“What do I do if I don’t like my body?”

fruit arranged by size

Photograph from Getty Images

“When you sing ‘I Am a Child of God,’ think of His gift to you of your own physical body. The many amazing attributes of your body attest to your own ‘divine nature’ [2 Peter 1:4]. …

“… A perfect body is not required to achieve a divine destiny. In fact, some of the sweetest spirits are housed in frail frames.”

President Russell M. Nelson, “Your Body: A Magnificent Gift to Cherish,” Liahona, Aug. 2019, 52, 53.

Accept Your Body

Accept your body for what it is instead of what it’s not. Every time I look at myself in the mirror, I say, “Heavenly Father, I’m grateful with the progress You’re making with me.”

Temperance B., age 18, Victoria, Australia

Think about It as a Temple

Think about how your body is a temple (see 1 Corinthians 3) and also that the Lord looks on the heart (see 1 Samuel 16), not on the body!

Vico W., age 17, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Take Care of It

I take care of my body by exercising and eating healthy. Taking care of my body makes me more grateful for it. When I take care of the temple that Heavenly Father has blessed me with, my mood shifts and I better recognize and appreciate the wonderful blessing of having a body created by God.

Camille A., age 16, Florida, USA

Have Self-Respect

My friend struggled because he worried about what others think of him, and he lost his self-respect. What helped him the most was remembering that God, his friends, and his family were all there to love and support him.

Matthew V., age 16, Missouri, USA

You Are Loved

When I hear my friends say that they don’t like something about their body or that they hate it, I like to help them know that Heavenly Father loves them. I like to think that He loves me and that He wants me to be happy, no matter my physical questions. We should take care of and love our body because it is our temple.

Ignacio P., age 14, Chaco, Argentina

It Doesn’t Define You

Remember that your body doesn’t define you. It’s your body but not you as a person, as a spirit child of God.

Sailor O.., age 18, New York, USA

Do Things You Enjoy

Being outside and doing activities I enjoy, like riding my bike or walking my dog, always helps me feel good about my body. It’s even better when I do these things with my friends because it reminds me that I am surrounded by people who care about me and who don’t care about what I look like.

Itzcel O., age 18, Arizona, USA

Responses are intended for help and perspective, not as official pronouncements of Church doctrine.

What Do You Think?

“How do I know I’ve been forgiven?”

Submit your answer and, if desired, a high-resolution photograph by September 15, 2019, at liahona.ChurchofJesusChrist.org (click “Submit an Article or Feedback”).

Responses may be edited for length or clarity.