Let's Talk About Sex

In the LDS community sex is not something that is talked about. It is hushed and taboo to talk about. The one time that it is talked about is only to tell the youth not to participate until after they are lawfully married to Mr. Right. As I have grown up in this community I have discovered that this way to address the subject causes more problems than helping. When a person is told not to do something they instantly want to do what they were just told not to. A common problem with this method teaching is that as young women get married they don't know what to expect on their wedding night. Young men get curious and look to other sources for learning about sex. This can lead to a pornography issue and the wrong image of what sex is.
Sex is beautiful thing that can bring two people together emotionally and physically. It is a magical and divine way to bring innocent children into the world. I personally feel that if the LDS community were aware of the resources available to them, and were open and taught about sex in a way that not only expressed its divine origins but also the importance of waiting to participate until after you are lawfully married and emotionally committed to a another person.
I grew up not knowing what sex was. It wasn't until I came to college, met new people, and took a class about the family that I began to understand that sex is a beautiful and divine thing. Sex is not bad and it should not be kept so secret. We need to be teaching the young men and women the proper definition of what sex is and how divine and sacred it is.
Here is the link to the LDS resources available to help parents teach their children about sex and intimacy at different levels of development. https://www.lds.org/manual/a-parents-guide?lang=eng I have hope that this message was helpful and that these resources will help us understand that sex is not bad and that it is beautiful and divine.

Transitions

Life is full of moments that require you to transition from one point to another. The most recent one that I experienced was form a high school student living at home, to a college student living on my own. This was a huge transition for me . I suddenly had all these bills I had to pay, I had to learn how to set up appointments on my own and learn how to cook a healthy meal for under $5. Not to mention how to budget, pay taxes, fix my car, and so many other things that my generation calls "adulting." I have managed to make it through this transition as a fully functioning and responsible adult. I learned and I grew.
I am however not done. I am starting to transition into another phase of my life and I am terrified. I am preparing to get married. From what I have gathered, married life is far different from living as a single person. my friends and family have been a great help by giving me advice on how to live with and take care of another person. I no longer have myself to worry about. Although I am terrified, I know that I am capable of transitioning into married life. I have a wonderful circle of influence filled with people I love and who love me.
Transitioning can be scary but, in my experience, they bring more life, light, and knowledge to our lives.  I am excited to start this new phase of my life with my best friend.

     There are so many different pressures int he world today that tell a person how he/she can be attractive. What does it mean to be attractive? How does a person become attractive? What is attractive to you?
     To me personally, I think people are attractive when they are well mannered, decent human beings. Some people have a "type" I do not. I am not one who will judge a person based on what they look like. I have learned that if you want to marry someone who has all the attributes on your list, then you need to have all the attributes on your list. Being attractive doesn't mean that you have the perfect body or the perfect hair and make up. There are people out there who have all the beauty in the outside but they can tend to be rude, judgmental, and proud.  I'm not saying every beautiful person is like this. There are genuine people out there who are very beautiful. Having manners though, will make you ten times more attractive.
    Attrition is however, a big thing in the romance world. You are going to want to be attracted to the person you are physically and romantically involved with. Even if you are not attracted to a person at first does not mean that you will never be attracted them. As you get to know about someone, the way you see them changes. They become more and more attractive with every moment you spend getting to each other. Beauty is only skin deep and in the eye of the beholder.

When asked about cultures, most people will think about other countries, religions, or races. However, what they don't understand is that each family has their own culture, their own way of life. My family's culture was rather different compared to that of the normal LDS family. We didn't have to parents leading and guiding us.We had one faithful mother doing what she could. Each of us five kids played a different role compared to the other kids we knew. I did all the cooking and cleaning, my brother was our regular handyman, and our sister was the authoritative figure. We each stepped into these roles because they needed to be filled. Our wonderful mother put all of her time and efforts into making sure our physical needs were met.

Finding Acceptance For Those Who Are Different

 In light of the events that have occurred recently in the world, I feel that as a human race, it would be beneficial for us to all be more accepting and respectful of those who lead their lives differently than ours. There are so many people out there who struggle with not being accepted, respected, and loved by those they encounter because they are different. I have personally felt this way in my life because I did not live the same kind of life my peers did. I didn't have both parents in the home. I didn't play sports or go to parties. Instead, I stayed home and bonded with my brothers and sisters. I learned how to cook and clean and become an independent person. Even now, as I am feeling the effects of my childhood, I am aware that I am different than others, but I am okay with it. Now that I know who I am, that I am not ever going to be like everyone else, and where I want to go, I can love and get to know others. Accepting and understanding who you are is the beginning to accepting and understanding those around us.

It is not uncommon in the world that we live in today for people to shy away from what they are not familiar with or to even act hostile or aggressive to something that it different. I was lucky enough to experience the joys of discovering many different lifestyles and ways of living. I learned many things form attending a summer camp filled with kids with cancer. I learned that cancer doesn't discriminate. There were so many different types of people and lifestyles that came together for one purpose. It is beautiful. The biggest question that I have now, is "Why can't we all just get along?" The world is filled with all kinds of different people living in different ways. If we were to simply get the idea that there is only one way to do things out of our heads, we could learn and experience so much. So what if your neighbor is a single mom with five crazy kids or if your co-worker is from another country and likes to have loud family gatherings. Take a moment to get to know and accept them, help them, and love them. I am not saying that you have to start living the way they do, but, instead, don't be judgmental towards them. I have found that as I have chosen to love everyone regardless of race, religion, or sexual preference, I have come to learn new things about myself and the magic that comes from loving another without judgment. As Christ has said, "love your neighbor as I have loved you" (John 15:12). It doesn't matter whether you are religious person or not, you can be a decent human being and love all those you meet. You never know what others are going through, so be kind and love everyone always, including yourself.