Opening a New Area in Terranova!

Hullo Familia,

Modesty Part II

I was thinking about how the Bible compares our bodies to temples (1 Cor. 3:16-17). I was also thinking about how I hear lots of people justify immodesty or pornography or nude art by saying, “It’s a celebration of the beauty of the human body.” “It’s because my body is beautiful.” “I'm not ashamed of my own body.”

Well, the temple is beautiful too. But do we publicize what is inside the temple? No. Why wouldn’t we want to publicize something beautiful and celebrate it? Because it is sacred. Yes, your body is beautiful, but it is also something that God has intended to be kept private because of its beautifully sacred nature. You only get to appreciate the beauty of what is inside the temple when you make sacred covenants, just like the only person who should see your body is someone who has made covenants of marriage with you. Can you imagine how horrible it would be if someone were to expose the things that happen in the temple? Even if they just exposed them a little bit? There really isn’t any difference between doing that and revealing the sacred temple that is your body.

And, just to clarify from the last letter about modesty, not only does Satan trick us into doing things that will rob us of the things that will bring true and lasting happiness, he tricks us into doing the things that will certainly bring us misery. Specifically speaking of modesty, the point of dressing immodestly is to attract sexual attention. If you think one or two steps ahead, that is 100% certain to bring you misery. 

I was thinking about what Nephi (a Book of Mormon Prophet) pleads in his psalm about God helping him “shake at the appearance of sin.” I realized I do not abhor sin nearly as much as I should. Especially in music—I’m such a sucker for good, well-written music, even if it happens to have a stinky message or bad lyrics. And I justify to myself thinking: “I know the message isn’t true and I would never do those things,” and therefore I am safe to listen to it.

Actually, being honest with myself, I was thinking that when I get back home it probably would not bother me that much to listen to a few worldly songs if they were mostly good. WOW! is Satan sneaky. He always likes to make us think we have more control over how sin affects us than we really do. He makes us think it affects the other, more ignorant, less spiritually-fortified people, but not us. So what can you trust? How can you know what you really can handle without being poco a poco (little by little) eroded by sin?

The conclusion I came to is three really great words... 

FOLLOW THE PROPHET! 

The prophets know exactly what is the limit. They tell you exactly where to draw the line so that you are not subject to self-deceiving justifications. For example, the prophets state very clearly exactly what type of music you should and should not listen to. They tell you not to have serious dating relationships in your teens. They tell you not to lie next to other people, to not passionately kiss before marriage, and not to arouse sexual emotions in yourself. They tell you very specifically how you should dress. They tell you not to watch sporting events on Sunday, and what sorts of beverages you should not drink.

The point is, in deciding what is sin and what isn't and what is dangerous and what isn't and what's true and what isn't, YOU CAN'T TRUST YOURSELF but YOU CAN TRUST THE PROPHET. (Eph. 4:11-15). And if the prophet doesn’t say anything, your next resort should be Heavenly Father.

Well, I am leaving Mulsay and my beloved companion, Hermana De Leon, to train and open an area in Terranova. They got rid of the Sister Training Leaders! Terranova is a more uppity area, so we’ll see how that goes. Baptize every week, yah!

You guys, being companions with Hermana De Leon was like being friends with someone in elementary school. We like to be together just because we like each other. We don’t even think about what the other person is thinking about us, just that we like to be with the other person. I am going to miss her painfully. Who knows who my new companion will be...? I think a bunch of Americanas are coming this transfer...

I love you all lots.

Love,

Hermana Ludlam