Chastity and Sexual Purity
The ability to bear children is sacred. It is a gift from God, one that should never be misused. From Proverbs, “Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? . . . But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul” (Proverbs 6:27-28, 32). ”Thou shalt not commit adultery” is one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:14). To “commit adultery” means for a husband to have sexual intercourse with anyone other than his wife, or for a wife to have sexual intercourse with anyone other than her husband. The Apostle Paul taught that we must “abstain from fornication” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Fornication means “sexual intercourse between an unmarried person and anyone else” (True to the Faith 30). The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said,
“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” (The Family: A Proclamation to the World).
Mormons who commit fornication or adultery are subject to church discipline and may lose their membership in the Church. Sexual sins are very serious, and “most abominable above above all sins since save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost” (Alma 39:5).
The youth in Mormonism are taught
“Before marriage, do not do anything to arouse the powerful emotions that must be expressed only in marriage. Do not participate in passionate kissing, lie on top of another person, or touch the private, sacred parts of another person’s body, with or without clothing. Do not allow anyone to do that with you. Do not arouse those emotions in your own body” (For the Strength of Youth, 27).
The focus of a relationship should never be on the body. Such a focus can poison the relationship. Couples should be friends with one another.
Impurity does not happen in a moment, but it begins in small steps. We must keep our thoughts clean. The Lord said, “he that looketh upon a woman to lust after her shall deny the faith, and shall not have the spirit; and if he repents not he shall be cast out (Doctrine and Covenants 42:23). This is because “whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).
Not only does violating this law make our path back to God more difficult, it also makes us miserable. To break the law of chastity is to bring ourselves great unhappiness. “We warn,” said the First Presidency of the Church, “that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accoundtable before God” (The Family: A Proclamation to the World).
But just because a person has broken the law of chastity does not mean there is not hope. T
he whole reason Jesus died was so that we might repent of our sins and come unto him in meekness. For “he that has committed adultery and repents with all his heart, and forsaketh it, and doeth it no more, thou shalt forgive” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:25). Repentance is open to us through Christ’s Atonement, even when our sin is as serious as breaking the law of chastity. Healing and forgiveness is possible. “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more. By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins–behold, he will confess them and forsake them” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:42-43). One who wishes to repent of a sexual sin must confess to a bishop. The bishop can help with the healing. In smaller congragations there is no bishop, but the presiding authority is known as the branch president.
Those who have been raped or sexually abused are not guilty of breaking the law of chastity.