Struggling with the Law of Chastity

[tryingtobe]

goodk,

i would rather have prostate cancer then break the law of chastity.. and yeah i mean it.. you missed out on two things i said.. first of which was..

"i dont care that these feelings may be natural.. thats the very point of the scripture Mosiah 3: 19 (the natural man is an enemy to God).." (i dont think im an actual enemy to God no.. Assuridly He Loves me more than I know.. but still my actions do not please Him... and I love my Heavenly Father and do not want to displease Him as I have..)

the other thing i said was that I have been blessed with an understanding of the Law of Chastity, as to imply that I'm not gaining an understanding of my sin from my Bishop at all but its one that i have already had (so when you said "[apparently] what your bishop says trumps official doctrine." well i dont know where that came from since i said nothing regarding that..)

My understanding is that there is no doctrine to support the claim that self-gratification is against the law of chastity. I was hoping to be corrected, but I guess what your bishop says trumps official doctrine.

well your hope is not in vain! heres a quote from Spencer W. Kimble!

"The world rationalizes that masturbation is natural and healthy. However, President Spencer W. Kimball states the Lord’s view as follows: “Prophets anciently and today condemn masturbation. It induces feelings of guilt and shame. It is detrimental to spirituality. It indicates slavery to the flesh, not that mastery of it and the growth toward godhood which is the object of our mortal life. … No young man should be called on a mission who is not free from this practice.” (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 77.)"

I also failed to mention I have been called on a Mission!

[Hemidakota]

Your 'JAW DROPPING' posting had my curiosity since it is a sin - see First Presidency Letter, November 14, 1991.

[Hemidakota]

Originally Posted by tryingtobe

goodk,

the other thing i said was that I have been blessed with an understanding of the Law of Chastity, as to imply that I'm not gaining an understanding of my sin from my Bishop at all but its one that i have already had (so when you said "[apparently] what your bishop says trumps official doctrine." well i dont know where that came from since i said nothing regarding that..)

well your hope is not in vain! heres a quote from Spencer W. Kimble!

"The world rationalizes that masturbation is natural and healthy. However, President Spencer W. Kimball states the Lord’s view as follows: “Prophets anciently and today condemn masturbation. It induces feelings of guilt and shame. It is detrimental to spirituality. It indicates slavery to the flesh, not that mastery of it and the growth toward godhood which is the object of our mortal life. … No young man should be called on a mission who is not free from this practice.” (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 77.)"

I also failed to mention I have been called on a Mission!

I did note you pick the right person for such a quote - President Kimball. Miracle of Forgiveness speaks much on this subject.

[tryingtobe]

the testimony of 3!.. me, you and the Prophet Spencer, W. Kimball!

maybe this thread posting was the help i needed after all!

[skalenfehl]

Lds.org is replete with talks, discussions and quotes from other general authorities on the subject. There are more than three testifying that it is sinful in nature.

Best wishes to you my prayers as well. Stay close to your bishop and the Lord. Replace all idle thoughts and deeds with acts of service and hymns and frequent scripture reading. It is all conducive to preparing for a mission anyway. Take care.

[GoodK]

Originally Posted by Hemidakota

I did note you pick the right person for such a quote - President Kimball. Miracle of Forgiveness speaks much on this subject.

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but is the Miracle of Forgiveness really considered official church doctrine? Why? Is every book or word authored by a prophet considered church doctrine? Why does President Kimball say that what you are talking about has been condemned by ancient prophets? I don't see any references to scripture supporting this claim. What ancient prophet(s) is President Kimball talking about?

[skalenfehl]

What any prophet says from the time of Adam to today is scripture.

President Ezra Taft Benson said:

"The prophet does not have to say "Thus saith the Lord" to give us scripture."

Sometimes there are those who haggle over words. They might say the prophet gave us counsel, but that we are not obligated to follow it unless he says it is a commandment. But the Lord says of the Prophet Joseph, "Thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you" (D&C 21:4).

Said Brigham Young, "I have never yet preached a sermon and sent it out to the children of men, that they may not call scripture" (Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. [London: Latter-day Saints' Book Depot], 13:95).

[Hemidakota]

Beat me to it....yes, it is nothing more than a prophet collect teachings.

LDS.org - Ensign Article - Talking with Your Children about Moral Purity

From a great friend...read closer at why we should not endorse or employ these acts:

Church Publications (HTML)

[GoodK]

Originally Posted by Hemidakota

Your 'JAW DROPPING' posting had my curiosity since it is a sin - see First Presidency Letter, November 14, 1991.

1991. Why wouldn't Joseph Smith, Jr. even mention it?

If it is a sin - that is not a modern invention or a recent trend that JS wouldn't have known about - why hasn't he or any of the early church prophets advised us that it is a sin?

Hopefully I am wrong about this and there is some sort of deeply rooted church doctrine behind this theory that I have not been made aware of yet.

To me it seems like this action has recently been called a sin. I am not advocating sin here. I just find it unfortunate that members would rather die a painful death via prostate cancer and live their lives constantly berating themselves with unnecessary guilt. Especially when this guilt seems to be very shallowly rooted in recent opinions from Church officials.

But what do I know.

[skalenfehl]

GoodK, the early prophets, especially Joseph Smith generally did not receive revelations pertaining to matters that weren't first brought before the Lord, such as the Word of Wisdom, etc. Search the scriptures, ponder and pray. You will find it in the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. They are not opinions.