Chastity: Blessings include peace of mind

Do the names Nick, Joe and Kevin mean anything to you? If you are 17 or older, they likely don't, but ask any 12- or 13-year-old girl and you will soon hear more than you bargained for about the teen pop-music sensation The Jonas Brothers.While passing teen crazes don't usually catch my attention, The Jonas Brothers recently earned my respect for expressing their pro-abstinence stance despite the unpopularity of doing so. One of the band members, Joe, was quoted as saying "(We) made a promise to ourselves and to God that we'll stay pure till marriage" (Retrieved Dec. 8, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Jonas). When these three young men were publicly mocked at a recent music awards show for living chaste lives, I was reminded of how little, if any, value is placed on the law of chastity in today's world.  

The gospel teaches 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). The laws and commandments that guard the sanctity of this unique relationship are referred to as the law of chastity. The reason why sexual relations are given distinct and specific safeguards is they play an integral role in the plan of salvation, eternal relationships and our happiness in this life.

The Apostle Paul taught that living the law of chastity is one of several ways we can be identified as a follower of Jesus Christ. In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul states, "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

Learning to be steadfast when we are "despised" for striving to be virtuous is part of maturing spiritually.

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This story is provided by the LDS Church News, an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is produced weekly by the Deseret News.