We Believe in Being Chaste
Elder David A. Bednar
Of the Quorum of the 12
Apostles
April 2013 General Conference
Why is the law of chastity so important?
The eternal importance of chastity can only be
understood within the overarching context of our Heavenly Father’s plan of
happiness for His children.
“All human beings—male and female—are created in
the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents,
and … has a divine nature and destiny” -The Family: A Proclamation to the World, 1995
Our physical bodies make possible a breadth, a
depth, and an intensity of experience that simply could not be obtained in our
premortal existence.
The means by which mortal life is created is
divinely appointed.
Marriage between a man and a woman is the
authorized channel through which premortal spirits enter mortality.
Complete sexual abstinence before marriage and
total fidelity within marriage protect the sanctity of this sacred channel.
The power of procreation is spiritually
significant. Misuse of this power subverts the purposes of the Father’s plan
and of our mortal existence.
Our
Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son are creators and have entrusted each of us
with a portion of Their creative power.
“The power to create mortal life is the most
exalted power God has given his children. Its use was mandated in the first
commandment, but another important commandment was given to forbid its misuse.
The emphasis we place on the law of chastity is explained by our understanding
of the purpose of our procreative powers in the accomplishment of God’s
plan. …
“Outside the bonds of marriage, all uses of the
procreative power are to one degree or another a sinful degrading and
perversion of the most divine attribute of men and women”
– Elder Dallin H. Oaks, 1993
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
has a single, undeviating standard of sexual morality: intimate relations are
proper only between a man and a woman in the marriage relationship prescribed
in God’s plan.
The natural man or woman is unrepentant, is
carnal and sensual, is indulgent and excessive, and is prideful and selfish.
The “man [or woman] of Christ” is spiritual and
bridles all passions, is temperate and restrained, and is benevolent and
selfless.
As sons and daughters of God, we have inherited
divine capacities from Him. But we presently live in a fallen world. “Watch and
pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” – Matthew 26:41
We are here on the earth to develop godlike
qualities and to bridle all of the passions of the flesh.
Because a physical body is so central to the
Father’s plan of happiness and our spiritual development, Lucifer seeks to
frustrate our progression by tempting us to use our bodies improperly.
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 and a denial of our
true identity as sons and daughters of God.
Living the law of chastity invites some of the
greatest blessings men and women can receive in mortality: appropriate
spiritual confidence in the presence of family, friends, Church associates, and,
ultimately, the Savior.
Guilt is to our spirit what pain is to our body—a
warning of danger and a protection from additional damage. From the Atonement
of the Savior flows the soothing salve that can heal our spiritual wounds and
remove guilt. However, this salve can only be applied through the principles of
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, and consistent obedience.
The Lord’s truth is not altered by fads,
popularity, or public opinion polls. I promise that obedience to the law of
chastity will increase our happiness in mortality and make possible our
progress in eternity. Chastity and virtue are now, always have been, and always
will be “most dear and precious above all things”.
