Why Strength Training and Caring For Your Body Honors Jesus Christ

You can be deeply sincere about Jesus Christ and still slowly lose the physical capacity to serve, endure, and show up for the people you love. I’ve been thinking about that every time I walk through an airport and see how many people are worn down, hurting, and stuck in patterns that quietly steal their strength. So we’re talking about the body, not as an image project, but as stewardship and gratitude for a sacred gift.

We dig into why the Restoration frames body and spirit together as the soul, and why that makes faith-based wellness more than “self-improvement.” I share how Satan often pushes us toward extremes like neglect, gluttony, addiction, self-hatred, or vanity, all of which pull Christ out of the center. Then we ground the conversation in scripture and prophetic counsel, including the idea of the body as a temple and the Word of Wisdom as a law of health and obedience that emphasizes what helps us flourish: moderation, wholesome food, wisdom, gratitude, and order.

From strength training and cardio to sleep and nutrition, the big takeaway is this: discipline is a spiritual muscle. What you practice in workouts can spill into prayer, repentance, marriage, parenting, and ministry. I also use an aviation story to explain why “maintenance” creates margin, margin to recover, handle stress, help in disasters, play with grandkids, and answer the late-night call when someone needs you.

If you want a simple, Christ-centered reset, I close with seven gospel principles for fitness and a seven-day prayer commitment. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a review with one habit you’re working on next.

Transcript

Intro And Fitness As Stewardship

SPEAKER_00 0:37

Bum bum bum. Welcome back to Todd Talks, Spirit by Design, where I help you design your spiritual life so that you can be prepared mentally, physically, spiritually for the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. With that in mind, that the reason I said mentally, spiritually, and physically, I just got done exercising a little bit ago. I'm back to running. I haven't run in years, but I just did five miles in an hour. I know for some people that's not running, that's jogging, but for me, that's huge.

The Health Crisis He Sees Traveling

SPEAKER_00 1:24

Is because today's episode we're gonna talk about the body and your body being in stewardship. Why becoming physically fit honors the gospel of Jesus Christ. And the reason I want to talk about that is because I fly a lot. You know that. I see people all over the country, all over, in airports, and what I see saddens me. I see a lot of out-of-shape, overweight, obese, unhappy people. I see people in their 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s that are in wheelchairs and cannot walk. Or they barely have the muscles to walk just down the jetway to the plane. And that saddens me because life, this body we were given, is a gift from God. And so we're going to talk about it and why becoming physically fit is actually falls along or flows with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We're talking barbells, running shoes, walking, sleep, nutrition, strength training, cardio, body fat discipline, etc. etc. And Jesus Christ. One of Satan's greatest successes has been convincing people that spirituality belongs at church while physical health belongs only at the gym, and then it keeps people away from the gym. We're up to like 50% obesity, between 40 and 50% obesity in our country. The world's starting to follow along too. But in the US, 40 to 50% obese, 70% overweight. And I would say those numbers are accurate because I fly all over this country. Doctrine

Bodies In God’s Eternal Plan

SPEAKER_00 4:01

Covenants 88 teaches the spirit and the body are the soul of man. Think about that. Not just your spirit, not just your body, together they become something eternal. That means becoming healthier isn't merely self-improvement, it can become an expression of discipleship. Not only that, it can make you more in tune, more able, more capable of assisting the Lord in his work. We'll talk about that in a little bit. Now let me make something crystal clear before we go any further. Fitness does not make us righteous. Christ does. You can run marathons and still have pride. You can bench press 400 pounds and still fail to forgive. You can eat perfectly and still neglect prayer. Salvation comes only through Jesus Christ. But because he saved us, because he redeemed us, because he gave us both spirit and body, we have every reason to honor those gifts. Today, I want to explore what the scriptures, modern prophets, and as always, aviation have taught me about becoming physically fit as an act of gratitude to Jesus Christ. Now, I've talked about the battle that was fought in heaven before, the council that Heavenly Father had that where it was decided to create this earth, right? Part of that plan was to receive a physical body. Because his plan is for us to become like him. And our Heavenly Father, God, our Heavenly Father, has a body of flesh and bone. Something we often take completely for granted is that one of the main purposes for us to come to earth was to gain a physical body. So think about what happened. One-third of the hosts of heaven followed Lucifer. They were cast out. There was a battle, and they lost permanently the opportunity to receive a body. If bodies weren't priceless, why would Satan spend eternity trying to destroy ours? In fact, in the scriptures, we read about the spirits that were possessing the possessing a man, and when they were cast out, they requested to go into the bodies of pigs just to be able to have be part of a body, to be in a body. Satan attacks our body through addiction, gluttony, pornography, substance abuse, vanity, neglect, self-hatred, confusion. I would even say body positivity. Now what do I mean by that? After the hateful glares or hateful thoughts that you just had towards me. When I say body positivity, I mean that when you believe that the effects of gluttony, overeating, not exercising, becoming obese are beautiful and have no desire to change, that's what I mean by bodily positivity. I think everyone should have a good self-esteem. But saying that I don't need to change because I'm perfect just the way I am is not, that's a prideful attitude. That's not the attitude that a disciple would have.

