Divine Intimacy

This week we've been talking about sexual intimacy. I was surprised how sacred we were able to keep things this week and focused on the divine we were. I give full credit to Brother Williams for that. Some things that meant the most to me this week were:

Sex isn't the most important aspect of marriage, but it’s a good barometer of how the rest of the relationship is going. Most marriages end because of financial problems or sexual relationship issues. By recognizing this, couples can approach this with great care. Most of marital intimacy actually occurs in the brain. Yes, the physical aspect is there, obviously, but the healthiest sexual relationships are those where both partners are unselfish and consciously focused on their spouse. 

Something that I discovered for myself this week was the definition of lust. Lust =  the strong physical desire to have sex with somebody, usually without associated feelings of love or affection. That's why in the scriptures we're told not to have lust for another person ("he lusted after her"). There are no feelings of love or affection. However, when sex is paired with feelings of love and affection within the bonds of marriage, it becomes sacred and God-like. 

It requires a lot of trust to give your body and heart to someone which is why the decision to be married is one of the most sacred decisions we make. Something Brother Williams talked about was approaching a couple's physical relationship with thought and carefulness. It's something that the couple should do together, very carefully while communicating. The couple should be discussing what their expectations are and what they're comfortable with. 

Along with this, the couple should carefully and cautiously consider what kind (if any) of contraceptives that will be used, keeping in mind that our sole purpose on this earth is to bring children into this world. We should exercise great caution regarding decisions including sexuality and birth control (including creating life). That decision should be made between the husband, the wife, and God. 

I am so grateful for the blessing that physical intimacy is. It is truly God-given and I wish I would have realized that sooner. I'm so grateful to my Heavenly Father for allowing me to be able to create life with my future husband, and become more like my Heavenly Mother. God is good and He helps us do good.