as a means to remove the shock value of the naked male.
As everybody knows, nudity is bad. It is straightforward.
hat they
Nudity equals sex. Which
might have
is why my jaw dropped
Happiness . . .
when eight years past, I
learned about a site
Named LDS Skinny-Dipper
Connection1. To me, this
name was an oxymoron
on the degree of “military intelligence.” I had to check it out.
Based on Update on the Status of NY’s Former Nude Beach – Lighthouse Beach , its constituency is “Devoted members
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” “Families
forever, naked and not ashamed,” it said. “Wholesome interest
in societal nudity under appropriate circumstances,” it said.
I smirked. This was going to be entertaining, reading the rationalizations of these individuals attempting to justify this kind of
Matter!
I read through the website. I read every word—and there
were lots of words! They asserted that nonsexual social nudity
is a positive, beneficial thing. It is informative because it permits
everyone to see what human bodies actually look like—instead
than consuming the glorified, air brushed pictures we see in the
media daily. It strips away the mystery of the person
body—especially those parts we keep concealed from each
other—and decreases lust because people become comfortable and knowledgeable with all the body parts. It combats body
shame and negative self-image. It cultivates openness and trust
because it enables you to be fully who you’re and still be
accepted by others.
as soon as I concluded, to my shock and amazement, I exclaimed,
“They’re right! There is absolutely no doctrinal objection to wholesome,
nonsexual societal nudity!”
Oh, there were all sorts of LDS ethnic objections, all sorts
T
D. MICHAEL MARTINDALE is the author of the critically acclaimed LDS novel Brother Brigham. He’s
been a naturist activist for several years and is in the
process of developing a web site on family nudism at
FAMILYSKINNYDIPPERS.COM. Martindale lives in Salt
Lake City, Utah, and works as a Web developer.
PAGE 44
of “folk doctrines” against it, lots of objections to sexualized nudity. But no bona fide official doctrine against nonsexual nudity.
It is simply that most folks do not know there is such a thing as
nonsexual nudity. Remember the equation, “nudity equals sex.”
T
HAT WAS ALL I wanted: permission from folks who
understood my LDS hangups. I printed out the entire
LDS Skinny-Dipper Connection site and presented
the thick sheaf of paper to my wife. “Read this, and tell me
what you believe,” I said to her.
She didn’t read all of it (there were a lot of words!), but she
read a sizeable part of it, given the papers back to me and
said, “Well, I think it’s rationalization, but if you want to do it,
go ahead.” (Bless her heart.)
I did. I became a full fledged, practicing Mormon naturist.
From other naturist hikers, I learned just how to hike bare safely. I
Seen locations like Diamond Branch hot springs in Spanish
Fork Canyon where a convention of nude soaking has existed for
decades, and eventually I visited a few naturist resorts and
nude beaches.
The first time I attended the temple after I started practicing
Nudism, I was apprehensive. Walking into that environment,
I used ton’t know how I’d feel, understanding all the things I ‘d done
Invade Wall Street Guest Blog By Jordan . Because, really, all I had was an “intellectual testimony”
of naturism Rationally, I was convinced. But being born and
raised in America and within the LDS Church, I had a lot of
Psychological conditioning that was not so readily overcome. Would
I feel guilty? Would an evil spirit follow me inside, alerting a
discerning temple president to my unworthiness? Would God
strike me down? These were the agitated thoughts that
churned in my mind as I entered.
But as I walked from the front desk where I showed my advocate to the changing room, a feeling of peace came over
me. It seemed to say, “Do Not worry about it. Everything is Bob’s Burgers Nude Beach Episode Gets It Right (Almost) .”
For three years, that was the only spiritual symptom I
had that my choice to embrace nudism was sufficient to
God. But from time to time, it would hit me how out of step
my nudism was with conventional Mormonism, and uncertainties
would appear—am I actually deceived like most Mormons would
consider me? I recall one time in particular when my wife
and Report On The Novel: Growing Up Without Shame by Dennis Craig were invited to a hot tub party with a clothing-optional
dress code. She brought her swimsuit; I didn’t.
Before the party, we attended the wedding reception of a
family in the ward. We sat and ate mints and nuts and white
cake with another couple in the ward. The entire time, I kept
wondering what this couple would think of me if they understood
what I’d be off doing right after the reception. After all, it was
not so long ago that I was laughing at the thought of a
Mormon nudist.
WHILE HANDLING REGULAR day to day living, I
struggled and studied and meditated and prayed
over the doubts engendered by both halves of my
chemgoldmacsrunu 