So I have a close friend that I have been struggling to give advice to.
She has a boyfriend that isn't LDS, and they have been dating for 5+ years. She went off the deep end with this boyfriend, but went to her bishop and got things cleared up. In the past few years I've seen her flourish in her testimony of the gospel, in all aspects of her life and she's been a huge example to me in that.
Recently her and this boyfriend have been getting serious again, and she came to me for advice, she's not sure if she believes in parts of the gospel, she struggles with abstaining until marriage in aspects of the relationship. She keeps asking me why the lord would put boundaries on us if these things are so great, and how many other religions have the same beliefs but she feels like she's tied down with the LDS church standards.
I tried to explain to her the best I could that the lord doesn't set some boundaries to hold us back, but to help us focus on the bigger picture of life, and looking past what the world says we should and shouldn't do. She seems to agree, and the frustrating part, she admits to me that she knows that she shouldn't do those things, but she's not sure if she can wait till marriage.
I have told her countless times that I know that I will support her no matter what, and I will always love her free from judgement, but I feel like there's more I could say from a spiritual aspect that might help her. I know it's her life and she will make her own decisions, I just hate to see her do something that she regrets or has worse consequences from
Any advice on this situation?
--A struggling friend