Caring For The Temple Body

SPEAKER_00 8:08

President Russell M. Nelson has repeatedly taught that our bodies are sacred gifts from God and that caring for them is part of our stewardship. His perspective carries unique weight because he spent decades as a pioneering heart surgeon before being called as an apostle and later president of the church. He understood the miracle of the human body and its divine purpose. Imagine, for instance, restoring a vintage airplane worth millions of dollars. You polish every rivet, protect every surface, maintain every system. Think the P-51 Mustang on top down. I love that airplane. Why would you take care of it like that? Because valuable things deserve careful stewardship. You would not let that P-51 rust and corrode away. Not when it's worth millions of dollars. And it's so beautiful when it flies. Our bodies are infinitely more valuable than that P-51 must say. So why would we not take care of it? Christ redeemed your body, not just your spirit. Sometimes Christians speak as though only the soul matters. The restoration teaches something breathtaking because Christ rose from the dead, you will, your body will. Every scar of mortality will one day give way to resurrection. Paul declared, Know ye not that ye are the temple of God? Temples aren't disposable, they aren't treated casually, they are dedicated, maintained, protected, loved. If we spend thousands of dollars maintaining the house will occupy for 30 years, shouldn't we care for the body that we'll possess eternally? Gordon Behinkley, President Gordon Behinkley, once encouraged members to care for themselves physically because good health increases our ability to serve. You reminded members that we have a responsibility to maintain the strength God has given us so we can bless others. You see the helping hands, the yellow vested or yellow shirted members helping out after disasters. How much easier is it to be physically fit when a hurricane strikes, an earthquake hits, to be able to go and cut down trees, pull people out of damage buildings, move cars out of the way, do all those things. Requires physical fitness. The more physically fit we are, the more we can serve the Lord. Fitness then isn't worshiping the body. Some people take it to that extreme, and that is not what I'm recommending. It's respecting what Christ purchased. So in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have what's called the Word of Wisdom. And many people reduce it to a list of prohibited substances. In fact, most people say, oh, you just can't do caffeine, you can't do coffee. What I tell people and the way I explain that is that the word of wisdom, it's a law of health, but it is a law of obedience. We're asked to abstain from a few things like Catholics with length. Coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco. But that's only a part of the word of wisdom. Section 89 expands and actually spends the majority of the time teaching what we should embrace. Wholesome herbs, fruits, grains, moderation, gratitude, wisdom, and order. The promised blessings include health, wisdom, endurance, and protection. Notice that the Lord isn't merely interested in what we avoid. That's the last couple verses. He cares about what helps us flourish. So a disciple asks, How can I increase my ability to serve? Sometimes the answer is spiritual, sometimes it's physical. Often it's both.

Discipline Learned In The Gym

SPEAKER_00 12:40

So discipline is a spiritual muscle. One of the greatest blessings of exercise has very little to do with appearance. What it does is it teaches you discipline. Every morning alarm, when it goes off, asks you, will you keep your commitment today to go get up and go work out? Every healthy meal asks you, will you choose long-term benefits or blessings over short-term comfort? Every workout says, will you continue when motivation disappears? Motivation does disappear. I can attest to that. But discipline, discipline endures. And those disciplines that you learn by doing exercise is daily roll over into other aspects of your life. Those disciplines that those abilities to be disciplined roll over into prayer, repentance, scripture study, temple worship, ministry, marriage, parenting. No one succeeds consistently because they always feel motivated, but they succeed when they've learned how to become disciplined. The Apostle Paul understood this well. I keep under my body and bring it into subjection. Notice he didn't say he hated his body, he mastered it. Christ invites us to govern our appetites rather than to be governed by them.

Aviation Lesson On Maintenance Margin

SPEAKER_00 14:30

So as a pilot, one lesson is drilled into you from the very beginning. Performance matters, maintenance matters. Two airplanes could look identical on the outside. One could be maintained well, and the other has been neglected. You tell by looking inside. That's why we do inspections every time before we fly. One, well-maintained aircraft, you can trust. You can trust that it's going to be able to take you where you want to go safely. The other, not so much, a buddy of mine has an airplane that the maintenance that was done on it, which cost him a lot of money, was done poorly. He took off, and although they had signed it off and told him that it was good, and he did his checks, there was a part that he could not see deep in the engine that had been misaligned and put on incorrectly, and it ended up spitting 1,400-degree air directly from the turbo onto the electrical wires, melting the wires. And he was up for five minutes and lost all of the electrics and all of the gauges in his airplane. But he could have gone up in a ball of fire because the next thing that was probably going to melt was the fuel lines. The margin between safety and error is important. Airplanes are built with a margin for safety. And that margin can save lives. Our lives are similar. Fitness creates margin. Margin to serve, margin to endure stress, margin to recover from illness, margin to help your spouse, play with your grandchildren, margin to answer a late-night call for help. Margin doesn't guarantee an easy life. In fact, the stronger you become physically, mentally, spiritually, the more useful you become to the church, and the more you may get attacked by Satan. But that margin increases our capacity when life becomes difficult. And our consistency keeps us strong spiritually. Sometimes

