Elder David A. Bednar taught that “our physical bodies make possible a breadth, depth, and intensity of experience that simply could not be obtained in our premortal estate,” and that “in this classroom of mortality we experience tenderness, kindness, happiness, sorrow, disappointment, pain, and even the challenges of physical limitations in ways that prepare us for eternity.”
Why would these things be unavailable to spirits? Can spirits not feel happiness? Sorrow? I know that they can. So what did Elder Bednar mean?
As I was pondering on this, it was impressed on me that our emotions and experiences are in part, a function of our brain chemistry. This clearly goes beyond physical senses like touch and taste. Happiness, sadness, fear, terror, pleasure: all of these have chemical processes involved.
Disembodied spirits do not have a physical brain, or receptors for dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins. They cannot experience an adrenaline rush. Despite being sexual beings, they cannot experience sexual pleasure. They cannot cry with tears.
Our physical bodies give us “a breadth, depth, and intensity of experience” that would be impossible without them.
Some people hurt themselves just so they can feel something; this is how I imagine the eternally disembodied spirits who followed Satan in the preexistence now feel. They are so desperate to experience a physical body that they were willing to cram themselves into a tortured existence inside the poor soul described in Mark 5. They begged Jesus to send them into the mindless swine instead of banishing them, just to steal a taste of a few more seconds of having a physical body.
So knowing how precious the experiences mortality has to offer are, why would we want to numb ourselves voluntarily?
Today marks the 1,748th day of my sobriety. I NEVER want to numb myself, my mind, or my senses with whatever substances, ever again. I intend to fully savor every single waking moment that mortality has to offer, with eyes wide open. I thank Heavenly Father every day for the physical body he gave me.