Chastity, Repentance and the Penny


 

As an advisor was giving a lesson on Chastity, she held up a tarnished penny and a brand new penny from the same year. She started pointing out things about the pennies -

1. One was tarnished and used, one was new, unused and clean.

2. Abraham Lincoln's picture is on the penny. He was referred to as 'Honest Abe'. We need to be honest in all our dealings and with ourselves.

3. The Lincoln Memorial is pictured on the back and she asked a member of the class who had visited the memorial to tell what she thought the memorial stood for the class member answered, "strength".

4. On the penny are inscribed the words "In God We Trust" and she asked us if our trust was placed in God, and told us that many people felt like Pennies were worthless but whenever we found a penny to be sure and pick it up, it was a reminder from our Heavenly Father to place our trust in him.

5. She said also inscribed on the Penny were the words "e pluribus unum" which translated meant "we are many but one". She reminded us that as a church we are many but one in beliefs and to hold strong to our beliefs, that when we are married we can present ourselves to our future husband as Shiny and New and not tarnished and used.

6. Also on the penny is found the word Liberty, and if we will be strong in our faith and beliefs, we will have liberty or freedom from the temptations of the Adversary.

She then presented each of us with a bright and shiny new penny which she had wrapped in white netting and tied with a soft colored bow. With the challenge that we keep ourselves shiny and unused for our future husband, carry that penny with us as a reminder of our goals so that our marriage won't start out tarnished with indiscretions of our past.