My friends, today we will discuss a special topic. One you are very familiar with. I hope that today you walk away with a smile instead of a fear of the future. If you do that then I have not accomplished my purpose for today.
Do you know about the terrible twos? What about the age of teenagers? These are the two milestone ages where I have heard parenting jokes the most. Everyone coming into Parenthood has their fears and their doubts. Everyone. We have talked about the importance of Marriage. Now we will talk about becoming and being Parents.
This is a time of your life where you do not need to fear. Yes it is a time of testing, and it is difficult. But there are wise words each passing day, it is so worth it. Each of you is a son or daughter of God. He loves you so much. We have Heavenly Parents who wish the best for us and want us to succeed. (See The Family A Proclamation to the World.) And just to mention quickly, what I like to do sometimes is to try to understand how the Lord feels when it comes to parenting. He has a lot of children. And he has a lot of different experiences. Whenever you are in doubt or don't know what to do, or need someone to talk to, you can always reach out to Heavenly Father, He will help you and grant you peace.
I once heard a story about a woman who had a brief conversation with her daughter. This woman talked about how her daughter was very anxious about meeting her child that was still in the womb at the time. The woman said to her daughter, "I know you want to meet your baby, but this is an exciting and wonderful time too, this is part of the journey." I believe those to be wise words.
Each stage that you are in with Parenthood is an exciting and wonderful time and each have something to teach us. With the coming of children, your marriage grows and is strengthened. There is an excitement when it comes to preparing for the arrival of your baby. Then the baby comes and from what I understand, a new adventure begins. Regardless of the number of children you have, you will experience each stage of their growth, and you will see the blessings in your life that will come.
Yes you will experience the toddler years, not the terrible twos, but the terrific ones. A great deal of how kids are when they are teenagers does come because of their growth, personal choices, likes and dislikes, but also because they have spent that time watching you. Teenagers seem like the hardest part of parenting. I for one put myself in this category. I do not know how I am going to be able to help my teenagers. It is a time when they are learning to become more independent, and start developing into the person they will become. But during this time even though it may not seem like it at times, is when they will need you the most. Please understand when problems come, it isn't supposed to be about focusing on their behavior, but on their needs. As we have discussed this week some of these needs are, but are not limited to: Contact and Belonging, Power, Withdrawal, and challenge. Each of these need to be met, but in the proper way. Michael Popkin the developer of Active Parenting talks about these needs. Each need there is an active approach and there is a mistaken approach. For example with challenge, the mistaken approach of the child would be to enter into undue avoidance, when the approach from you the parent should be to help your children have skill building abilities.
Here are a few more tips from this Active Parenting approach from Professor Popkin.
When it comes to their need of contact and belonging, the mistaken approach is under attention seeking. The parent approach should be to offer contact freely. When it comes to power the parent approach should be to teach your kids to contribute, but to also have what Professor Popkin calls Response-Ability, and this comes from making choices and knowing that they can't choose the consequences. I encourage you if you are interested to look more into the active parenting approach.
My friends, each milestone, each stage of the growth of children is a special one. Think about what you want to be able to accomplish as a parent. In the end we all hope to prepare them for the world they are going to enter, and when it is their time, to have their own family unit. It is not easy, but is so worth it.
It truly is an exciting and wonderful time.
Saturday, March 30, 2019
Saturday, March 23, 2019
No Greater Calling Part 1
Brothers and Sisters, my friends. Today I come to share with you a subject that I hope to express with a tender heart. A delicate subject, but an important one. My assignment is also to share with you insights from another source that I will get to shortly.
There are many things I would like to say, but I hope that the message is clear. Although the message is about one particular audience, I hope all our hearts and ears are open and can learn something about a particular calling, title, and responsibility. To paraphrase something we have heard before, there is no greater calling than Husband and Father and Wife and Mother. Today's emphasis will be on the particular calling, title, and responsibility of a "Father." There is much to say about Wives and Mothers, and we would be nothing without them, and I will share much about them in the future. But today I wish to focus specifically on Dads.
Before we move on I would like to illustrate some examples. We have many good depictions in films, music, stories about Fathers, but not as much anymore, and as time goes by the value of fathers is decreasing in all of these realms of entertainment. We are also seeing a decline on what good fathers should act like. Unfortunately, in traditional families not a lot of kids are growing up with a Dad.
