Love, one step at a time.

FPP#5, Chapter 2 - There is a lot to cover in this subject which is not possible for my "Family Proclamation" project. I plan to add more as time permits between semesters.

So, is sex better than candy? Click here to find out what the scholars have to say.

Many religious leaders from different faiths tend to agree and revere as sacred marital sexuality. Couples can benefit from a mutual sexual union from it several purposes. That is, becoming one, connecting with God, strengthening the emotional and spiritual bonds in marriage, avoiding temptation, and continuing the generational chain by bringing children into the family.

Elder Bedner, teaches, “The natures of male and female spirits complete and perfect each other, and therefore men and women are intended to progress together toward exaltation.” Rabbi Shuley Boteach identified physical intimacy of a husband and wife as something that symbolizes the tie between God and all of His creations. He stated that it is because of this symbolism “that Judaism has always identified sex as the holiest of all human endeavors.”

This belief that marital sexual expression serves a purpose of oneness is also shared by other religions. Representing a Latter-day Saint view of marital sexual intimacy and becoming one, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (2001), said that sexual union is a “welding . . . in matrimony . . . [a] physical blending [symbolic of a] larger, more complete union of eternal purpose and promise . . . a symbol of total union of their hearts, their hopes, their lives, their love, their family, their future, their everything.”

H. B. Yusuf (2005), speaking on the unity in marital intimacy, stated that in Islam, “the union of the man and his wife is traced to a common origin of equality because both are created from a single soul.” The Qur’an, the Islamic holy book, proclaims, “It is He who created you from a single soul and from that place did he make his mate, that he might dwell in tranquility with her,” meaning that marital sexual union helps build tranquil unity between spouses (Al A’raf sura 7:189).

In summary, the doctrinal views of the Latter-day Saint Church, as well as many major religions of the world, identify several purposes of marital sexuality: becoming one, connecting with God, strengthening the bonds of marriage, and bringing children into a family. Unfortunately, couples often understand only one or two of these purposes and ignore the rest. The sex-saturated culture so prevalent in modernized societies worships bodies and solely focuses on the erotic use of sex, which emphasizes individual pleasure. Concentrating only on this purpose of marital sexuality leads to a focus on “technique” to create the greatest physical pleasure. Gardner (2002, p. 13) agrees that despite more available knowledge of technique, couples are “more sexually empty, more sexually frustrated, and more sexually lost than ever before.” Alternatively, some couples may focus on the procreative purpose of their sexual union and forego the divinely appointed objectives of oneness and connection. By seeking to have a balance of all the divine goals in their sexual relationship, husbands and wives together will experience not just satisfaction but more commitment, relationship growth, and connection with God.

Activity - Couple discussion - How to promote positive marital sexuality

References

Harper, J. M., & Feinauer, L., (2016). Marital sexuality and fertility. In Hawkins, A. J., & Dollahite, D. C., & Draper, T. W., (Eds.), Success marriages and families – proclamation principles and research perspectives. pp. 49 - 58. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University

#Becomingone #ConnectingwithGod #Strengtheningtheemotionalandspiritualbondsin #Avoidingtemptation #Bringingchildrenintothefamily