Strength For Service Without Extremes

SPEAKER_00 17:38

we picture Jesus teaching from a single location. Gospels paint a different picture. He walked village after village, mountain after mountain, through deserts, across Galilee, into Jerusalem, he taught crowds, he healed the sick, he lifted children, he knelt in prayer, he endured unimaginable suffering. His ministry was active. In fact, although many churches depict Christ as this wasted person, the Romans nailed his hands and then put another nail between his wrists because the weight of his body they thought would cause the nails in his hands to rip through. Because he was a big, strong man. He wasn't weak. He cleared the entire temple with a whip. He was not a weak person. He was a strong man. He was also the son of God. He was not weak. King Benjamin labored with his own hands. Nephi built ships. Ammon defended flocks. Captain Moroni prepared fortifications. Physical effort has always accompanied God's work. Now Satan, he rarely tempts with balance. Instead, he pushes extremes. Vanity, obsession, identity based on appearance, comparison, pride, neglect, excuses, apathy, self-pity. Both remove Christ from the center. The gospel teaches stewardship. Satan teaches you to either obsess over your body or think, uh, I shouldn't do anything, I should neglect it. The extremes. Either you overdo it and become prideful about it, or he wants you to become a slob and not be able to even walk. The savior endured. He endured Gethsemane. He carried his own cross. When I say he was strong, he carried his own cross. Have you ever carried a large piece of wood? The crossbar on his cross was about the size of a railroad tie. Those things weighed hundreds of pounds. He completed his mission despite unimaginable pain. His strength wasn't merely physical, it was spiritual. But he also demonstrated endurance, persistence, commitment. When we voluntarily embrace difficult things, whether it's finishing a hard workout, resisting unhealthy habits, or rising early to pray, we practice choosing the better path over the easier one. Those moments don't compare to the Savior's infinite sacrifice, but they can help shape our character to become more like His. Discipline. It builds discipline. Fitness also builds your capacity to love. Imagine two disciples. Both love Christ deeply, one becomes winded walking across a parking lot. The other has intentionally developed strength and endurance. Who can help more people move? Carry more food after disasters, play longer with grandchildren, serve more missions, travel farther, recover faster. Neither is loved more by God. He loves both of them. But one may have a greater physical capacity to serve. Well into old age. Fitness increases. Increases opportunity. Service gives fitness eternal purpose.

Seven Principles And A 7-Day Prayer

SPEAKER_00 22:06

So, seven gospel principles that go along with fitness. Begin with prayer. Invite Heavenly Father into your health journey. Ask Him to help you develop discipline, not vanity. Honor the temple. Remember that your body is a sacred gift. Treat it with respect with what you eat, how you move, and how you rest. Don't become gluttonous. 3. Pursue progress, not perfection. The Savior calls us to continual improvement. One good choice today is better than waiting for the perfect Monday. 4. Train for service. Ask yourself, how will becoming stronger help me bless someone else? Let service be your motivation. 5. Master your appetites. Discipline yourself. Exercise self-control with food, media, and habits. Spiritual and physical self-mastery reinforce one another. 6. Rest faithfully. Sleep, recovery, and Sabbath worship are not signs of weakness. They prepare you to serve with renewed strength. The body needs a day of rest, just like the mind does. And seven, keep Christ at the center. Never confuse fitness with righteousness. Let your workouts become acts of gratitude rather than sources of pride. So I want to invite you to make one simple covenant with yourself for the next seven days. Each morning before you exercise or before you go for a walk, if you're just beginning, offer a short prayer like this. Heavenly Father, thank you for this body. Help me strengthen it so I can better serve thee, love my family, and fulfill the mission thou hast given me in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Then move your body with purpose. Not to impress, not to compare, not to even, not to earn worth, but to express gratitude. I began this process a few weeks ago of really focusing on my health and fitness. I'm down 14 pounds or more. I haven't weighed myself in a few days. I'm able to run for the first time in several years, where I actually ran five miles on the treadmill today in one hour, in one minute. I'm improving every day.

Final Testimony And Sendoff

SPEAKER_00 24:41

I testify that Jesus Christ is the master healer. He heals broken hearts, he forgives repentant souls, he strengthens weary disciples, and I believe he smiles when we treat the sacred gift of our bodies with gratitude and wise stewardship. As we become stronger physically and spiritually, we increase our capacity to serve, endure, and love. We become better husbands, wives, parents, grandparents, missionaries, neighbors, and disciples. May we honor the Savior not only with our prayers and our worship, but also with the way we care for the remarkable bodies he made possible through the Father's plan and his infinite atonement. Thank you for spending the time with me today on Talk Talk Spirit by Design. Until next time, remember, design your spirit, strengthen your body, and let every step, every workout, every act of discipline become another way to walk with Jesus Christ. So that when you're in your 70s, eighties, and nineties, you can walk with Jesus Christ and not have to be pushed. I leave that with you and ask you to have a blessed day.