Maintaining Chastity through Righteous Living: The Camel in the Sandstorm

“[A] camel and his owner … were traveling across the desert sand dunes when a wind storm came up. The traveler quickly set up his tent and moved in, closing the flaps to protect himself from the cutting, grinding sands of the raging storm. The camel was of course left outside, and as the violent wind hurled the sand against his body and into his eyes and nostrils he found it unbearable and finally begged for entrance into the tent.

“ ‘There is room only for myself,’ said the traveler.

“ ‘But may I just get my nose in so I can breathe air not filled with sand?’ asked the camel.

“ ‘Well, perhaps you could do that,’ replied the traveler, and he opened the flap ever so little and the long nose of the camel entered. How comfortable the camel was now! But soon the camel became weary of the smarting sand on his eyes and ears, and he was tempted to ask again:

“ ‘The wind-driven sand is like a rasp on my head. Could I put just my head in?’

“Again, the traveler rationalized that to acquiesce would do him no damage, for the camel’s head could occupy the space at the top of the tent which he himself was not using. So the camel put his head inside and the beast was satisfied again—but for a short while only.

“ ‘Just the front quarters,’ he begged, and again the traveler relented and soon the camel’s front shoulders and legs were in the tent. Finally, by the same processes of pleading and of yielding, the camel’s torso, his hind quarters and all were in the tent. But now it was too crowded for the two, and the camel kicked the traveler out into the wind and storm” 

--Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969], pp. 215–16.

Gospel principles can be likened to the tent of the traveler. 

When we surround ourselves with gospel principles and abide by their protection, we are safe from the destructive forces of Satan. 

If we choose to share part of our lives with evil influences, we will eventually lose our personal purity. 

This process of giving in gradually to Satan’s temptations is one of the most common ways in which young people lose their chastity.