Get married in the temple…but just barely!

That’s the advice from Stephen L. Robinson, at least (author of Believing Christ and Following Christ–some of the best books that I’ve ever read on the subject of the Gospel that weren’t scripture).  The other week, he gave quite possibly the most fascinating lecture I’ve heard all year–Paul the apostle on sex and marriage…

Believe it or not, I actually recorded it. Before you think I’m some kind of pervert, though, let me tell you that I record a lot of my other classes–English 318, for example–and I recorded almost all of the stuff that I went to for Life, the Universe, and Everything.  I swear, I’m not crazy!  Besides, this lecture is actually one of Brother Robinson’s more famous lectures, and I thought it would be worth it to record and share it.  I was not disappointed.

This lecture was really interesting for a number of reasons.  Brother Robinson is definitely a much better religion teacher than most of those on the BYU faculty.  Most religion classes are either mind-numbingly easy and boring, or else they are totally fact based and irrelevant.  Brother Robinson, however, is very skilled at taking something you’ve heard all your life and showing it to you in a way that opens your eyes and refreshes its meaningfulness.

He’s also a bit sarcastic, though, and tends to offend people.  However, since I’m exactly the same way, I love his class.  He’s got to be the best religion teacher I’ve ever had here on campus–better even than John Bytheway, who was also pretty good.

This lecture was really interesting for a number of reasons.  First of all, like I said above, Brother Robinson has a way of making you open your eyes and see things in a new way.  Probably the biggest shift I had listening to this was to start thinking of the physical and intimate aspects of a relationship as legitimate needs.  Whenever I heard the phrase “fulfill sexual needs,” I’d always roll my eyes and say “yeah, right!  That’s just a cover for something else.” But Brother Robinson, in a very respectful and down-to-earth way, debunked that in his lecture, and the implications were enough to shift my worldview.

I’ll let you listen to the talk yourself to gather your own thoughts and opinions, but I can say it was a very interesting lecture, as well as one that helped me to have a new appreciation for this aspect of what it means to be a human being.  There’s nothing dirty in the lecture, nothing obscene or inappropriate, but it is a little bit direct and some people may take it the wrong way (such as the person who thought I was an unworthy priesthood holder for writing The Clearest Vision!).  However, it is meant to be 100% respectful of the boundaries the gospel sets on sexuality, and it helped me to be more appreciative of those boundaries as well.  An excellent talk.