You're so Vain

You're so vain, you probably think this blog is about you... I learned that from a missionary companion who apparently had the same last name as the person who sang the song. Anyway, the topic I would like to discuss today is cosmetic surgery. I have always been somewhat puzzled by people who seek cosmetic surgery. I'm not talking about plastic surgery for people who actually need it such as people with deformities or scars. Plastic surgery can be a wonderful blessing to people with real needs such as cleft palate, et cetera. I'm talking about purely cosmetic procedures such as nose jobs, face lifts, tummy tucks, implants, liposuction, etc.. The reason people seek these cosmetic procedures is because of a lack of self-esteem. If people could accept themselves for who they are, they wouldn't need to put themselves through dangerous, painful surgery.

While I was a resident at a hospital in Texas, I scrubbed into several cosmetic surgeries. Therefore, I have first-hand experience as to what actually goes on during these surgeries. Most cosmetic surgeries are not minor surgeries. They make foot surgery look like a walk in the park. I was going to explain what actually goes on during one of the procedures but I decided against it. Suffice it to say there is a lot of cutting, pulling, tugging, blood loss, sewing. These are not minimally invasive surgeries.

So, why do people subject themselves to this, all in the name of vanity? There is way too much emphasis on our physical appearance in our society. Everywhere we look, we are told through magazines, television, movies, etc. that if we don't look a certain way, society's standard of beauty, that we are no good. Since when does our physical appearance have anything to do with the type of person we are inside? But this is the message we get bombarded with, through the media. It's no wonder so many people seek cosmetic surgery, when their self-worth is based upon what they look like.

It is very sad to see people, who are average to above average looking, subject themselves to cosmetic surgery, all in the name of vanity. Many people end up looking worse, through botched procedures or unskilled surgeons. And many people end up dead. It's a shame that so many people buy into the notion that they aren't worth anything unless they look a certain way.

To me, cosmetic surgery goes hand-in-hand with body piercings and tattoos in terms of defiling your body.

1 Corinthians 3:17 "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."

We have been given our bodies as a gift from God. We need to treat them with the utmost respect. We have been told by President Hinckley, who was a prophet of God, that we are not to defile our bodies by tattoos and body piercings. I also consider cosmetic surgery as defiling our bodies. We should be thankful for what we've been given, even if our nose is a little crooked, or we have wrinkles under our eyes.

1 Corinthians 6:19 "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. "

As probably all of you know, who are reading this blog, I have many scars, some of which are very visible. My body doesn't work like it used to. Yet, I am so thankful to have my body. As broken, and scarred as it is. I am thankful for my scars, for it took a long time for my wounds to heal. An unsightly scar is a much better option than an open wound. Thankfully, I have never had an issue with low self-esteem. Because I know that I'm a child of God, and He loves me. So, regardless of what I look like physically, I know that my Heavenly Father loves me, and I am of great worth.

That's my two cents.