Sunday Lesson: Aug 16th

Our teacher did such a wonderful job teaching this weeks lesson, Keeping the Law of Chastity, Chp. 17 in our Ezra Taft Benson manual. "In the Church and kingdom of God, chastity will never be out-of-date, regardless of what the world may say or do." We are reminded that "The moral code of heaven for both men and women is complete chastity before marriage and full fidelity after marriage." This law has been since the beginning of time and this standard will not change. 

There are five guidelines that can help us stay morally clean, resist temptation, and prevent ourselves from falling into sin. We can use these things to defend oursleves:

1) Clean thoughts - control your thoughts live with a clean character

2) Prayers for strength - pray for the power to resist temptation

3) Avoidance of improper situations - ask yourself, "Would my spouse be pleased if he or she knew I was doing this?"

4) Modesty - "Shun the low and the vulgar and the suggestive

5) Healthful, positive activities - "We must do more than simply remove the negative influences from our lives. We must replace them with righteous activites..."

We are reminded of the scripture in D&C 58:42 "Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more." If we have become entangled in sexual sin, Pres. Benson gives five important things we can do to get back to a state of moral purity. They are:

1) Flee immediately from any bad situation

2) Plead with the Lord for the power to overcome

3) Let your priesthood leaders help you

4) Fill your lives with positive sources of power

and 5) Remember that through proper repentance, you can become clean again

At an early age parents should be talking to their children about chastity and intimacy, both for their physical and moral protection. Our teacher pointed out that there is a wonderful article in the July/August LDS Living magazine entitled My Body is a Temple: Teaching young children about intimacy. It is a wonderful article to refer to.

We have the law of chastity to bring us joy; not only to us, but to our society as well. "Our Heavenly Father desires nothing for us but to be happy. He tells us only those things that will bring us joy. And one of the surest principles given by God to help us find that joy is the law of chastity. I pray with all my heart that you will consider most solemnly the joyful consequences of keeping this law; and the tragic consequences of violating it," President Ezra Taft Benson.