 |
| Source |
We
will be talking about the Law of Chastity today. As this is a sensitive
subject, let us remember the example of Jesus Christ with the woman taken in
adultery to focus on repenting and living the law, without judgmentally
throwing stones of condemnation. Please be sensitive in your comments.
The Law of Chastity
2. "Marriage
between a man and a woman is ordained of God and... the family is central to
the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children" (The Family: A
Procolmation to the World).
3. "Physical intimacy
between husband and wife is beautiful and sacred. It is ordained of God for the
creation of children and for the expression of love between husband and wife.
God has commanded that sexual intimacy be reserved for marriage.... The Lord’s
standard regarding sexual purity is clear and unchanging. Do not have any
sexual relations before marriage, and be completely faithful to your spouse
after marriage. Do not allow the media, your peers, or others to persuade you
that sexual intimacy before marriage is acceptable. It is not. In God’s sight,
sexual sins are extremely serious. They defile the sacred power God has given
us to create life. The prophet Alma taught that sexual sins are more serious
than any other sins except murder or denying the Holy Ghost (see Alma 39:5).
"Never do anything that could lead to sexual transgression. Treat
others with respect, not as objects used to satisfy lustful and selfish
desires. Before marriage, do not participate in passionate kissing, lie on top
of another person, or touch the private, sacred parts of another person’s body,
with or without clothing. Do not do anything else that arouses sexual feelings.
Do not arouse those emotions in your own body. Pay attention to the promptings
of the Spirit so that you can be clean and virtuous. The Spirit of the Lord
will withdraw from one who is in sexual transgression" (For the Strength
of Youth).
4. "Behold, it is written by them of old time,
that thou shalt not commit adultery; But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh
on a woman, to lust after her, hath committed adultery already in his heart.
Behold, I give unto you a commandment, that ye suffer none of these things to
enter into your heart; For it is better that ye should deny yourselves of these
things, wherein ye will take up your cross, than that ye should be cast into
hell" (3 Nephi 12:27-30).
5. “Thou shalt not … commit adultery, … nor do
anything like unto it” (D&C 59:6).
6. Victims of sexual abuse are not guilty of sin and
do not need to repent. If you have been a victim of abuse, know that you are
innocent and that God loves you. Talk to your parents or another trusted adult,
and seek your bishop’s counsel immediately. They can support you spiritually
and assist you in getting the protection and help you need. The process of
healing may take time. Trust in the Savior. He will heal you and give you
peace" (For the Strength of Youth).
Review: Sexual purity in thought, word
and action. Chastity includes strict abstinence from sexual relations before
marriage and complete fidelity and loyalty to one's spouse after marriage.
Q What questions do you have about what it means to
keep or break the law of chastity?
Q Why did God give us the Law of Chastity?
Blessings of Keeping
the Law of Chastity
Conditional Blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ: Forgiveness, salvation, exaltation, eternal families, hope, overcome weaknesses, godly character/divine attributes, self control, guidance, comfort, joy, peace, strength, healing, etc.
To receive the conditional blessings of the atonement, we must live the Gospel of Jesus Christ:
· Faith- belief in, trust in, and commitment to obey Christ
· Repent- submit will to Christ and change behavior to follow Him; seek forgiveness and a change of heart
· Covenants- make/keep promises by priesthood authority to follow the example of Jesus Christ, such as baptism.
· Holy Ghost- receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, invite and follow His guidance
· Endure to the end- consistently grow our faith, repent, keep our covenants, and receive the Holy Ghost
|
Q How does keeping the Law of Chastity help us to live the
gospel and receive the blessings of the atonement of Jesus Christ?
Q What other blessings can
come from keeping the Law of Chastity? To individuals? To Families? To Communities?
Q Why is breaking the
Law of Chastity such a serious sin? What are the potential harms? What blessings
can we not have unless we repent and live the Law of Chastity?
