By Artemis

Dear Stake President,

I hear that you have a special concern for the delicate sensibilities of the porn addicts and lusty teenage priesthood holders when it comes to their exposure to female skin in the bosom region whilst females are feeding their babies. I have a few ideas on how to prevent lustiness from infecting our hallowed chapel walls:

-Invite those distracted to sit in the rear of the chapel. Sacrament administration duties or speaking assignments that make viewing a nursing mother an inevitable event may need to be postponed until these priesthood holders are ready to obey our Lord’s commandment to not lust after women.

-Institute a curriculum that teaches youth and adults about the needs of breastfeeding infants and mothers. Remove the fetish by normalizing one of the most ubiquitous, non-sexual human events on the planet. Emphasize that this is one way to powerfully support mothers in their sacred role.

-Procure LDS artwork that depicts uncovered breastfeeding for buildings in your stake to combat myths about the church’s stance against public breastfeeding.

-Hold a special combined youth and older meeting during third hour to discuss the wickedness in our culture’s objectification of women, and discuss how we can reverse the cultural conditioning we’ve all been exposed to. Highlight that uncovered breastfeeding is the norm in almost all other LDS congregations around the world.

-Invite ward Relief Society presidents to give talks in their wards about the divinely-designed miracle of breastfeeding, including a summary of all sacred breastfeeding metaphors in scripture (Isaiah 49:15, 1 Nephi 21, etc.).

-Give a talk during stake or ward conferences on how expecting women to alter their behavior to accommodate the vices of men is sexist, wrong, and out of line with our doctrines concerning personal accountability (Article of Faith #2) and our ability to obey all commandments God has given (1 Nephi 3:7).

-Institute a special Sunday school class on godly manhood that includes material on reversing the harmful effects of the world’s philosophy that men cannot conquer their base desires. Emphasize our doctrine that we must transcend our carnal state through the power and mercy of Jesus Christ (Mosiah 3:19).

-Acknowledge that porn addicts and teenagers have little control over the public environment, and that they will encounter female bodies in many forms and contexts, and will therefore be tasked with regulating their internal condition.

-Refer porn addicts to mental health care professionals who can help them with their addictions or fixations.

-Encourage any who are distracted by breastfeeding women to explore resources on meditation and other mindfulness practices that help develop mastery over one’s mind and thoughts.

-Designate a small room for the tempted to retreat to. The room should have a functioning audio system, be furnished with comfortable chairs, and not be connected to a smelly bathroom, but maybe not.

-Commission a stake-wide young men’s activity where the quorums are taught to sew or crochet small, eye-covering masks, to be worn during times of temptation. Some young men might sometimes push boundaries and wear skimpy masks that permit peeking, so you may want to avoid danger by instead making bags to be placed over their heads. This will be hot and make eating and fully participating in life difficult, but personal sacrifice is often required to protect chastity.

-Encourage all able women to nurse their babies without pressure to cover or hide in an effort to further renormalize breastfeeding for the rising generation. This will teach them what normal breasts look like and what their primary purpose is (refer to church-published A Parent’s Guide, Chapter 5). As little boys see their mothers and their primary teachers and their friends’ mothers nursing, they will grow up with a healthy concept of female breasts, and will be less likely to google “What do boobs look like?” because they will already have learned this within the sacred and appropriate context of motherhood. Removing taboos around women’s bodies will combat lust and porn addiction.

Or,

–Force all breastfeeding mothers to cover their babies while they nurse, regardless of the needs or preferences of mother or baby. Those who do not obey your will should be stripped of their temple recommends for daring to defy your authority and power. If husbands do not agree to command their wives to comply, strip them of their recommends as well.

There are many options to choose from, President! Some may affect the validity of your priesthood more than others.

Love,

A Sister in the Gospel

Artemis is a wife, mother of four children, and seeker of truth. She enjoys sewing and writing.

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