I have been thinking about this subject today because it was the topic for our RS and Priesthood meeting. The lesson was taken from a talk that was recently given by the counselor I think in the RS presidency. She does not feel that it is right to do "extreme makeovers". Or to spend an extraordinary amount of effort to fix our outer image. She comments that by doing such we are working hard to adopt and conform to the image of the world. I think I agree with her, but I think the image of the world position was a bit harsh. After all, aren't we supposed to try and look good?
So what constitutes a beautiful person?
I am not planning to answer this question. I suspect I am not even qualified. Besides I am not sure I know the answer. Certainly I cannot dictate either right or wrong in the matter. After all Kathy's contribution to family discussion earlier today was to define "preside" as to be the one to pick someone to say the prayer. That was the lesson taught in YW this week.
I do think, however, that women may have the more difficult time with this rather complex issue. They really need to feel pretty and beautiful on the outside.
So given this, I just wanted to say something to Karen. She is the most beautiful person I know. This beauty is outside and inside. On the inside she is so giving and helpful and charitable and forgiving and loving and wise and spiritual and capable and full of faith. Now the outside. I remember my first view of her in a romantic way. I was stunned shocked surprised upset concerned. After all I was a missionary. I went and talked to the mission president. I was not a girl person. Never had been. I was into being good. The mission president said to me, so what, I met my wife on my mission. Big help he was. He continued, just don't do anything about it until you get home. Great thanks Pres.
Anyway, Karen's outward beauty is wonderful. It always has been. And the best part of it is that she gets better looking every year. Now some of you may think that there will eventually come a time where this trend of increasing beauty will be reversed will pass its peak will decline and recede. But I cannot see it. I truly cannot. What I see in Karen's outward appearance is an ever more endearing image of my permanent friend.
2 comments:
Your question of "what constitutes a beautiful person?" is one that would be answered different by many.
First of all, thank you for the kind words to my mother. She deserves them and it is always great to hear things like this from your parents. Good job pops.
Regarding beauty, I believe there is a difference between beauty and other adjectives like "hot" or "cute" or "good-looking." Beauty to me signifies something beyond physical, and a truly beautiful person, to me, would need to be just as beautiful inside as they are outside. What makes one beautiful inside? The Spirit. I remember reading a book by either Joseph Smith or Talmage about how the Spirit actually can transform you physically and make you more beautiful. I believe this.
I think it has to do with confidence. The more you love yourself, the more you will take care of yourself. This doesn't mean you will become a model - because that is not true beauty, but you will have an appeal to others, both physically and spiritually.
That is what mom brought to you. Mom is beautiful because she has the Spirit. This makes her appealing to be around - and that equates to attractive to many. Beauty is much more rare than physical attractiveness. Age diminishes "hotness," but not beauty. Hence you can be an old woman (or man) and be beautiful - but rarely be "hot."
In terms of physical attractiveness, the more we have access to mediums that promote what is attractive, the more society will obsess about it. In the old days you only saw a few hot women in your town, maybe, and were content with others. Now men, and women, expect much more. They want these extreme "hotties" that TV or the internet have burned into our minds. Even men feel the pressure now as we must all have abs of steel, etc.
But hotness is purely physical. It is a component of our DNA. We need to be attracted to things and to make more money companies pound out what they think is most attractive in order to get us to buy more products. We shouldn't let it dominate our thoughts or values.
Very few of us will ever marry the person they feel is the most hot (I am an exception!). It is important to remember that Hotness, not beauty, is skin deep.
So hooray for beautiful women who make the world around them more beautiful. And beautiful women are more hard to find these days. So I salute the beautiful women I know - most of which are contributors to this blog!
thanks for all the compliments, which I rarely get. I need them, and even crave them sometimes. I needed your blogs this week. I feel old, wrinkly, and pudgy. why does society make me feel this way? I should be proud of my pudgy tummy afer bringing 4 kids into the world. I should wear my wrinkles with pride of experience and knowledge. I should, but I feel old and ugly lately. thanks for cheering me on! I was just about ready to let my greys grow in, allow myself to pudge out, and give up. I find the keeping myself beautiful inside easier than the outside part. and byw - Cari, Kathy, and Tev, you are all a perfect example of beautiful women. all different, all beautiful. and, you all should have seen how good-looking Tom was tonight as he was inducted into the national honor society! handsome inside and out!
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