Withstand temptation
Control thoughts- Remain chaste
Speaking particularly to young men, Elder Richard G. Scott at the Saturday evening priesthood session spoke of the importance of making right choices.
"I have felt impressed to treat sensitive yet important matters," said Elder Scott of the Council of the Twelve in soft, earnest tones. "I will speak as though you and I were alone in a private interview and no one else can hear us."
He presented some of the confidential questions most frequently asked by youth he has met across the world and said he would answer them by what he has learned from the scriptures and the prophets.
"Question: Could you give us some help about resisting peer pressure?"
"You can't please God without upsetting Satan, so you will get pressure from those he tempts to do wrong," Elder Scott explained.
"The more obedient you are, the more you stand for true principles, the more the Lord can help you overcome temptation," he said. "You can also help others because they will feel your strength."
"Question: How do we keep bad thoughts from entering our minds, and what do we do when they come?"
Noting that the mind can think of only one thing at a time, he urged: "Use that fact to crowd out ugly thoughts. Above all, don't feed thoughts by reading or watching things that are wrong. If you don't control your thoughts, Satan will keep tempting you until you actually act them out."
"Question: Why is the law of chastity so important? Why is sex before marriage wrong?"
Procreative powers are sacred and meant by God to be expressed only within marriage, Elder Scott said. Outside of marriage they undermine His purposes, he added.
"Within the sacred covenant of marriage such relationships are according to His plan. When experienced any other way they are against His will. They cause serious emotional and spiritual harm. Even though participants do not realize that is happening now, they will later."
"Question: They always tell us we shouldn't become sexually involved but they never tell us the limits. What are they?"
"Any sexual intimacy outside of the bonds of marriage, I mean any intentional contact with the sacred, private parts of another's body with or without clothing is a sin and is forbidden by God," Elder Scott declared. "It is also a transgression to intentionally stimulate these emotions within your own body."
"Question: Before you are married how far is too far to go if it is with your girl friend?"
"Before marriage there can be no sexual contact with a girl friend, fiance, or anyone else, period," he said. "While a commandment, that standard is for your happiness."
"Question: How do you go about repenting after a sexual sin is committed? What sins should you tell the bishop?"
"All of the sexual transgressions we have discussed require sincere repentance with the participation of the bishop. Should you have done any of this, repent now. . . . Sin is like cancer in the body. It will never heal itself. It will become worse unless cured through repentance."