7. "When you are sexually pure, you prepare yourself to make and keep sacred covenants in the temple. You prepare yourself to build a strong marriage and to bring children into the world as part of an eternal and loving family. You protect yourself from the spiritual and emotional damage that come from sharing sexual intimacy outside of marriage. You also protect yourself from harmful diseases. Remaining sexually pure helps you to be confident and truly happy and improves your ability to make good decisions now and in the future" (For the Strength of Youth).
8. "Sometimes
people try to convince themselves that sexual relations outside of marriage are
acceptable if the participants love one another. This is not true. Breaking the
law of chastity and encouraging someone else to do so is not an expression of
love. People who love each other will never endanger one another’s happiness
and safety in exchange for temporary personal pleasure. When people care for
one another enough to keep the law of chastity, their love, trust, and
commitment increase, resulting in greater happiness and unity. In contrast,
relationships built on sexual immorality sour quickly. Those who engage in
sexual immorality often feel fear, guilt, and shame. Bitterness, jealousy, and
hatred soon replace any positive feelings that once existed in their
relationship.
"Our Heavenly
Father has given us the law of chastity for our protection. Obedience to this
law is essential to personal peace and strength of character and to happiness
in the home. As you keep yourself sexually pure... you will be sensitive to the
Holy Ghost’s guidance, strength, comfort, and protection " (True to the
Faith).
9. “You live in a world of terrible
temptations. Pornography, with its sleazy filth, sweeps over the earth like a
horrible, engulfing tide. It is poison. Do not watch it or read it. It will
destroy you if you do. It will take from you your self-respect. It will rob you
of a sense of the beauties of life. It will tear you down and pull you into a
slough of evil thoughts and possibly of evil actions. Stay away from it. Shun
it as you would a foul disease, for it is just as deadly" (Gordon B.
Hinckley, October 1997 General Conference).
Keeping the Law of Chastity in Day to Day Living
Q How do we keep the
Law of Chastity in day to day living?
- Actions
- Thoughtsj
- Words
- Interactions with others
- Etnertainment
- Dress
Q What are early
steps that can lead to breaking the Law of Chastity and how can we keep from
going down those paths?
11. "Satan
sometimes tempts us through our emotions. He knows when we are lonely,
confused, or depressed. He chooses this time of weakness to tempt us to break
the law of chastity. Our Heavenly Father can give us the strength to pass
through these trials unharmed.... Paul taught, “There hath no temptation taken
you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you
to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a
way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Alma
emphasized that we will “not be tempted above that which [we] can bear” as we
“humble [ourselves] before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and
pray continually” (Alma 13:28)." (Gospel Principles).
12. "Like
thieves in the night, unwelcome thoughts can and do seek entrance to our minds.
But we don’t have to throw open the door, serve them tea and crumpets, and then
tell them where the silverware is kept! (You shouldn’t be serving tea anyway.)
Throw the rascals out! Replace lewd thoughts with hopeful images and joyful
memories; picture the faces of those who love you and would be shattered if you
let them down. More than one man has been saved from sin or stupidity by
remembering the face of his mother, his wife, or his child waiting somewhere
for him at home" (Jeffrey R. Holland,
April 2010 General Conference).
13. "Cultivate
and be where the Spirit of the Lord is. Make sure that includes your own home
or apartment, dictating the kind of art, music, and literature you keep
there" (Jeffrey R. Holland, April 2010 General
Conference).
14. "Most
people in trouble end up crying, “What was I thinking?” Well, whatever they
were thinking, they weren’t thinking of Christ. Yet, as members of His Church,
we pledge every Sunday of our lives to take upon ourselves His name and promise
to “always remember him.” So let us work a little harder at remembering
Him—especially that He has “borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows … ,
[that] he was bruised for our iniquities … ; and with his stripes we are
healed.” Surely it would guide our actions in a dramatic way if we remembered
that every time we transgress, we hurt not only those we love, but we also hurt
Him, who so dearly loves us. But if we do sin, however serious that sin may be,
we can be rescued by that same majestic figure, He who bears the only name
given under heaven whereby any man or woman can be saved" (Jeffrey R. Holland, April 2010 General Conference).
