Do the names Nick, Joe and Kevin mean anything to you? If you are 17 or older, they likely don't, but ask any 12- or 13-year-old girl and you will soon hear more than you bargained for about the teen pop music sensation The Jonas Brothers. While passing teen crazes don't usually catch my attention, The Jonas Brothers recently earned my respect for expressing their pro-abstinence stance despite the unpopularity of doing so. One of the band members, Joe, was quoted as saying "[We] made a promise to ourselves and to God that we'll stay pure till marriage" (Retrieved Dec. 8, 2008, from http://en.wiki/Nick_Jonas). When these three young men were publicly mocked at a recent music awards show for living chaste lives, I was reminded of how little, if any, value is placed on the law of chastity in today's world.

The gospel teaches that "the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife" (The Family: A Proclamation to the World). The laws and commandments that guard the sanctity of this unique relationship are referred to as the law of chastity. The reason why sexual relations are given distinct and specific safeguards is they play an integral role in the plan of salvation, eternal relationships and our happiness in this life.

The Apostle Paul taught that living the law of chastity is one of several ways we can be identified as a follower of Jesus Christ. In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul states, "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

Learning to be steadfast when we are "despised" for striving to be virtuous is part of maturing spiritually. Thankfully, we can find encouragement and guidance from scriptural examples of believers who were tested for living the gospel, including the law of chastity. As President Thomas S. Monson taught, "Some find it difficult to withstand the mockings and unsavory remarks of foolish ones who ridicule chastity, honesty, and obedience to God's commands. But the world has ever belittled adherence to principle. When Noah was instructed to build an ark, the foolish populace looked at the cloudless sky, then scoffed and jeered — until the rain came" (Conference Report, April 1967, p. 5).

Although the world treats chastity as something unnatural, backward and even unhealthy, the blessings of chastity remain. Just as the Word of Wisdom has been affirmed through modern-day science, research supports the importance of the law of chastity in our day. For example, we know that adolescents who abstain from sexual relations are less likely to be depressed, contract sexually transmitted diseases, have children out of wedlock, live in poverty as adults and drop out of high school. As well, teens who live virtuous lives are almost twice as likely to graduate from college; are more likely to have stable marriages as adults; and, on average, have incomes that are 16 percent higher than sexually active teens from similar socioeconomic backgrounds. (Rector, R. & Johnson, K. A., 2005. Teenage Sexual Abstinence and Academic Achievement. Retrieved December 9, 2008, from: www.heritage.org/research/abstinence/whitepaper10272005-1.cfm.)

While these blessings and benefits are compelling, the peace of mind that comes from obedience to God's commandments is one of the choicest blessings of all. C. S. Lewis further put the blessings of living a virtuous life into perspective when he stated, "For however important chastity ... may be, this process trains us in habits of the soul which are more important still. It cures our illusions about ourselves and teaches us to depend on God" (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 1996). May we find the strength, with God's help, to exemplify this unpopular yet much needed virtue.

— Jill C. Manning, is a licensed marriage and family therapist who testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee on the harms of pornography and author of the book, What's the Big Deal about Pornography: A Guide for the Internet Generation.