Well, every Mormon has their agency so really, they can "do" whatever they want...
BUT, of course, we believe in having high moral values - such as absolutely NO sex before marriage...that is a big no-no. Light kissing, hand-holding, stuff like that is OK, but we are just encouraged not to let things get too far...like heavy making out, any form of "touching" or "rubbing" any private parts is frowned upon, usually the heavy making out leads to more and more things and before you know it, you have gone too far.
The youth are encouraged to wait to date until 16, group date and not 'pair off' or at least not be alone with your boyfrined or girlfriend. Those passionate feelings come easily when we are young and are best reserved for your eternal companion. I had a young women leader who comapred morality to a new piece of gum. You would not want to chew a piece of gum that had been in one or more person's mouth...(I hope)
2007-02-06 15:36:07
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answer #2
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answered by Anonymous
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this was copied from the link listed below/
Basic information on this topic is provided in the 1994 Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 1, in the article "Dating and Courtship" by Brent C. Miller and H. Wallace Goddard. Several excerpts follow:
Members of the Church are somewhat distinctive in their dating and courtship practices, but they are also influenced by broader cultural patterns. In some cultures, parents still closely supervise courtship and arrange children's marriages, but youth worldwide have increasing choices in dating and mate selection. For most young people in the United States outside the Church, dating begins at an early age (about age thirteen during the 1980s); it has no set pattern of progression, and is often informal and unsupervised. These contemporary dating patterns form a social context that influences somewhat the majority of LDS youth.
However, although courtship patterns change and vary across cultures, there is quite a conservative pattern for dating and courtship among Latter-day Saints in Western nations. It is expected that LDS youth will not begin dating until the age of sixteen. Serious, steady dating and marriage-oriented courtship are expected to be delayed longer, perhaps until after a mission for males and after completing high school for females. A chaste courtship is expected to lead to a temple marriage, in which a couple make binding commitments to each other for all time and eternity.
Two doctrinally based principles guide the dating and courtship of LDS youth: first, because of the religious significance of marriage, virtually everyone who can is expected to marry; second, because of the spiritual and social importance of chastity, sexual relations must wait until after marriage.
Latter-day Saints place an unusually strong emphasis on marriage, believing that marriage is ordained of God (D&C 49:15) and is a prerequisite for obtaining the highest heavenly state after mortality (D&C 131:1-4...). Because of the belief that people should be married and the doctrine that they can maintain marital ties throughout eternity, Latter-day Saints take dating and courtship more seriously than those for whom marriage has less religious significance.
Latter-day Saints believe that premarital chastity is a scriptural commandment reaffirmed by current revelation. From the New Testament: "Flee fornication.... He that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body" (1 Cor. 6:18). From a modern Church leader: "Chastity should be the dominant virtue among young people" (David O. McKay, Gospel Ideals, 1953, p. 458). LDS youth are also taught that they should not participate in sexual activities that often precede sexual intercourse [e.g., necking and petting].... Although Latter-day Saints consider sexual relationships outside of marriage to be sinful, sexual relations within marriage are not only right and proper but are considered sacred and beautiful....
Like most of their non-Mormon peers in dating cultures, LDS youth date to have fun as they participate in social activities with other boys and girls. As plainly stated by prominent leaders of the Church, "It is natural to date. Every right-thinking young person has a native desire to become acquainted with the opposite sex, looking eventually to pairing off in honorable marriage" (Petersen, p. 37). "Dating has become the accepted form of social recreation for the purpose of getting acquainted before young people can safely have a serious interest in each other. Because the selection of a mate in life is so extremely important, we should intelligently seek the experiences which will help us to make that great decision" (Howard W. Hunter, Youth of the Noble Birthright, 1960, pp. 101-102). Typical of the advice given to LDS youth is the following counsel about dating:
Who? Only those whose standards are high, like your own. Where? Clean places, decent places, proper places where you can be proud to be.
Why? Associating with others under wholesome circumstances helps develop friendships and permits you to learn about qualities and characteristics in others, to get to know them, to have fun together, to widen areas of choice, to achieve a wider and wiser vision of what one may seek in an eternal companion.
When? Not too young, not too often, not on school nights as a rule, not too expensively.
What? Fun things, wholesome things, good and useful things - things pleasing to you, to parents, to God.
How? With others, in groups, chaperoned when proper, appropriately dressed, cheerfully, courteously, modestly, wisely, prayerfully. And let parents know where you are, with whom, doing what, and when you will return. Have a happy time! (Marion D. Hanks, "The Six," Improvement Era, Vol. 70, June 1967, pp. 134-35)
I should add that young men are encouraged not to become too serious about any one girl before their mission at age nineteen, though that can be hard to avoid. During the two-year mission, no dating is allowed and the missionaries maintain fairly strict rules regarding the opposite sex (no flirting, keep an arm's length away, stay with your assigned companion, keep thoughts clean, etc.) Once they return, returned missionaries tend to date actively and often marry within a couple of years from their return.
I also think that LDS youth tend to be creative in dating, with a focus on fun and getting to know others. Lots of wholesome activities are sought, some of which may seem corny but cute. This is much better than just going to movies - they don't help you get to know your date very well. And today, not many are clean enough for LDS people to bother with.
2007-02-06 14:53:22
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answer #5
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answered by Wendy C 4
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