I saw a poster once that said, "He has an M.B.A and a PhD, but more importantly he's a D.A.D." The message was simple and I hope it paints the picture of what I'm trying to make today. Young men in grade school, High school, and even in college, we are asked what we want to be when we "grow up." I hope the profession you choose is one you enjoy and will provide for your family. But may I encourage one thing, I hope your answer is also, "When I grow up I want to be a good husband to my wife, and a good dad for my kids." Or you can replace good with great, or even with best. There is nothing more important than this my young friends.
Men, my brethren, we have a sacred calling upon us and we cannot allow ourselves to lose sight of that. I know that some do not have a father in the home, and I mean no disrespect, and it is unfortunate. I know that there are many single mothers, and I know that it is hard and I know that many have been able to pull through the thick and thin and this is admirable. I don't seek to poke anyone in the face, all I am meaning with these words is that there is value in fatherhood, there is a need for a father in the home.
W. Bradford Wilcox a professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia wrote an article that is found on the website The Atlantic entitled "The Distinct, Positive Impact of a Good Dad". He introduces his article by stating that many scholars and celebrities are saying that there is no need for a Dad in the home. But he argues several ways that Dad's make "distinct contributions" in the lives of their children. (See article paragraph four.)
He cites these:
The Power of Play. Here Wilcox discusses that fathers play differently with their children and how it is different to how the mother plays, and how their behavior turns out from this kind of play.
Encouraging Risk. Wilcox says, Fathers "in their approach to child-bearing, are more likely to encourage their children to take risks, embrace challenges, be independent, whereas mothers are more likely to focus on their children's safety and emotional well being."
Wilcox also describes how fathers protect their families. He identifies that even though mothers also have protective instincts, fathers who are "engaged in their children's lives can better monitor their children's comings and goings, as well as the peers and adults in their lives, compared to disengaged or absent fathers." He also mentions that fathers "appear to be more successful in keeping predators and bad peer influences away from their sons and daughters."
Later Wilcox talks about how boys are less likely to participate in delinquent behavior if they have a good relationship with their father. He says that if daughters have at least an "average" relationship with their dads, they are also less likely to be pregnant when they are teenagers.
I encourage you to look and see what you can find in his article to shed more light on this subject.
This subject is not even fully explored. There are many different ways we can see the importance of having a father in the home. I hope that I have done a good job sharing just a small part of it, and that what I have shared as my personal opinion can be of some use.
We need good Dad's. We need great Dad's, we need the best Dad's. We are not perfect, but we can make such a difference in the lives of our families. Even Christ went to His Dad for guidance, direction, and safety. Heavenly Father is the prime example of a loving, caring, and engaged father.
There is no greater calling than a Husband and Father and a Wife and Mother.
There are many things I would like to say, but I hope that the message is clear. Although the message is about one particular audience, I hope all our hearts and ears are open and can learn something about a particular calling, title, and responsibility. To paraphrase something we have heard before, there is no greater calling than Husband and Father and Wife and Mother. Today's emphasis will be on the particular calling, title, and responsibility of a "Father." There is much to say about Wives and Mothers, and we would be nothing without them, and I will share much about them in the future. But today I wish to focus specifically on Dads.
Before we move on I would like to illustrate some examples. We have many good depictions in films, music, stories about Fathers, but not as much anymore, and as time goes by the value of fathers is decreasing in all of these realms of entertainment. We are also seeing a decline on what good fathers should act like. Unfortunately, in traditional families not a lot of kids are growing up with a Dad.
I saw a poster once that said, "He has an M.B.A and a PhD, but more importantly he's a D.A.D." The message was simple and I hope it paints the picture of what I'm trying to make today. Young men in grade school, High school, and even in college, we are asked what we want to be when we "grow up." I hope the profession you choose is one you enjoy and will provide for your family. But may I encourage one thing, I hope your answer is also, "When I grow up I want to be a good husband to my wife, and a good dad for my kids." Or you can replace good with great, or even with best. There is nothing more important than this my young friends.
