By Charles Nathan Hancock
Arizona Daily Wildcat
April 10, 1998

Lust does not justify living together

To the Editor:

This letter is in response to the editorial regarding living together before marriage by Erin Kristen Stein ("Mom, Dad, I want to have his lovechild," Apr. 6). In a world where values and morals are going out the window, there must be some representation of the truth. I quote modern church leaders: "The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity." (Proclamation to the World, A Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints publication, 1995) It is that simple. Any effort to justify or excuse the sin of immorality may be able to pacify one's conscience but does not make it right. If someone is not willing to make the serious commitments involved in marriage, why should they have sex? Just satisfying your own lust is not a worthy cause. Sex is more sacred than that, despite what the world depicts it to be. Save it for when you know you are in a relationship where both are willing to sacrifice enough to make it work by making those vows publicly in marriage.

Charles Nathan Hancock
Plant Science junior