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I noticed this advertised on the LDS.org site this morning:

https://LDS.org/youth/for-the-strength- ... h?lang=eng

Here are quotes from the pamphlet, followed by the thoughts I had as a youth, who took this stuff pretty seriously.

Do not do anything else that arouses sexual feelings. Do not arouse those emotions in your own body. Pay attention to the promptings of the Spirit so that you can be clean and virtuous. The Spirit of the Lord will withdraw from one who is in sexual transgression.

Anything? The Lord has left me. I am in the dark.

Do not participate in any type of pornography. The Spirit can help you know when you are at risk and give you the strength to remove yourself from the situation.

what do you mean by "any type"? Anything that arouses emotions? I guess the Lands End catalog really is pornography. I'm in trouble.

Homosexual and lesbian behavior is a serious sin. If you find yourself struggling with same-gender attraction or you are being persuaded to participate in inappropriate behavior, seek counsel from your parents and bishop. They will help you.

what behavior? Hand holding? How serious?

If you are tempted to commit any form of sexual transgression, seek help from your parents and bishop. Pray to your Father in Heaven, who will help you resist temptation and overcome inappropriate thoughts and feelings. If you have committed sexual transgression, talk to your bishop now and begin the process of repentance so that you can find peace and have the full companionship of the Spirit.

I can't overcome inappropriate thoughts and feelings. I've tried 100 times. I overcome for maybe a month but there is always something that comes up and causes me to have inappropriate thoughts and feelings. I'm not repenting enough.

If you delay repentance, you may lose blessings, opportunities, and spiritual guidance. You may also become further entangled in sinful behavior, making it more difficult to find your way back.

I have already delayed it a long time. I have lost many opportunities.

Serious sins, such as sexual transgression or use of pornography, need to be confessed to your bishop. Be completely honest with him. He will help you repent. If you have a question about what should be discussed with the bishop, talk with your parents or with him.

How serious? It must be really serious!

When you do what is necessary to repent and receive forgiveness, you will know for yourself the power of the Atonement and the love God has for you.

I thought I did it but I still don't *know* for myself. When will I come to *know*?

Homosexual and lesbian behavior is a serious sin. If you find yourself struggling with same-gender attraction or you are being persuaded to participate in inappropriate behavior, seek counsel from your parents and bishop. They will help you.

In what way will they help you? In what way can they help you?

Dr. Shades wrote:

Homosexual and lesbian behavior is a serious sin. If you find yourself struggling with same-gender attraction or you are being persuaded to participate in inappropriate behavior, seek counsel from your parents and bishop. They will help you.

In what way will they help you? In what way can they help you?

Introduce you to some nice LDS gays or lesbians who can share with you the secret of asexual living?

Dr. Shades wrote:

Homosexual and lesbian behavior is a serious sin. If you find yourself struggling with same-gender attraction or you are being persuaded to participate in inappropriate behavior, seek counsel from your parents and bishop. They will help you.

In what way will they help you? In what way can they help you?

The same way they helped me stop having inappropriate thoughts about skinny jeans.

Do not do anything else that arouses sexual feelings. Do not arouse those emotions in your own body. Pay attention to the promptings of the Spirit so that you can be clean and virtuous. The Spirit of the Lord will withdraw from one who is in sexual transgression.

Is that the reason my wife calls out for God in those moments?

Serious sins, such as sexual transgression or use of pornography, need to be confessed to your bishop. Be completely honest with him. He will help you repent. If you have a question about what should be discussed with the bishop, talk with your parents or with him.

Is this their way of telling the youth they don't have to confess for masturbation anymore? Because that would be nice. I'm sure bishops (those who aren't perverts) are tired of hearing about it every week.

zeezrom wrote:I noticed this advertised on the LDS.org site this morning:

https://LDS.org/youth/for-the-strength- ... h?lang=eng

This is one reason I could never be active in the Church again. This life-micromanagement thing is a complete turn off, and all it does is cause people to lose all hope.

I don't blame you for feeling the way you do.

I think we can safely categorize this little pamphlet as not-doctrine. We all joke about Mark E. Petersen's little pamphlet, but the apologists tell us that wasn't doctrine. So it's safe to assume this little pamphlet is non-doctrinal as well.

Buffalo wrote:Is this their way of telling the youth they don't have to confess for masturbation anymore? Because that would be nice. I'm sure bishops (those who aren't perverts) are tired of hearing about it every week.

Hey Buff,

I suppose they could try being specific. They were the ones who brought it up so it is their responsibility to explain what they mean.

What the hell do they mean? They tell us this is serious. Do you realize how big a deal this is? How often do you hear the Man Who Communes With Jehovah tell you that something is very serious?

Does he ever tell us that making fun of kids with disabilities is a serious sin? Does he?

If this is serious enough that you feel it needs to be managed by your clergy, you need to tell us what the hell you mean when you say arousing sacred emotions.

When the blood rushes to your nether regions and anything that might lead up to it.