In terms of preoccupation with self and a fixation on the physical, this ismore than social insanity; it is spiritually destructive, and it accounts formuch of the unhappiness women, including young women, face in themodern world. And if adults are preoccupied with appearance—tuckingand nipping and implanting and remodeling everything that can beremodeled—those pressures and anxieties will certainly seep through tochildren. At some point the problem becomes what the Book of Mormoncalled “vain imaginations.” 11 And in secular society both vanity andimagination run wild. One would truly need a great and spacious makeupkit to compete with beauty as portrayed in media all around us. Yet at theend of the day there would still be those “in the attitude of mocking andpointing their fingers” as Lehi saw, 12 because however much one tries inthe world of glamour and fashion, it will never be glamorous enough.
A woman not of our faith once wrote something to the effect that in heryears of working with beautiful women she had seen several things theyall had in common, and not one of them had anything to do with sizes andshapes. She said the loveliest women she had known had a glow of health,a warm personality, a love of learning, stability of character, and integrity.If we may add the sweet and gentle Spirit of the Lord carried by such awoman, then this describes the loveliness of women in any age or time,every element of which is emphasized in and attainable through theblessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
