Something Sacred

I have so much to share I'm not sure where to start. I want to add to what I shared in my last post about troubled marriages, along with this sometimes comes divorce. The sad fact is divorce happens more than it should. In a talk given by Elder Dallin H. Oaks titled "Divorce" he shared the following, which is from President Spencer W. Kimball.

"Two individuals approaching the marriage altar must realize that to attain the happy marriage which they hope for they must know that marriage. . . means sacrifice, sharing, and even a reduction of some personal liberties. It means long, hard economizing. It means children who bring with them financial burdens, service burdens, care and worry burdens; but also it means the deepest and sweetest emotions of all." (Oaks, LDS Ensign, May 2007, 70-73)

I don't have the perfect marriage but I have a great one and I do know what it means to work at a marriage. I married a man with an ex and five kids I know what it means to sacrifice. I know what financial burden is when it comes to kids but I also know the joy of having my husband and his kids in my life. Sure my life might be easier if I didn't ever marry my husband but would I be as happy or would I be who I am today if I didn't go down this road, maybe, maybe not. 

The past couple weeks I have been studying The Law of Chastity and the Sanctity of Life in my religion class and I would like to share something that stood out to me the most. 

First, the power of procreation is sacred. I've known this all my life but I am understanding it more now. Second, just because you are married and in a committed relationship the attitude of "anything goes" is not the correct attitude when it comes to physical intimacy. Let me give a little background.

Growing up as a member of the LDS Church I was taught not to have sex before I was married. That makes sense right! Well it did to me, I didn't want a kid when I was still a kid myself. I was also taught that there should be no inappropriate touching, either a boy touching me or me touching a boy, under clothes or on top of the clothes. As a teenager I had boyfriends and I started to understand why they said no inappropriate touching, hormones are hard to control and I can understand how people get caught up in the moment. So as an LDS Youth I was taught to be careful and not engage in these activities. Then I got older and was in college and dated more seriously looking for a husband if you will. I was one of the "not typical" young adults because I didn't get married until I was 25. When I did get married I wasn't really counseled about sex or physical intimacy and what was acceptable and what wasn't.  I didn't even know what to expect when it came to physical intimacy. I considered myself lucky because my husband was married before, so at least one of us would know what was going on. I had heard that "as long as you and your husband are good with it then you can do anything when it comes to sex." I didn't really give it more thought and that's probably because I've heard that said many times. I have to admit that in my church this is not something you go seek counsel for. I'm so glad I came across the following this week, this is what I would share with people that ask me. It is so plain and easy and makes complete sense to me. I hope it helps someone else too!


"If it is unnatural, you just don't do it. That is all, and all the family life should be kept clean and worthy an on a very high plane. There are some people who have said that behind the bedroom doors anything goes. That is not true and the Lord would not condone it." -President Spencer W. Kimball

1 Cor. 6:13-15
13 . . . Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

I chose to share these because we all need to remember that our bodies are for the Lord they aren't ours to do what we want with them. 

I could keep going on and on, in fact there is so much more to share but this is a long post already! One last quote I want to share this week is from a talk by Elder Richard G. Scott from the October 1994 LDS General Conference, "Making The Right Choices."

". . . Remember that true love elevates, protects, respects, and enriches another."