A Return to Virtue

(I realize this is a little long, but I'd consider it a personal favor if you'd read it through anyway. And would love comments.)

The week before last was a little rough for me. For whatever reason, the influence of the world and the buffetings of the adversary really got to me. On all hands I felt like was slapped, kicked and pushed around by the immoral culture that has become such a norm for our society. By books, conversations at work, t.v., internet, and just plain living I was left feeling pretty awful. I cried more than once. Including crying when I talked to my baby Benson (who is 16) and being reminded that he gets to deal with it up in his face every day. I couldn't wait for Sunday and a reprieve--which the block of meetings was.

Then along came Sunday evening and the C.E.S. fireside by Sister Elaine Dalton, General Young Women President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Whose theme for her presidency is virtue. I was hopeful. And hope won.

Sister Dalton, in no uncertain terms, called us to "lead the world in a return to virtue." She declared with boldness what virtue is. She taught powerfully how we can return to virtue and how we can lead the world. Without further ado, I will share a few excerpts from her talk. If you didn't see it, I'd highly recommend doing so. Here it is for ya.

Virtue and chastity are inseperably connected. You cannot be unchaste and virtuous.

Sexual purity is at the heart of virtue.

On leading the world: Your advent on this earth was not random.

A return to virtue is a return to the temple. And a return to the temple is a return to Christ. And it is a return, because every single one of you (including all those out in the world) chose Christ before.

You chose Him, to follow Him, because you knew Him.

Without virtue there is no purity. Without virtue there is no strength. Without virtue there is no power.

Our generation is one concerned with purity in many things (air, water, food, etc.) but which allows huge amounts of moral pollution.

There was a time when people who were not virtuous were branded with a scarlet letter. Now those who stand up for virtue are the ones branded. [how true!]

The very conviction of your strength will change your nation and the world.

Be willing to step forth out of your comfort zone to lead the world in a return to virtue.

The three great gifts of mortality are 1. a body, 2. agency, and 3. time.

And on and on. I couldn't get enough. It healed me, lifted me, comforted me, inspired me. I didn't want her to end. I wanted to be healed from all that had passed and re-vitalized for the future. It was one of the most direct, real, personal answers to pleading prayer that I've ever experienced.

And so, where much is given much is required. The Lord answered and he gave me much. Now, I need to be obedient. One of the main take-aways that the Spirit gave to me involved the importance of leading the world. It is not enough to remind myself that I know what is right and too sad for the people "out there." No, I need to step out of my comfort zone and hold my banner high. So, to start I'm posting this blog. I realize that most of you who read it know and live these things, but maybe someone else will come across it. And maybe you need to be revitalized as well and reading this will help you.

With that said, I want to declare a few points that I wanted to yell out during that awful week. Here they are:

1. Sexual intimacy is good and right and wonderful. But it is only, only to be employed between a man and woman legally and lawfully married. Adultery is wrong. And so if fornication! Sexual relations with someone to whom you are not married are never okay. Period. I love many people, many good people, who commit this sin. And I realize that it is okay from the world's point of view. But it is A SIN. It is evil. Period. Always.
[One thought on this. There are extreme circumstances when the Lord allows, even commands, his children to kill. But never, never in the scriptures does he (and based on the temple, I'd say he never will) command sexual sin. Does that tell you something?]

2. Making out, petty, necking, whatever you want to call it is also a sin. Anything where you inappropriately touch the sacred parts of another person's body is wrong. In addition, anything you do to arouse sexual desire in another person (to whom you're not married) is a sin. Do not listen to the voices around who say otherwise. It is wrong.

3. Sexual insinuations are inappropriate, will drive the Spirit away and do nothing to further Heavenly Father's work, but much to further Satan's.

4. Here's one I'd rather just "live my own life and let others live there own" but i need to say it. Joking about, writing about, or in any other way endorsing sexual sins (including making out...) is wrong. I know many people who would never commit the above sexual sins, but who engage in this. Again, think about it, it only furthers Satan's work. And, if that logic doesn't work, here's some more. Of the many scriptures and quotes that I've seen in the past couple of weeks confirming that that this is God's teaching and not just my preference, I will cit one: D&C 121:45, "Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly." How can virtue possibly be garnishing your thoughts when you're joking, writing and otherwise making light of making out and other sexual sins? I don't believe it's possible.

5. Inappropriately discussing body parts of people is also wrong. For the same reasons above (and more, just give it a little thought). Everybody's body is sacred and when we demean it to just an object by our conversation, we hurt ourselves and others. It is one of the more pernicious sins that I see and hear among latter-day saints (again, who wouldn't dream of doing 1 or ever 2).

I could go on in great detail, but I will stop now. I hope you're listen (or even re-listen) to Sister Dalton's talk and hear the things you need and not just what I took note of. And if you want more, I'd be happy to send quotes, scriptures, recommend For the Strength of Youth, etc.

Finally, I want to say this. I have been impressed with the virtuous examples around me. There is hope in the world; there are many righteous, pure, virtuous people. In addition to many of you and other friends, I've been especially impressed of late with the following: my good, good, amazing righteous freshmen that are just starting college whose goodness and purity is so real that you can feel it. Just the past few months I have been in awe of the good and virtuous young men that my little brothers are--they are so unlike the world it's incredible (and, unlike me, they're "cool" too). And last Sunday--after that awful week--I based in the amazing testimonies of 4 young men in my ward--pure testimony that the Spirit could testify to. There is much hope amid the evilness of the world. Much that is good. And, the Lord will win in the end. Again.

I love my Savior, Jesus Christ. I want to follow him always, always. And I am so grateful for the restored truths of the plan of salvation and living prophets and other leaders who help us stay on the straight and narrow path, regardless of how the world changes and beats down.