The Law of Chastity

In the premortal world, spirit sons and daughters lived with our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother. As spirits, each one of us had thoughts and feelings and the power to choose. However, our wise Heavenly Father knew that we lacked something in our understanding. He sent us down to Earth to experience a physical body. Each spirit is housed in a physical body. In the physical world, we have a duality that is sometimes in conflict. The spirit expresses itself in altruistic ways by being loving, compassionate and forgiving. The physical expresses itself in natural ways by competing for resources, jealousy, and pride. Essential to our experience is to feel the pull of both spiritual and natural and to learn to overcome the natural impulses with our spirit.

Our Heavenly Father coordinates sending spirit sons and daughters to Earth with the actions of a father and mother who form the family of and provide the secure environment for development of each person. In the Family Proclamation it states, “Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.” As we all know, this ideal family consisting of mother, father and child is no longer the norm in our society.

Long ago there was a society where fathers were rationalizing their sexual behavior and the prophet Jacob had to be blunt. The men of this society were allowing themselves to have extramarital affairs and rationalizing it by citing the prophets Abraham, Moses, David and Solomon.

In Jacob chapter 2 it says,

24 Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.

25 Wherefore, thus saith the Lord, I have led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem, by the power of mine arm, that I might raise up unto me a righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Joseph.

26 Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old.

27 Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none;

28 For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts.

In this passage, the word “concubine” is used to denote the extramarital affair. In the West, polygamy and concubines are socially unacceptable however, many people, both men and women, allow themselves to have extramarital affairs or be “polyamorous.” Just because Western societies don’t allow marital vows to be taken by more than two people at a time doesn’t change the natural tendency to have multiple sexual partners. In the time when this passage was written, men chose who to marry. As freedom for women has increased, the Lord has clarified that chastity in both men and women is expected.

Generally in extramarital affairs, someone is not being adecuately cared for emotionally or physically. This is a cost that is mentioned by Jacob when he says, “Ye have broken the hearts of your tender wives, and lost the confidence of your children, because of your bad examples before them; and the sobbings of their hearts ascend up to God against you.” (Jacob 2:35) Fathers and Mothers have a solemn responsibility to their children and any negligence therewith has lasting emotional and physical repercussions.

In a recent article by CNN, two women who had grown up in separate households found out that in fact they were sisters because their father had an extramarital affair. The woman who was surprised by this fact said, "When Kenny told me he was my dad, chills went through my body. I couldn't think. I couldn't process it. I couldn't even talk to them.” Source

The Lord commands that family relationships remain integral because that is the ideal environment each of his spirit sons and daughters needs to receive physical and emotional support. For those who have experienced growing up without a mother, a father, or both, the consequences are real. No one can support a child better than their own father and mother.

The Law of Chastity as taught by Jesus is:

Matthew 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

In this passage we find that the Law of Chastity pertains to both our thoughts and our actions. While it might seem that our thoughts are less important than our actions, to God both are of equal importance. He can heal those who experience emotional and physical losses due to misuse of the power of procreation. However, he cannot heal the thoughts of a person. Thoughts are a very personal use of agency. God has enshrined our agency as something he will not control. He has specifically defined how the use of our agency will limit our opportunities in the life after death but he will not force the mind of man. In our life on Earth we are challenged by the conflict of mind over matter. Living the Law of Chastity is an expression of the Spirit taking the reins from the natural inclinations and choosing love over greed.

The Lord explains to us that His thoughts do not return to him void and neither should ours. Isaiah 55:7-11

7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

In truth, our actions should water the garden of God. We should not destroy family relationships by living in such a way that they are obscured. We are responsible for both our thoughts and our actions. In all things, God has provided the example of how to have perfect joy and happiness. We experience imperfection in this life in order to value the good and appreciate the perfection that he has promised in the next life.