Abstinence from Sex - It's a Choice

I get so frustrated when supposedly responsible adults continue to send the message to teenagers that sexual abstinence is impossible -- even harmful to their emotional well-being!  And too many young people fall for this lie because the challenge to remain sexually pure before marriage is difficult.  But the bottom line is, that you DO have a choice.  The choice to remain sexually pure and abstain from sex before marriage is one that can not only be made, but also kept.





The Mormon Church teaches sexual abstinence before marriage, without apology.  Many outside of our faith believe that advocating for such behavior is a waste of time -- as teenagers are inevitably going to have sex.   After all they posit,  it's the nature of the beast!  Thankfully, many other faiths also teach the importance of sexual purity -- and standing together into the future, on this issue, is going to be more important than ever.

LDS Church News reports:

"For many individuals outside of the Church, sexual involvement in the early stages of dating is seen as an important part of testing relationship compatibility and becomes a key factor in determining if a relationship can progress. 

A new BYU study, published in the American Psychological Association's Journal of Family Psychology, shows that those ideas are not supported by research — and that includes people of all ages, races and religious backgrounds. 

"So many people think that sexual compatibility must be one of the first things figured out," said Dean Busby, BYU professor and lead author on the study. "However, we didn't find any benefit to early sexual involvement." 

In fact, researchers came to find that sexual timing in relationships has a large effect on the quality of relationships and overall satisfaction. They concluded that individuals who waited until marriage to have sex experienced more satisfaction, stability and better communication in relationships.

For members of the Church, the concept of waiting to have sex until marriage isn't new — the commandment is an eternal principle encouraged from a young age and emphasized in the youth programs of the Church and the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet."

You can read more HERE.

Mormon Messages for Youth latest video I Choose to Be Pure lends a combined voice, from youth of many faiths, on the importance of choosing sexual purity and the fact that it is a choice!  I think that one of Satan's greatest tools is the ability to convince people, particularly our youth, that they are powerless to the natural inclinations of mortality.

The LDS Newsroom had this to say about the video:

"Like people in many other faiths, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) believe in abstinence from sex before marriage and complete fidelity and loyalty to one’s spouse after marriage. In this vein, the Church recently released an interfaith Mormon Message about the challenge youth face to stay sexually pure.

This video features a Buddhist, a Catholic, a Lutheran, a Muslim, a nondenominational Christian and a Mormon, each of whom speaks candidly about why he or she chooses to not engage in sexual relations before marriage."

I Choose to Be Pure

Please consider sharing this video with others...

tDMg

Kathryn