When Jesus went into the temple, he found many people irreverently doing business there. The temple was a holy house of worship, so it made Christ very sad to see people being disrespectful in his Father's house. He stopped the people from continuing business there.
This story reminded me of a scripture in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, it says, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are abought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s."
I thought of the connection between the temple that Jesus cleansed, and the temple which is our own body. Do we treat our bodies with the same respect that we would show in a house of worship?
Our body is a gift from Heavenly Father. Things like pornography or drug use show Heavenly Father that we aren't thankful for our bodies, but purity shows respect for such a divine gift.
I love the meaning of the word virtue. It comes from the Latin root word "virtus," meaning strength. Virtue is also associated with purity and chastity. As Elaine S. Dalton said, "I truly believe that one virtuous young woman or young man, led by the Spirit, can change the world, but in order to do so, we must return to virtue." To some it seems old-fashioned to live based on high moral standards, but to me, it is a happier, clearer way of life.
One of my favorite quotes about purity says, "I can think of no blessings to be more fervently desired than those promised to the pure and virtuous. Jesus spoke of specific rewards for different virtues but reserved the greatest, so it seems to me, for the pure in heart, 'For they,' said He, 'Shall see God.' (Matthew 5:8) And not only shall they see the Lord, but they shall feel at home in his presence." -Marion G. Romney
I know that striving to be chaste has blessed me tremendously. Although we all make mistakes, through Christ's atonement we can be forgiven and made pure. :)
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