Principles to Follow that Help Us Keep the Law of Chastity
"No matter how strong temptations seem, the Lord will help you withstand them if you choose to follow Him. The Apostle Paul declared, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). The following counsel can help you overcome the frequent and blatant temptations in the world today:
"Decide now to be chaste. You need to make this decision only once. Make the decision now, before the temptation comes, and let your decision be so firm and with such deep commitment that it can never be shaken. Determine now that you will never do anything outside of marriage to arouse the powerful emotions that must be expressed only in marriage. Do not arouse those emotions in another person’s body or in your own body. Determine now that you will be completely true to your spouse.
"Control your thoughts. No one commits sexual sin in an instant. Immoral acts always begin with impure thoughts. If you allow your thoughts to linger on obscene or immoral things, you have already taken the first step toward immorality. Flee immediately from situations that may lead to sin. Pray for constant strength to resist temptation and control your thoughts. Make this a part of your daily prayers.
"Stay away from pornography. Do not view, read, or listen to anything that depicts or describes the human body or sexual conduct in a way that can arouse sexual feelings. Pornographic materials are addictive and destructive. They can rob you of your self-respect and of a sense of the beauties of life. They can tear you down and lead you to evil thoughts and abusive conduct.
"If you are single and dating, always treat your date with respect. Never treat him or her as an object to be used for lustful desires. Carefully plan positive and constructive activities so that you and your date are not left alone without anything to do. Stay in areas of safety where you can easily control yourself. Do not participate in conversations or activities that arouse sexual feelings. Do not participate in passionate kissing, lie with or on top of another person, or touch the private, sacred parts of another person’s body, with or without clothing. Do not allow anyone to do such things with you.
"If you are married, be faithful to your spouse in your thoughts, words, and actions. The Lord has said:
“Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else. And he that looketh upon a woman to lust after her shall deny the faith, and shall not have the Spirit; and if he repents not he shall be cast out” (D&C 42:22–23). Never flirt in any way. As much as possible, avoid being alone with anyone of the opposite sex. Ask yourself if your spouse would be pleased if he or she knew of your words or actions. Remember the Apostle Paul’s counsel to “abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). When you stay away from such circumstances, temptation gets no chance to develop" (True to the Faith).
"[Registered for silverware when first married and didn’t receive any as a gift, Slowly gathered silverware over years piece by piece. When they finally had enough for service for four:]
“Before [guests] came, we would have a little discussion in the kitchen. Which utensils would we use, the battered and mismatched stainless or the special silverware? In those early days I would often vote for the stainless. It was easier. You could just throw it in the dishwasher after the meal, and it took care of itself. The silver, on the other hand, was a lot of work. My wife had it hidden away under the bed where it could not be found easily by a burglar. She had insisted that I buy a tarnish-free cloth to wrap it in. Each piece was in a separate pocket, and it was no easy task to assemble all the pieces. When the silver was used, it had to be hand washed and dried so that it would not spot, and put back in the pockets so it would not tarnish, and wrapped up and carefully hidden again so it would not get stolen. If any tarnish was discovered, I was sent to buy silver polish, and together we carefully rubbed the stains away.
"[The silverware was carefully cared for over years,]
“For years I thought she was just a little bit eccentric, and then one day I realized that she had known for a long time something that I was just beginning to understand. If you want something to last forever, you treat it differently. You shield it and protect it. You never abuse it. You don’t expose it to the elements. You don’t make it common or ordinary. If it ever becomes tarnished, you lovingly polish it until it gleams like new. It becomes special because you have made it so, and it grows more beautiful and precious as time goes by. Eternal marriage is just like that " (F. Burton Howard, April 2003 General Conference).
Key talks about the law of chastity can be found at
Key talks about strengthening families can be found at
Key talks about strengthening youth can be found at
Key talks about repentance can be found at
Key talks about addiction can be found
at
Please share your testimony of the principles covered in this lesson or share a favorite scripture or quote that wasn't included.
No comments:
Post a Comment