At one quick look you see the word "Chastity" and everyone freaks out going "eww..." and, "gross!" then you get a bunch of immature snickers from the peanut gallery in the back row who are still acting like high school teenagers. Yes, in this segment I will be addressing the issue of being morally clean. I will admit, this is a very touchy and awkward subject for me. Not because I have ever had any morality issues with the law of Chastity. Rather, because it is a very sensitive subject for all. I am not the only one that get's super uncomfortable when someone teaches on this subject. Or even, when I have to teach on this subject as a missionary. I am constantly praying for Heavenly Father to help me in those lessons so that I do not end up saying something really dumb like, "Look! Their is a box that covers this entire sections of your body. (Motioning above shoulders and end of knees) Just don't touch anyone's box and keep your own box to yourself and you will be fine!" Ya... I don't believe that approach would ever fully help the investigator to understand the purpose of the commandment to be morally Chaste.
This last week as I was preparing for "said" lessons, so as to not use the "box" method of explaining things. I had the opportunity to get a lot of powerful insights on what the law of Chastity truly means. And more importantly, why it is so important to our Heavenly Father. The following is just a few thought's of inspiration that I had received while studying the topic. I pray that this will give new insight's to why the Law of Chastity is so important.
Being Morally Chaste does not just mean that I agree to not have sexual relationship's before marriage, it is much more than that. To fully be living the law of Chastity we must also keep our thoughts, actions, and words in line with the savior. Always acting how he would have us act. Yes, dressing appropriately is part of this commandment, but that is common sense. To keep our thoughts in line, this means when we see something inappropriate or someone dressed immodestly do we choose to continue to look upon that image? Or do we turn away? Like King David in the Bible "And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his
bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon." 2 Samuel 11:2 How King David reacted to the situation at hand paved the road for his future. He did not turn away, but he continued to look upon her and fed into that temptation. The most important part is how we choose to react to the situation given to us. This situation will come to all, now is the time to make a choice on how we will react to pornography and other forms of inappropriate images. We live in a day and age where everyone teenager before they turn the age of 18 will come in contact with pornography as quoted in the September 2014 Ensign. Most importantly though, are we putting ourselves in those situation's? Are we trying to limit our risk's of coming across a situation similar to David's? Picking on King David one more time, if you go back to verse one in that same chapter you will notice that it say's, "But David tarried still at Jerusalem." David was not suppose to be their at that time. As King, he was suppose to be on the front lines of the war with his soldiers. David made a decision to stay behind, and as a consequence of such decision put himself in the way of being exposed to Satan's temptations. Now do you see how important it is that we make sure we are being obedient to all of the Lord's commandments? If David just stayed with his troops he never would have been subject to temptation and the unraveling of events to follow.
Lastly I wanted to conclude with a story that depicts why it is important to be Chaste in our words. First of all I wish to express my gratitude for my father. He is such a wonderful example to me of how someone who understands the law of Chastity in their heart and applies it in their daily life. I remember when I was about 17 and in high school. Mom was in the process of building a salon. My father offered to put most of the labor into the salon to help save money. It was the summer time and I didn't have a job so my dad had me tag along with him to help with some of the building and painting. When we got their my dad also had a few friends from his work that he asked to come help with the build out. While we where their my dad asked me to go into the back room to grab something. I remember hearing one of his friends make a joke to a few others including my dad talking about how with all of those rooms in the back it looked like "an underground Geisha house." My dad hollered back at them and said, "Come on guy's my daughters here." All I could remember after that was being so embarrassed from my dad telling him, "Why did you do that? I am seventeen, it's not like I don't know what those things are!" I was so frustrated because I just wanted to look like "one of the guy's" and by having my father say those things it made me feel like a delicate princess. I may not have been grateful then, but I certainly am now. It was my father's example that popped into my head while studying actions and words that apply to being morally chaste. My dad said those things because he was following one of the promises that we make at baptism. To live by the Law of Chastity, which includes thinking about our word's before we use them. I am grateful for my dad's example now. I am grateful that he gave me an example and a memory that I can look back on. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints we made a promise to be morally Chaste at baptism. This promise includes keeping our thoughts and word's inline. Think about what you say before you speak it. Pay attention to what others are saying around you. All of these things are a part of living the law of Chastity. That is something I do not think a lot of us today think about. To conclude I just want to say that I know these things are true, and that I know that their is a spirit that follows when we strive to be EXACTLY obedient to all of the Lord's commandments.
