Week 16: Sexual Purity

The sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

“The Family: A Proclamation to the World”

CLICK HERE for this week's lesson from LDS.org

Ideas from Lindsey:
Read the lesson straight out of the manual with your family
Teach your family the definition of VIRTUE
Show your family a picture of you on your wedding day, discuss the importance of being unspotted from the world when you get married
Do an object lesson on the Iron Rod and the importance of holding strong to the iron rod
Show the following video: Chastity: What are the Limits
Show the following video: Choose to be Pure
Show the following video: Return to Virtue
Teach your children some self defense moves
Make a family plan of action of how to stay virtuous (for example, set specific rules as to expectations in your family...and what they should do if they are ever in need of help)
Go through scenarios with your children and have them decide what they would do to stay sexually pure. For example, your high school friends invite you to go camping with boys and girls from school, what should you do to remain sexually pure? OR...Your college boyfriend (or girlfriend) invites you to come back and see his bedroom..Be creative


Links from Elders Quorum (with updated links in dropbox)
Sexual Purity
Physical Intimacy

Insights from Leah Young:
 I was asked to share a few thoughts about this upcoming weeks topic. It's hard because there is so much that can be said, when teaching ALL ages, about this subject. We love Linda and Richard Eyre and have paid a one time fee to be members on their valuesparenting.com site, where we have learned so much about how to go about talking and teaching our children about intimacy. I will continue to HIGHLY recommend this resource to ALL parents! Below is a mini section included in their "introduction" section of their "how to talk to kids about sex" section of the site.

Before I send you on to read that however, I think it's important to note that this is not a topic that we need to wait until the age of 8, or later, to start talking to our kids about. We can talk to little ones about how mommy and daddy show love with kisses and hugs and how we sleep in the same bed because we are married and it's such a fun thing to have sleepovers every night after you get married...in fact it's so fun and special and awesome that those are neat things that Heavenly Father says we get to do after we are sealed in the temple. It's something exciting to look forward to and it's so special that we want to save those fun things for after we are married to our husband/wife. There are many spins that can be taken, but keeping it simple, light and exciting is key. We really need to make sure that our kids understand how exciting and wonderful intimacy can be at the right time with the right person rather than taking an approach that leaves children feeling that intimacy is bad or wrong or shameful.

After our first "big talk" with Brinley we made a pact, the three of us, that we would always be open and talk to each other about "the special hug" whenever there were questions that came up. We have had several "booster" discussions with her since her 8th birthday and she will periodically come to us with questions after hearing things at school. We have been able to foster an enviornment that allows her to feel comfortable and open to sharing and discussing this topic.

Cody and I spent months talking about, reading articles on and practicing going through the "big talk" with one another prior to beginning the full blown discussions with our oldest. It is our thought and hope, with this topic as with all character qualities we strive to instill in our children, that taking the time and energy during these formative years will pay off in great dividends for the rest of their lives and ours as well.

Hope this helps,
Leah

Here is the Eyre's section:

It may be the most important talk you will ever have with your child! The

“big talk” about sex should come early (we recommend the eighth birthday), but it

is never too late! A “preemptive strike” can give your child a healthy, positive,

respectful view of human intimacy that will stand up to all the garbage that will

come from the media and the peer group. And being able to talk together about

THE MOST intimate subject will make any and every other subject “on limits”

between you and you child. But all parents need help with this subject! We tend to avoid it and delay it

and feel embarrassed and hesitant about it.

Parents all over the world want to know how to talk to their kids about sex in a positive, pragmatic way,
and they want reassurance that their voice and their influence can outweigh that of the

media and the peer group.

This pivotal discussion should be preceded by preparatory dialogues and followed by discussions designed to continue all through adolescence, each adaptable to your situation, your personality, and the age of your child.

Our theory is that the best (and most effective) reason for sexual restraint and responsibility is that it increases one’s chances for a successful and lasting long term commitment and for a safe and happy family. A child with this goal, this hope, this vision will make better decisions in every area of his or her life.

The adjectives “beautiful” and “awesome” are used repeatedly to symbolize this

positive approach. The single greatest protection for kids (and the strongest

motivation for avoiding early, dangerous sex) is to grow up thinking of sex as a

wonderful, spectacular miracle that not only makes babies but also can bind

couples and families together in a loyal, happy way. The words “beautiful and

awesome” will come to represent this to your child.

Next Week's Lesson: Tithes and Offerings