"The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.
"We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God's eternal plan."
Elder Jefferey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in his talk "Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments" said, "The topic of human intimacy is as sacred as any I know....Some may feel this is a topic we hear discussed too frequently, but given the world in which we live, we may not be hearing it enough....Unfortunately, the degree of unchaste behavior around us is likely to increase rather than decrease as the times become more secular, more sophisticated, and more self-indulgent."
Elder Jeffery R. Holland
Chastity is something that is needed more than ever in this world in which we live. Like Elder Holland mentioned, the world is becoming more selfish and more focused on ones self.
Elder Holland continues, "...But whoso committeth adultery with a woman [or man] lacketh understanding; he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away."
Elder Holland later quotes a scripture that states that adultery is one of the greatest sins except for killing or denying the Holy Ghost. That is pretty serious!
Elder Holland also said, "The purchase price for our fullness of joy-body and spirit eternally united - is the pure and innocent blood of the Savior of the world. We cannot then say in ignorance or defiance, 'Well, it's my life' or worse yet, 'It's my body.' It is not your life or your body. 'Ye are not your own,' Paul said. 'Ye are bought with a price.'"
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in his talk "We Believe in Being Chaste" stated, "The precise nature of the test of mortality, then, can be summarized in the following question: Will I respond to the inclinations of the natural man, or will I yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and put of f the natural man and become a saint through the Atonement of Christ the Lord?"
Elder David A. Bednar
He later continues: "Violating the law of chastity is a grievous sin and a misuse of our physical tabernacles. To those who know and understand the plan of salvation, defiling the body is an act of rebellion."
Elder Bednar: "One of the ultimate ironies of eternity is that the adversary, who is miserable precisely because he has not physical body, entices us to share in his misery through the improper use of our bodies. The very tool he does not have is thus the primary target of his attempts to lure us to spiritual destruction."
When I first read that last paragraph about Satan, I knew that but it just seemed so much clearer seeing it on paper. Isn't that crazy?! And unfortunately, Satan is cunning and lures us in when sometimes we don't realize it. And this is why the Prophets and Apostles quote the scriptures that say, "Pray always."
Here are just a few examples of scriptures (for there are many):
One from the Book of Mormon: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him" (3 Nephi 18:5).
One from the Bible: "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36).
One from the Doctrine and Covenants: "What I say unto one I say unto all; pray always lest that wicked one have power in you, and remove you out of your place" (Doctrine and Covenants 93:49).
Chastity is important. When we are chaste, we can love more deeply and enjoy family bonds more happily. Nobody is perfect. If you struggle in your marriage, know that God can help you. If you have God on your side and are trying your best, the Lord will certainly help you and make up for the things that you cannot do on your own.
I love the scripture found in Ether 12:27 - "And if men come unto me, I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."
Elder Richard G. Scott in his talk "Making the Right Choices" stated: "...true love elevates, protects, respects, and enriches another."
Elder Richard G. Scott
President Boyd K. Packer in his talk "The Fountain of Life" talked about Mature Love. Here is what he said: "Married couples are tried by temptation, misunderstandings, separation, financial problems, family crises, illness; and all the while LOVE GROWS STRONGER (emphasis added), the mature love enjoys a bliss not even imagined by newlyweds."
President Boyd K. Packer (former President of the Quorum of the Twelve. He died recently.)
I love this quote so much! Everyone struggles. Everyone has troubled times, but that doesn't mean giving up is the answer. Love grows.
I always heard from older couples before I got married that love grows. Some would say that they never thought they could love their spouse more than they did on their wedding day, but truly they love them even more. I can say, even though my husband and I have only been married a year, that love does grow as you face hard things together.
Super cute video about love
An example of this: One day, I was a little upset at my husband for something (I had been emotional that weekend and I didn't know quite why. I guess it is just women :) ). Anyway, I told him how I felt. I found out that what I was mad at him for was partly my fault. I didn't have him to blame. We both forgave each other for our shortcomings that day. From that experience, and this might sound weird, but I felt a deeper love for him. A love that comes from going through hard things together and accepting each other despite our weaknesses. Even though my husband hadn't really done anything wrong and I was just being emotional, we grew together as we understood each other and apologized for any hard feelings toward one another.
I love knowing that eternal things are not meant to be easy. Eternal things are meant to be worked at. For if there was no work or effort put forth into something, would we truly appreciate it? I know with me, when something is easy, I don't always appreciate it for what it is.
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