Men, my brethren, we have a sacred calling upon us and we cannot allow ourselves to lose sight of that. I know that some do not have a father in the home, and I mean no disrespect, and it is unfortunate. I know that there are many single mothers, and I know that it is hard and I know that many have been able to pull through the thick and thin and this is admirable. I don't seek to poke anyone in the face, all I am meaning with these words is that there is value in fatherhood, there is a need for a father in the home.
W. Bradford Wilcox a professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia wrote an article that is found on the website The Atlantic entitled "The Distinct, Positive Impact of a Good Dad". He introduces his article by stating that many scholars and celebrities are saying that there is no need for a Dad in the home. But he argues several ways that Dad's make "distinct contributions" in the lives of their children. (See article paragraph four.)
He cites these:
The Power of Play. Here Wilcox discusses that fathers play differently with their children and how it is different to how the mother plays, and how their behavior turns out from this kind of play.
Encouraging Risk. Wilcox says, Fathers "in their approach to child-bearing, are more likely to encourage their children to take risks, embrace challenges, be independent, whereas mothers are more likely to focus on their children's safety and emotional well being."
Wilcox also describes how fathers protect their families. He identifies that even though mothers also have protective instincts, fathers who are "engaged in their children's lives can better monitor their children's comings and goings, as well as the peers and adults in their lives, compared to disengaged or absent fathers." He also mentions that fathers "appear to be more successful in keeping predators and bad peer influences away from their sons and daughters."
Later Wilcox talks about how boys are less likely to participate in delinquent behavior if they have a good relationship with their father. He says that if daughters have at least an "average" relationship with their dads, they are also less likely to be pregnant when they are teenagers.
I encourage you to look and see what you can find in his article to shed more light on this subject.
This subject is not even fully explored. There are many different ways we can see the importance of having a father in the home. I hope that I have done a good job sharing just a small part of it, and that what I have shared as my personal opinion can be of some use.
We need good Dad's. We need great Dad's, we need the best Dad's. We are not perfect, but we can make such a difference in the lives of our families. Even Christ went to His Dad for guidance, direction, and safety. Heavenly Father is the prime example of a loving, caring, and engaged father.
There is no greater calling than a Husband and Father and a Wife and Mother.
Saturday, March 16, 2019
The Importance of Council in our Marriages and Families
I once conducted a survey among extended family members and relatives about what they feel is the most important aspect of marriage was for them. The list ranged from kindness, trust, love, and many other traits. But the consensus came down to, communication.The most essential and needed skill for the flourishing and strengthening of marriage was communication. Communication was (and is) the key to a successful marriage. There is a great need for effective, loving, binding communication, within in marriage and in the family.
Communication is not much about talking but more about listening intently with our ears and with our hearts. Our conversations are to be genuine and full of sincerity. Our hearts are to be filled with love and not hostility. We with respect are to share our thoughts and feelings, and come to an understanding. There is no need for violent or vile tongues, for anger and contention will not get you anywhere. When there are disagreements in our marriages we need to remember that we are not perfect, we have our tempers and our different minds and perspectives. But the task is to become one, united, and reaching unanimous decisions together. This is a process and a huge part of a growing marriage. You and your spouse are two people learning to be on the same page, and learning to become one. Free from anger, and having an increase in love in all that you do and say.
A lot of the times, if not most of the times we need learn to take a step back and learn to council with one another instead of counsel one another. Now there is a difference believe it or not in those words. They can be used together which will be something to keep in mind with our topic today of the importance of council in our marriages and in our families. Communication is an essential part of those councils.
To make it as simple as possible, council deals more with whom we are meeting with and where advice will be given. Counsel more than anything is the advice being given. Council is more about working as a group, while counsel is personal direction. In a council our conversation is edifying and meant for both groups to deliberate and counsel together. I view council much more as working as a team. For example did you know that you can council with Lord. That doesn't mean that you are going to tell Him what to do. But working together you will be able to find the direction you need to be going. In these forms of dialogue it is about coming to a unanimous consensus instead of compromise.
As we have talked about before it is essential to continue to have regular meetings together as a marriage to discuss the four pillars. But it is also essential to have regular councils held with your spouse and with your family. These are different meetings (including the regular four pillars evaluation), and have their distinct purposes.
