Continuing with the do's and don'ts as listed in the Beatitudes: "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you That whosever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." Adultery is generally understood as sexual relations between a man or woman who is married to someone other than their sexual partner. There are other references, such as in Romans 1, to "uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves.....women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust toward another; man with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.....being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication...without natural affection.." For anyone interested, 2 Timothy in the first part of chapter 3 includes quite a description of what is beyond what the Lord has set for boundaries. So, what is this physical appetite that humans have? Is it simply like our need for air or liquid or nourishment? Are we to satisfy this appetite like dogs who hump each other according to some natural instinct? The world certainly seems confused about it. There are places where it's okay to pay someone (prostitution) to satisfy this physical appetite, but some places consider it not only immoral but criminal. How about sex with family members? It was not only accepted but expected among royalty in the past and continues to be practiced in certain cultures, but incest is now considered, by most people, not only immoral but even illegal. Sexual intercourse with minors is repulsive as well as illegal in some places but child brides and affection for "young boys" is common practice in some places. In the Book of Mormon, Moroni mentions with despair the abomination of people around him as they take prisoners and deprive the daughters of "that which was most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue-" also, Jacob 2:28 records these words: "For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts." All of this harsh stuff about sex has led some to believe that God would have us be celibate. However, we need to go back to His creation of the earth.
"And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him......Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." And He also commanded all living creatures to be fruitful and multiply. In 1995, there was a Proclamation to the World on The Family issued by the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in which there is further clarification: "marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and... the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.....Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.....God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force....The sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife." In a booklet produced to guide young people through the confusion about lots of things in the world it states, "Physical intimacy between husband and wife is beautiful and sacred. It is ordained of God for the creation of children and for the expression of love between husband and wife. God has commanded that sexual intimacy be reserved for marriage."
The major problems considered at the simply physical level are unwanted pregnancy and STD's. But, even if you strive to avoid those, there are other very real issues involved in sexual appetites beyond the bounds the Lord has set. Although sex drive is considered a physical appetite, it can become an addiction. It can be expressed as a form of rage, as in rape. Pornography and masturbation have been shown to result in very much the same effect as drug addiction. Those who indulge require more and more to satisfy themselves until they no longer feel any satisfaction as their over-stimulated brains are hardened to the stimuli. Back in the 1960's "free love" became the norm. It was a call to make sexuality totally unrestricted with public nudity and physical gratification without bounds. There was wife-swapping to make things more exciting and orgies to allow for mass, continuous gratification. None of that attitude has helped avoid the anger of rape, the number of divorces,frequency and variety of STD's, or increased the delight in bearing children and raising them well. Those who struggle today with gender issues, the LGBT community, are still struggling individually with their identities regardless of the availability of gender neutral bathrooms or the increase of acceptance of gay marriage.
The Lord is wise and He loves all of His children, no matter what our strengths or weaknesses or mistakes may be. He has set bounds for the use of these physical bodies we have been given. The bounds are not to restrict our happiness or "free expression" but to help us avoid downfalls and eternal, serious consequences. We will not decrease confusion by striving to accept every single difference in our thoughts and desires. Confusion will only be avoided when we all begin to understand the basic purpose and design of our beings then come together in fulfilling God's goal for us- our immortality and eternal lives. I pray we can all gain wisdom and strive to overcome the powerful natural man instincts that can be obstacles to our progression.
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