Understanding the meaningfulness of sexual intimacy can help us acknowledge the role of sexuality in our lives and be okay with being single.
It can be hard as young single adults to understand the sexual feelings we experience and to exercise patience as we look forward to expressing those feelings within marriage. Many single people are ashamed of these feelings and uncomfortable discussing sex and chastity in general, but Heavenly Father created us to be sexual beings. The feelings and desires we have are completely normal, and we can acknowledge them without shame. However, exercising control over our bodies and forming clear personal boundaries will become easier with the understanding of the meaning behind sex.
Photo by Emma Bauso
In his devotional “Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments,” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland explains that “such an act of love between a man and a woman is…a symbol of total union: union of their hearts, their hopes, their lives, their love, their family, their future, their everything.” He highlights the emotional pain that “pursuing satisfaction devoid of symbolism” can cause to our souls. Physical intimacy without the commitment of complete unity can leave us with unfulfilled expectations, a separation from self and personal values, and emotional pain and disappointment.
Knowing that God intended for sex to be symbolic and relational can help us look forward to marriage and all the beautiful things that come with it. In the meantime, we can be at peace with being single by focusing on other means of human connection and being mindful of what whole and healthy sexuality should look like for us in the future.
Read more
Read the rest of Jeffrey R. Holland’s devotional and learn more about the importance behind sex within marriage: “Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments.”
Source: BYU Speeches
—Abbi Clark, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY JASMINE CARTER
Find more insights
Learn more about the importance of saving sex for marriage by reading Tacey LeBaron’s Lattery-day Saint Insights article “Why Save Sex for Marriage.”
Find more insights about the symbolism of marriage by reading Madeline Paskett Hunter’s article “The Temple Altar and other Sealing-Ceremony Symbols.”