There are many types of councils that are found in your own home, but I will briefly go over three of them. I entitle them as first, a family council which is a council where the immediate family is involved, second a Marriage Council, which only involves the husband and wife, and thirdly a council which consists of parents with one child at a time, which can extend to one on one with one parent and one child. I will be quoting from President Ballard's talk in the April 2016 General Conference entitled "Family Councils". (If you would like more information you can look more into what he has to say in his talk entitled "Family Councils").
These councils are more formal than any other meeting. They are to be planned at a designated time. These councils as President Ballard teaches and invites in his talk, "should start with prayer, or it may simply be a natural extension of conversations already started in other things." I would invite that all these councils should start and end with a prayer, especially the marriage council. With prayer we are inviting the Lord to guide us and instruct us as we come to decision, or discussing plans and topics together.
In a Family Council, the parents lead together. It is a discussion and the topics may vary. Family council can be a time to plan for activities in the future and receive input from family members. Family Council could be a time where the environment is to announce some news so that the entire family is aware of what is going on and how the family will pull forward from there. This can mean that the parents have already come to a decision, or this can mean that the family will come to some decisions together.
In the marriage council, the four pillars can be discussed and evaluated. It is also a time the couple can discuss and go over their personal relationship, the needs of their children, and other topics that are to be discussed within the marriage. All of these councils are to be treated in a sacred matter, but it is highly sacred in the council between husband and wife. These councils are separate from dates, and they are separate from the to do list conversations, and discussions on financial matters (even though that is a very important conversation. In a council this subject can be discussed.)
Lastly the council between parents and a child, or one on one, is a time to directly council with the individual involved. Topics will also vary here depending on the needs and discussions between parents and child, or one on one.
Please do not forget the importance of communication in these councils. Later we will deeply explore the aspects of these councils, but for today the key is to apply the principles of communication as we have discussed them in our councils.
Communication is not much about talking but more about listening intently with our ears and with our hearts. Our conversations are to be genuine and full of sincerity. Our hearts are to be filled with love and not hostility. We with respect are to share our thoughts and feelings, and come to an understanding. There is no need for violent or vile tongues, for anger and contention will not get you anywhere. When there are disagreements in our marriages we need to remember that we are not perfect, we have our tempers and our different minds and perspectives. But the task is to become one, united, and reaching unanimous decisions together. This is a process and a huge part of a growing marriage. You and your spouse are two people learning to be on the same page, and learning to become one. Free from anger, and having an increase in love in all that you do and say.
A lot of the times, if not most of the times we need learn to take a step back and learn to council with one another instead of counsel one another. Now there is a difference believe it or not in those words. They can be used together which will be something to keep in mind with our topic today of the importance of council in our marriages and in our families. Communication is an essential part of those councils.
To make it as simple as possible, council deals more with whom we are meeting with and where advice will be given. Counsel more than anything is the advice being given. Council is more about working as a group, while counsel is personal direction. In a council our conversation is edifying and meant for both groups to deliberate and counsel together. I view council much more as working as a team. For example did you know that you can council with Lord. That doesn't mean that you are going to tell Him what to do. But working together you will be able to find the direction you need to be going. In these forms of dialogue it is about coming to a unanimous consensus instead of compromise.
As we have talked about before it is essential to continue to have regular meetings together as a marriage to discuss the four pillars. But it is also essential to have regular councils held with your spouse and with your family. These are different meetings (including the regular four pillars evaluation), and have their distinct purposes.
There are many types of councils that are found in your own home, but I will briefly go over three of them. I entitle them as first, a family council which is a council where the immediate family is involved, second a Marriage Council, which only involves the husband and wife, and thirdly a council which consists of parents with one child at a time, which can extend to one on one with one parent and one child. I will be quoting from President Ballard's talk in the April 2016 General Conference entitled "Family Councils". (If you would like more information you can look more into what he has to say in his talk entitled "Family Councils").
These councils are more formal than any other meeting. They are to be planned at a designated time. These councils as President Ballard teaches and invites in his talk, "should start with prayer, or it may simply be a natural extension of conversations already started in other things." I would invite that all these councils should start and end with a prayer, especially the marriage council. With prayer we are inviting the Lord to guide us and instruct us as we come to decision, or discussing plans and topics together.
