"When problems come and questions arise, do not start your quest for faith by saying how much you do not have, leading as it were with your “unbelief.” That is like trying to stuff a turkey through the beak! Let me be clear on this point: I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have. Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not! Be as candid about your questions as you need to be; life is full of them on one subject or another. But if you and your family want to be healed, don’t let those questions stand in the way of faith working its miracle."
— Jeffrey R. Holland
"If there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles."
— Mormon 9:19
This morning I was so impressed with gratitude for my understanding of the law of chastity. I’ve found that in society we really don’t use the word “law” correctly. We should use the word “rule” or something of the like. Why? Well the law of gravity is a law. It’s unchangeable. You can try and defy it, but really you’d end up with the short end. It would be foolish. There are laws on Earth and in Heaven that are set- they aren’t going anywhere. We can test them or rebel against them all we like, but we will yield the same results. You can’t win fighting against God in a world He created.
Sorry.
So to explain what the law of chastity is- it is a law given that prohibits sexual relations outside the bonds of marriage between a man and a woman. There are definitely details, hard aspects, sticky points. Issues like political correctness, “freedom”, and character traits attempt to make the entire subject more difficult than it needs to be. We don’t believe that God gives us the law of chastity to make us miserable- on the contrary. The law was already in place, but we are given knowledge of it so that we can get the most out of life and love. Consider again the law of gravity. Whether you are aware of its existence or not, you feel it. Those who insist that following this law inhibits their freedom may fling themselves from cliffs but you bet they’ll only be free to do it once. I’ve been thinking back over various experiences in my life, and although I’ve been fortunate enough not to end up with an early family of my own, I know what it feels like to feel used, worthless and ugly. The adversary and the world would convince us that sex is the way to conquer insecurities. To give in to what is natural is the only way to be free or to be healed. Anyone who has experienced this temptation knows that following these experiences comes the realization that nothing has actually changed. Instead, your worth feels cheapened and you’re looking for the next escape. How long does that continue? Till you’re 60? 70? Let me offer a piece of wisdom, and it’s only a piece: you will never feel beautiful if you’re looking for someone else to prove it to you. It’s not going to happen. God loves us, so he has sent His prophets throughout time to give us things like the law of chastity to keep us happy and to help us to understand who we are. Don’t get lost in the lie.
Strong enough to keep his head
Trusting what the future brings
Sitting in those words they said
Focusing on finer things
Sometimes solace can be hard to find
Pacing as you hasten passing time
Anxiously awaiting peace of mind
Looking for that greener field
Let go of your circumstance
History has taught you fear
Give your faith a fighting chance
Sometimes solace can be hard to find
Pacing as you hasten passing time
Anxiously awaiting peace of mind
Still, you have a place to turn
Calm your beating heart for now
There is so much yet to learn
Things will be okay somehow
Sometimes solace can be hard to find
Pacing as you hasten passing time
Anxiously awaiting peace of mind
In the midst of a series of discouraging circumstances, I’ve come to more fully understand the depth of the human gray-scale. In scripture and in talk, we like to refer to “the wicked” versus “the righteous.” The problem with this mentality is that besides unnecessarily categorizing and scrutinizing, we’ve constructed an “us” against “them” dynamic. In our fear of ending up on the wrong team, we are desperately trying to draw the line with others on the opposing side- generally those who act as differently from us as possible. Because, you see, if the wicked act as we do, we will have found ourselves on the same team. And if those who are different from us AREN’T wicked, it must be us.
This explains religious intolerance. We don’t like the idea of people believing or worshiping differently because we run the risk of falling on the “wrong” side. I think it makes people nervous that as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we don’t drink or smoke. I think it makes people nervous that our standard of modesty is different than that of the world. When misunderstood I’m sure it looks like we see others who drink or wear things I wouldn’t as sinners or lesser in some way. Maybe there are members of the church who do. As for me, I know that I have the ability to make personal decisions based on the advice and teachings of Jesus Christ and His modern day prophets and apostles. That’s worked out well for me.
In the chaos of the business of healing and teaching, I’ve found that the dividing line doesn’t exist anywhere that I could cut. We live in a world plagued with weakness and difficulty. As Ether points out, ALL people are given weakness. The challenge then seems to be to make the most of your own weaknesses, and help others with theirs along the way.
I’ve come to believe that everyone harbors their own level of insanity. There’s a spectrum of irrationality that ranges from slightly sleepy to severe chemical imbalance. Herein lies the beauty of grace. As Christians, we believe “that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:7) I am imperfect. I am nonsensical, broken, ridiculous, prideful and even pathetic at times. But He makes up for all of that.
1 Samuel 16:7 says,
“…the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”
Get your heart right, and the rest will follow. He will make a way.
