Last Saturday morning, our two oldest boys returned from EFY . That afternoon, we went swimming at an outdoor public pool. After dinner that night, our oldest boy was telling us about some of the young women he had met at EFY. He was quite animated about how beautiful he thought they were when they were all dressed in their Sunday best for a testimony meeting. He described how a combination of their modesty and the spirit that was there helped him to understand what true beauty really is, and how that's the kind of young woman he wants to date and eventually marry. Then he contrasted that to the many young women in bikinis he had seen at the pool and how they all seemed shallow and tarnished and unattractive (his words) compared to the shining young women at EFY.
I don't ever remember having that kind of perspective until after coming back from my mission. That just blows me away.
__________________
The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life. - Julie Beck
Our son has been emailing a young lady in a different stake that he met at EFY the middle of June... He said similar thing about all the beautiful girls he met there... All were dressed as was appropriate for modest and self-confident young ladies. He didn't see any that were "pushing the envelope"... maybe that is a plus for how much it cost??? Only the ones that REALLY want to go and work to go make it...? Anyway, Son2 shared that this young lady had written to him that she finds the YM who are also modest in dress and language, to be the MOST attractive. Not to mention she pays attention to those that are dedicated to serving missions, even if at some point they are excused for something like health reasons, etc... She even went so far as to say, the preparation is the most important part... so even the YW are understanding the need for the raised bar... That preparing ones heart to serve is the Father's requirement...
I think the youth of today are at times just AMAZING!!! Daughter has dated a few RMs in the last few months that are really impressive young men. They have all just turned out to be good friends, (she is still not 20, so there is no hurry to be serious...) the thing that I am so grateful for is that they have treated her with such great care, and gentleness... They have commented on her choices of clothing too... She was creating her own style for years, and liked LOTS of layers before that was popular...
I have always taught my kids that men AND women don't really want to be shown how beautiful your body is... they want to discover how beautiful your heart is, and if you distract them too much, they can't see through their embarrass eyes...
Glad to hear that your son learned so much at EFY. I was an EFYer by back in 89 through early 90s. I remember the hardest part of it all was coming home to the same friends, same ward, same school, etc. I always felt so different or changed from the experience and then had to face the reality that the rest of the world was still the same. I went four years to EFY earning the money through 4-H projects and working during the summer. I could have gone a fifth year because of where my birthday fell but didn't go and regretted it ever since. I hope your sons wrote down their feelings and experiences so that they can read them later and remember them. I still have several of my old EFY tapes and listen to them occassionally to remember those times. They were the highlights of my teen summers.
Yesterday, for FHE, we have a friend visiting and they're trying to raise money for a school outing, and were selling cookie lee jewelry. I explained that I haven't encouraged my four daughters to wear jewelry, and then I had everyone open to 4th nephi. We read the end of 4th nephi about "costly apparel" and inequality and pride that destroyed the church in the time of the nephites.
Bodies come in all shapes and sizes, as do the clothes we wear and the talents we're given, and I believe that the world does us all harm by promoting a narrow interpretation of beauty. It is sooooo cool when our children can see past those illusions and see true beauty, driven by the choices of purity and the love of God. IMO, There is nothing more beautiful than a daughter of God who loves her Heavenly Father.
--Ray
__________________
I'm not slow; I'm special. (Don't take it personally, everyone finds me offensive. Yet somehow I manage to live with myself.)
I don't ever remember having that kind of perspective until after coming back from my mission. That just blows me away.