In a Family Council, the parents lead together. It is a discussion and the topics may vary. Family council can be a time to plan for activities in the future and receive input from family members. Family Council could be a time where the environment is to announce some news so that the entire family is aware of what is going on and how the family will pull forward from there. This can mean that the parents have already come to a decision, or this can mean that the family will come to some decisions together.
In the marriage council, the four pillars can be discussed and evaluated. It is also a time the couple can discuss and go over their personal relationship, the needs of their children, and other topics that are to be discussed within the marriage. All of these councils are to be treated in a sacred matter, but it is highly sacred in the council between husband and wife. These councils are separate from dates, and they are separate from the to do list conversations, and discussions on financial matters (even though that is a very important conversation. In a council this subject can be discussed.)
Lastly the council between parents and a child, or one on one, is a time to directly council with the individual involved. Topics will also vary here depending on the needs and discussions between parents and child, or one on one.
Please do not forget the importance of communication in these councils. Later we will deeply explore the aspects of these councils, but for today the key is to apply the principles of communication as we have discussed them in our councils.
Saturday, March 9, 2019
Overcoming our Challenges
Over a year ago I heard a story from a young man, that was quite amusing. At the time this young man was dating a young woman. This young woman was at the time of the month were she was having her period, which was quite painful for her. He went to visit her during this time, and tried different ways to cheer her up. She was in a lot of pain and wasn't really happy or in the mood to be cheered up. At least not in the ways he tried. With the pain going up and down like a roller coaster, this young man had no idea what to do or what to say. Young men, please pay attention to the following words that this young man told this young woman. He said, "You know, it's all in your head. Pain is just in the mind. So, take a deep breath, and remember that this pain is just in your head." This young man after looking at this young woman's expression, realized that was not the best thing to say. Young men, do not say that to young women. If you wonder why, just go ask your mother, sister, aunt, or cousin.
Now, even though this story makes an excellent point on what not to say to a young woman, it does bring up an excellent point when it comes to overcoming our challenges. Now the phrases, "its all in your head," "pain is just in the mind," are things to consider with the subject we will briefly go over today. One of my instructor's introduced us to what is called the ABCX model developed by Reuben Hill. My instructor summarized this model, and that is how we are going to approach it today. This model is to describe what happens when something happens to our families, when it comes to stress and crisis.
A means the actual event.
B means both the resources and the responses.
C means our cognition's.
Which when you add all of this up you get,
X, the experience itself.
Now I don't wish to confuse you. All this model wishes to portray is how a family responded to an event that caused stress or a crisis. These experiences vary, from something expected to something unexpected. Something that takes a short amount of time, or affects the long-term. This can be something that is fairly easy to handle, or an experience of how hard it is to lose a loved-one. All our families experience stress and crisis. This is unavoidable, and a part of our lives. It is also very hard to talk about. But we have been given power from a Father in Heaven who loves us, to be able to get through all of these situations.
Let's talk about step B for a second. When something happens we have some resources available to us. These resources are but not limited to:
Church (Church doctrine or our Ward family and leaders.)
Money, family, food, first aid, education. leisure, humor, and medical. (They aren't meant to be in any particular order.) These are the things that we have that depending on how we use them or not use them at all, will affect our experience to an event that occurs in the long run.
This is where step C, makes its debut. C is our cognition, in an essence how we perceive things. We have a brain, another complex and outstanding gift given to us by Heavenly Father. Understanding how the brain works, is only the tip of the iceberg of this gift Heavenly Father has given us. (At a different time we will go over section 93 of the Doctrine and Covenants to get a deeper picture about how God sees things. )
But moving forward, this takes us back to the beginning with the phrase, "it's all in your head," and "pain is in the mind." If I may, I don't use these phrases to define the explanation to step C, but to illustrate it. Depending on how we perceive things, how we perceive the event, how we use our resources, and how we think about the situation we are in, will greatly affect our experience. Entertain this suggestion, when we fill our minds with positive things, we react in such a way that "lights" start to come on, and we have a better attitude when it comes to things. We are happier, and we see more. But when we allow doubt, and negative things to plague these positive and uplifting thoughts, we tend to be more sad, and we sink away from that light we had. I think this model gives us an inside feature of not only how to approach family stress and crisis, but also on how we can handle our personal struggles and wise pursuits in life.
