Learning to See Sexuality as a Sacred Gift

As members of the Church, we’re taught that sexual intimacy within marriage is a wonderful part of the gospel plan. It can be a sacred, beautiful, joyful part of our lives that leads to greater unity with our spouse and God. But what about sexual feelings before marriage? Our sexual natures don’t begin at marriage—God has given us sexual feelings that are a healthy and important aspect of being human. Yet sometimes our misunderstandings about those sexual feelings and nature cause us to feel bad, ashamed, or sinful.

Some of us weren’t taught about the positive aspects of sexuality—only the negative consequences of violating the law of chastity. Or maybe we weren’t taught anything about sexual purity at all. And with so much of what we learn about sexuality coming from media, those skewed messages, combined with a lack of understanding about God’s view of sexuality, can contribute to unhealthy relationships, pornography use, and abusing others’ agency, as in sexual assault. So how can we learn to see sexuality as a sacred gift, an essential part of our God-given nature? And how can we manage our sexuality in harmony with its ultimate purpose in God’s eternal plan?

With these questions in mind, we’ve put together this month’s section to help you increase your understanding of God’s view of appropriate sexuality. We hope that with this positive view, you will feel more determined to live the law of chastity, find purpose and hope in your individual circumstances, be prepared to have a strong, fulfilling marriage, and invite the Savior’s peace into your life. Through your efforts to keep God’s commandments regarding sexuality, your “confidence [shall] wax strong in the presence of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:45).

All our best,

Ensign young adult section staff