Costs of Infidelity
“For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
“But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.”
“And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers.”
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
“For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”
Doctrine and Covenants 42:23–24
“And he that looketh upon a woman to lust after her shall deny the faith, and shall not have the Spirit; and if he repents not he shall be cast out.
“Thou shalt not commit adultery; and he that committeth adultery, and repenteth not, shall be cast out.”
President Howard W. Hunter
“Be faithful in your marriage covenants in thought, word, and deed. Pornography, flirtations, and unwholesome fantasies erode one’s character and strike at the foundation of a happy marriage. Unity and trust within a marriage are thereby destroyed. One who does not control his thoughts and thus commits adultery in his heart, if he does not repent, shall not have the Spirit but shall deny the faith and shall fear (see D&C 42:23 ; 63:16 )” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1994, 67; or Ensign, Nov. 1994, 50 ).
President Gordon B. Hinckley
“I am satisfied that a happy marriage is not so much a matter of romance as it is an anxious concern for the comfort and well-being of one’s companion.
“Selfishness so often is the basis of money problems, which are a very serious and real factor affecting the stability of family life. Selfishness is at the root of adultery, the breaking of solemn and sacred covenants to satisfy selfish lust. Selfishness is the antithesis of love. It is a cankering expression of greed. It destroys self-discipline. It obliterates loyalty. It tears up sacred covenants. It afflicts both men and women.
“Too many who come to marriage have been coddled and spoiled and somehow led to feel that everything must be precisely right at all times, that life is a series of entertainments, that appetites are to be satisfied without regard to principle. How tragic the consequences of such hollow and unreasonable thinking!” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1991, 96; or Ensign, May 1991, 73 ).
Elder Gordon B. Hinckley
“Was there ever adultery without dishonesty? In the vernacular, the evil is described as ‘cheating.’ And cheating it is, for it robs virtue, it robs loyalty, it robs sacred promises, it robs self-respect, it robs truth. It involves deception. It is personal dishonesty of the worst kind, for it becomes a betrayal of the most sacred of human relationships, and a denial of covenants and promises entered into before God and man. It is the sordid violation of a trust. It is a selfish casting aside of the law of God, and like other forms of dishonesty its fruits are sorrow, bitterness, heartbroken companions, and betrayed children” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1976, 92; or Ensign, May 1976, 61 ).
President Thomas S. Monson
“Because sexual intimacy is so sacred, the Lord requires self-control and purity before marriage, as well as full fidelity after marriage. . . . Tears inevitably follow transgression. Men, take care not to make women weep, for God counts their tears” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1990, 61; or Ensign, Nov. 1990, 47 ).
Elder Richard G. Scott
“Adultery, fornication, committing homosexual acts, and other deviations approaching these in gravity are not acceptable alternate lifestyles. They are serious sins. Committing physical and sexual abuse are major sins. Such grave sins require deep repentance to be forgiven. President Kimball taught: ‘To every forgiveness there is a condition. The plaster must be as wide as the sore. The fasting, the prayers, the humility must be equal to or greater than the sin.’ [ The Miracle of Forgiveness (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969), p. 353] ‘It is unthinkable that God absolves serious sins upon a few requests. He is likely to wait until there has been long, sustained repentance.’ [ The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, . . . p. 85]” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1995, 103; or Ensign, May 1995, 77 ).