In conclusion my friends remember, we are not alone in this life. Our Father in Heaven does love you, He really is there, and with Him, we can do anything. Life will bring it's up's and downs just like a roller coaster, but when we have Faith in God we can do all things. How we use our resources, and how we respond with our perceptions will also have a great affect on how we overcome stress and crisis. As we consider this model, and have Heavenly Father involved in our lives, we will push through. It all depends on how we approach these events that occur in our lives.
Now, even though this story makes an excellent point on what not to say to a young woman, it does bring up an excellent point when it comes to overcoming our challenges. Now the phrases, "its all in your head," "pain is just in the mind," are things to consider with the subject we will briefly go over today. One of my instructor's introduced us to what is called the ABCX model developed by Reuben Hill. My instructor summarized this model, and that is how we are going to approach it today. This model is to describe what happens when something happens to our families, when it comes to stress and crisis.
A means the actual event.
B means both the resources and the responses.
C means our cognition's.
Which when you add all of this up you get,
X, the experience itself.
Now I don't wish to confuse you. All this model wishes to portray is how a family responded to an event that caused stress or a crisis. These experiences vary, from something expected to something unexpected. Something that takes a short amount of time, or affects the long-term. This can be something that is fairly easy to handle, or an experience of how hard it is to lose a loved-one. All our families experience stress and crisis. This is unavoidable, and a part of our lives. It is also very hard to talk about. But we have been given power from a Father in Heaven who loves us, to be able to get through all of these situations.
Let's talk about step B for a second. When something happens we have some resources available to us. These resources are but not limited to:
Church (Church doctrine or our Ward family and leaders.)
Money, family, food, first aid, education. leisure, humor, and medical. (They aren't meant to be in any particular order.) These are the things that we have that depending on how we use them or not use them at all, will affect our experience to an event that occurs in the long run.
This is where step C, makes its debut. C is our cognition, in an essence how we perceive things. We have a brain, another complex and outstanding gift given to us by Heavenly Father. Understanding how the brain works, is only the tip of the iceberg of this gift Heavenly Father has given us. (At a different time we will go over section 93 of the Doctrine and Covenants to get a deeper picture about how God sees things. )
But moving forward, this takes us back to the beginning with the phrase, "it's all in your head," and "pain is in the mind." If I may, I don't use these phrases to define the explanation to step C, but to illustrate it. Depending on how we perceive things, how we perceive the event, how we use our resources, and how we think about the situation we are in, will greatly affect our experience. Entertain this suggestion, when we fill our minds with positive things, we react in such a way that "lights" start to come on, and we have a better attitude when it comes to things. We are happier, and we see more. But when we allow doubt, and negative things to plague these positive and uplifting thoughts, we tend to be more sad, and we sink away from that light we had. I think this model gives us an inside feature of not only how to approach family stress and crisis, but also on how we can handle our personal struggles and wise pursuits in life.
In conclusion my friends remember, we are not alone in this life. Our Father in Heaven does love you, He really is there, and with Him, we can do anything. Life will bring it's up's and downs just like a roller coaster, but when we have Faith in God we can do all things. How we use our resources, and how we respond with our perceptions will also have a great affect on how we overcome stress and crisis. As we consider this model, and have Heavenly Father involved in our lives, we will push through. It all depends on how we approach these events that occur in our lives.
Saturday, March 2, 2019
Of Most Importance Part 2: A Few Remarks on Intimacy and Fidelity
My young friends, we meet again continuing on from our last subject. First I will express some suggestions on how to prepare for marital intimacy. And second I will discuss some thoughts on intimacy and fidelity. Overall I wish to focus on the positives of this subject. I also hope that this will help you have positive expressions, renewed understanding, and joy when it comes to the sacredness of Intimacy in Marriage and complete fidelity.
At another time we will discuss Married Life and Family Life. Today we will focus on a specific part of Married life. There are many forms of intimacy in marriage, but today we will mainly focus on sexual intimacy. But I will only be using the term intimacy as we talk. This will be our road map: Preparing for Marital Intimacy, and Intimacy and Fidelity in Marriage.
At another time we will discuss Married Life and Family Life. Today we will focus on a specific part of Married life. There are many forms of intimacy in marriage, but today we will mainly focus on sexual intimacy. But I will only be using the term intimacy as we talk. This will be our road map: Preparing for Marital Intimacy, and Intimacy and Fidelity in Marriage.
