Now that the LDS Church has raised the

[Cali Coug]

Originally Posted by scottie

I've never believed the death penalty deters anyone from committing murder; it's human nature to not kill someone. I've also never believed the Mormon "death penalty" of not being allowed to serve a mission deters a teenager from making sexual mistakes; sex drive is human nature. Kids, specifically teenagers in this case, are going to make mistakes no matter the consequence, and the ONLY thing that matters (or should matter anyway) is if the kid has tried to repent. How is the Atonement somehow not applicable when a kid wants to give up two years for the Lord's work?

On a related note, who cares if a kid has had multiple sex partners if he's repented? The Atonement applies to him/her just as much as the next person.

I have to agree. I have the impression that "raising the bar" is more about disqualifying kids for egregious sins than it is about requiring those who serve to have a closer relationship with Christ (which is what it should be about). If someone has been forgiven of a sin, what possible difference does it make on whether or not they should serve a mission? All we should care about is if the person has done what they should have done to receive repentance and grow closer to Christ.