atrophy

Take a look at any photograph from a few years ago of yourself and you will see quite a different person than the one who looks back at you in the mirror today. Since the fall of Adam and Eve our world and everything in it eventually decay's and dies.

God told Adam and Eve:

Gen. 2: 17

1. 17 But of the ^atree of the ^bknowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the ^cday that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely ^ddie.

The Book of Mormon gives us more information about what actually happened when our noble first parents decided to make this choice:

Alma 12:23-25

23 And now behold, I say unto you that if it had been possible for Adam to have ^apartaken of the fruit of the tree of life at that time, there would have been no death, and the word would have been void, making God a liar, for he said: ^bIf thou eat thou shalt surely die.

24 And we see that ^adeath comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a space granted unto ^bman in which he might repent; therefore this life became a ^cprobationary state; a time to ^dprepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead.

25 Now, if it had not been for the plan of redemption, which was laid from the foundation of the world, there could have been no ^aresurrection of the dead; but there was a plan of ^bredemption laid, which shall bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, of which has been spoken.

We can see from these verses that even though it was decreed that Adam and Eve would die, God had mercy on them and gave them a little time before this happened so that they could repent and get prepared to meet their God.

That is the life we are living right now. Each of us comes into this world full of life and possibilities. We grow and learn through childhood and reach our prime physical state when we reach adulthood. However, from there we begin to see, in a very real way, the effects of the fall of Adam.

Our bodies begin to atrophy. Atrophy is the word used to describe the long decline of our bodies. They begin the long and in some case short decline that leads us back into the dust. Everyday this should serve as a reminder of the mercy and grace that our God has given us.

He has granted us this time to have faith in Him, repent of our sins, be baptized, and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

He has granted us this time to learn to keep His commandments.

He has granted this short time for us to learn what we could not learn in any other state. Each hair lost, each back ache, each pound we put on should remind us that time is indeed short.

Having said that, it should also remind us that because of Jesus Christ, all will be restored to us someday in the resurrection. We are promised that not a hair of our heads will be lost. (Alma 40:23)

If we take advantage of this time to the fullest, we will gain perfect immortal bodies that will never atrophy. Each family member, or loved one who has died will be reunited with us. All of this will happen because of the tender mercies of the Savior Jesus Christ.

Time is ticking. Don't delay. Now is the time to prepare to meet God.

Alma 34: 33, 35

33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many ^awitnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not ^bprocrastinate the day of your ^crepentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the ^dnight of ^edarkness wherein there can be no labor performed.

I invite you to come unto Christ and be baptized a member of His church. To have your sins cleansed, and to be a partaker of the unspeakable things He has in store for those who love Him.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Click here for Missionaries