Preparing for Marital Intimacy
The Lord has shared with us His standard on how we prepare for intimacy in marriage. It is by that standard that we should abide by. His standard does not mean that we participate in sexual relations before marriage to be prepared for that marriage. The Law of Chastity is the law that the Lord has set. Now I have heard, and I have seen that when this subject is brought up, we have developed a negative connotation attached to that law, and to intimacy in general. As we have mentioned before, the Laws, Commandments, and Rules that have been set by the Lord do not restrain or restrict us. They do in reality bring us happiness, joy, and freedom. We must be the examples for the future generations when it comes to this subject. We must prepare them accurately and appropriately when it comes to intimacy in marriage. For example as I grew up the word "sex" was seen as a bad word or something dirty. With this as our guide we think that is what intimacy is, bad or dirty. I understand that the opposite may occur, that some become curious about intimacy instead of "revolting it." If I may, I offer this suggestion; when we teach about intimacy that we say something like this, "Sex isn't bad. What is inappropriate is to participate in pre-marital sexual relations," Then explain why. Also consider when teaching about intimacy the age of whom we are teaching.
This background information is what happens when you are not taught about intimacy in a positive way. Your perspective of intimacy will not be accurate if based in this negative way. You will not be able to enjoy intimacy with your spouse with this mentality. One of the best ways to prepare for marital intimacy is changing your perspective on it, to reflect a positive outlook on it.
Another way to prepare for intimacy, is communicating openly and honestly in an appropriate way with your future spouse. The communication is not meant to be explicit or to produce natural thoughts and feelings, but to express individually and as a couple your understanding of what will occur intimately once you are married.
There are many other ways to prepare for intimacy in marriage, but I would like to offer one more suggestion before we move on. This suggestion is: help one another (you and your future spouse), to save the most intimate part of yourselves for when you are married. This is done by establishing that boundary and living by it as your life depended on it. This does not mean that you can't participate in appropriate forms of affection with one another, or feel guilty for wanting and showing affection for your significant other. This promise is an expression of your love and commitment to one another. Keeping the Eternal Perspective on your minds will help you keep each other clean.
Intimacy and Fidelity in Marriage
A few remarks on intimacy:
Once you are married, you are permitted to participate in sacred acts of intimacy. These sacred acts of intimacy are for you and your spouse only. Sexual Intimacy is a very important part of marriage but it is not the most important part, or what should drive the marriage. Intimacy is the highest of expressions of physical love. Take care of this part of yourselves, and nurture it. It is not supposed to be carnal in any nature, because intimacy comes from Heaven Above. You, your Spouse, and the Lord will dictate what is appropriate when it comes to these sacred acts between each other.
A few words on fidelity:
Fidelity means to be completely and utterly faithful, loyal, and committed to your spouse. You are completely faithful in every way, such as being faithful spiritually, emotionally, and physically. As many Latter-Day Prophets have taught, our focus, our minds, and our hearts, do not linger, entertain, or flirt with anyone but our spouse. Fidelity in Marriage is of most importance. When you are married you must protect your marriage from outside forces that can put your marriage in jeopardy. Marriages are not immune from these outside forces. But what marriages can do is fortify themselves so that infidelity does not creep in subtly or totally. Infidelity comes in many forms. There are detached forms of emotional and physical infidelity. An example of detached emotional infidelity is having inappropriate thoughts about anyone other than your spouse, whether someone you know, or someone from fantasy. And a detached form of physical infidelity is that of something visual, not something created in your mind but something visual that you see. Examples of attached forms of emotional and physical infidelity are starting a romantic relationship with someone other than your spouse or having a sexual relationship with someone other than your spouse. My friends, unfortunately and sadly these things occur, and they should not.
Make commitments today with the Lord to help you fortify yourselves to not fall into these traps. And if you are married, not only make commitments with Lord to fortify yourselves, but also to your spouse to help fortify your marriage so that infidelity does not occur. It is important to talk about these things with your spouse. You will create boundaries together, and understand each other and prevent these catastrophes.
Be faithful and true to one another always, and you will find strength from on High to keep your promises to each other.
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