Common Sense Reasons to Obey the Law of Chastity

Without resorting to "because God says so", I wanted to list some common-sense reasons to keep the law of chastity. But I'm not keeping God out of this conversation. 

Most of God's commandments are common sense. For example, "thou shalt not steal", and "thou shalt not kill" are pretty obvious and self-evident. Most of us understand why we don't steal or kill. They follow the golden rule: "do unto others as you would have them do unto you". 

Some commandments are not as obvious. "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" is one that you kind of have to think about. This one has a lot to do with respect. 

Sometimes we have to take commandments on faith because we may not understand them. If we have a testimony of most of the commandments because they make sense and ring true to us, then the remainder we can take on faith if we believe they are from God. 

But if we can explain the commandments in common-sense terms, it helps us to realize the importance of keeping them. 

The law of chastity is that we are not to have sexual relations with anyone that we are not legally and lawfully married to. 

When we get married, it is because we have strong, tender feelings toward our soon-to-be spouse. We want these loving feelings and trust to stay strong. Keeping the law of chastity is necessary to maintain this relationship. 

If extra-marital sex happens, trust is destroyed. What was once rare and priceless diminishes in value. That which is common is not valued as highly. Extra-marital sex diminishes the value of sexual relations within marriage. Also, extra-marital sex will divert loyalties, commitments, time, and energy away from the spouse. We can see how obeying the law of chastity strengthens marriage. 

Sex is how babies are made. Every baby deserves a mother and a father. The family unit is the foundation of character. Keeping sex restricted to only within the bounds of marriage ensures that, barring death or divorce, babies have both a mother and a father. Obeying the law of chastity strengthens the family. 

Many people mistakenly believe that the pursuit of pleasure leads to happiness and fulfillment. One person defined happiness as the pursuit of worthwhile goals. We can see that in the case of junk food, continual indulgence in the pleasure of junk foods leads to poor health and suffering. But proper healthy foods deliver satisfaction, health, and a certain amount of pleasure too. Over-indulging in junk foods reduces the ability to enjoy them. One reason is because they are bad for the health. Properly prepared, there are many healthy foods that are both nutritious and delicious. Doing the right thing may be more difficult, but it brings true happiness. 

The laws of God are consistent, with very few exceptions. The law of chastity is a law of God. It is based on eternally true principles. Even if you don't believe in God, believe in doing what is right.  

Originally posted November 19, 2012