Reflections on Virtue - Truth and Lies

While studying D&C 27:16 I came across an interesting concept, that of the relationship between chastity and truth. The following are some of the reflections that I have as a 33 year old single woman based on my life experiences and what I've learned: Concerning the armor of God, the IM quotes Elder Harold B. Lee as giving excellent explanation saying, “We have the four parts of the body that… (are) the most vulnerable to the powers of darkness. The loins, typifying virtue, chastity. The heart typifying our conduct. Our feet, our goals or objectives in life and finally our head, our thoughts… We should have our loins girt about with truth. What is truth? Truth, the Lord said, was knowledge of things as they are, things as they were and things as they are to come…’ Our loins shall be girt about with truth,’ the prophet said.” I was really confused about this, how are chastity and truth related? How are immorality and lies related? The truth about chastity as it is? Our society views chastity with almost a disdain, with contempt. Virtue is a badge of honor, a protection, but Satan would have us be ashamed of our virtue. Lies that are told about immorality: if you love me then you’ll do this. Truth: If I loved you, I wouldn’t push you, and would cherish your faith. Lie: If I do this I’ll feel better because I have daddy issues. Truth: The only cure for daddy issues is Jesus. You think you feel bad now? Just wait until this guy that you are with doesn’t call you afterward. Lie: I can’t stay married because I’m not attracted to him anymore. Truth: Anyone who has never seen an unattractive side to their spouse hasn’t been married for very long. Marriage isn’t about the fleeting feelings of “being in love” it’s about work and sacrifice and service. It’s not all rainbows and sunshine. The grass isn’t greener on the other side, it’s green where you water it. Lie: I’m not hurting anyone else. Truth: when you do wrong, you lose the companionship of the Holy Ghost, regardless of who else knows it, this impacts you and every single person that you interact with until you repent. Lie: Everyone is doing it. Truth: Many righteous people are not being immoral, you’re in good company. Even if it seems that you stand alone, be of good cheer, so did the Savior. Many of the lies are subconscious, bred into our everyday thinking, so even though we might not say this to ourselves, it’s ultimately the basis of the thought. Lie: The only way someone will love me is if I do _____ with them. Truth: Just because someone else fails to see your worth doesn’t have any bearing on you. Those who would degrade you into thinking that sex is all your good for are essentially rapists. The truth isn’t that you are worthless; the truth is that they are rapists. Lie: This will make him like me. Truth: it doesn’t matter if he likes you or not, it only matters if you like yourself, and if you are worthy of the Holy Ghost, that’s the only thing that matter in this life. If compromising your ability to stand honorably before the Lord is the only way that he will like you, then he is of the devil and you should run away. Lie: If he likes me then I am important. Truth: You are important no matter who likes you. You are a daughter of God, you are worth so much that the God of the entire universe has planned your life and your happiness. You are valuable regardless of what someone else says. Lie: I’ve been raped, so I’m worthless now, it doesn’t matter what I do. Truth: During the atonement, the Savior felt every pain, every experience, every terror that we feel in this life, including each and every rape ever perpetrated. I think that one of the worst parts of the atonement for the Savior was when he felt what it was like to be raped, and he felt it probably billions of times, because rape is the most evil widespread form of terrorism in existence. You are not alone; you have just joined a club that consists of both women and men, adults and children, any culture, religion, and nationality, any language, any lifestyle, any situation or circumstance. Most women have faced some sort of sexual assault in their lifetime, again, as tragic as that fact is, you are not alone. Remember that Jesus Christ is the ultimate champion of women, he hurts with us, rejoices with us, sings with us, and cries with us. The atonement is beautiful and empowering, offered to us by the king of kings and the Lord of lords, the master of all, our Savior and Redeemer for our happiness. It can heal you, He can heal you. Turn to him, let him teach you who you are. Read your scriptures, pray to him, cry out to him in your pain and listen for him to be there for you. Let him comfort and heal you, there is no other way, no amount of drinking or drugs or random sex or food or hate or anger or revenge will ever heal you, in fact, it will only dig you into a hole that will be so painful to crawl out of, and guess what? He’s the only way out of that hole too, so either way, we have to turn to him to be healed, it’s just a matter of how far into the hole do you want to be when you start to climb out. Remember, Jesus experienced your rape, your sexual assault, and he is the God of the universe, you will not be forgotten, you will not be left alone, you are loved and you are special, come to Him and be healed.