I appreciated Katie Harmer’s viewpoint “A Modest Proposal” (3/22), especially because she is a woman. Women have enough problems feeling pretty; worrying that the way they look is going to lead some guy into sin just adds unnecessary stress.
“Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly,” means that we not only maintain good thoughts, but also that we think positively about others. Demonizing women when your engine gets revved is not virtuous. What this shows is urgency to divert attention from your desire to keep looking, like you don’t have to put off the natural man if you just pretend it doesn’t exist. Instead of bridling your passions, you would rather “set her in the midst.”
Modesty is the ideal, and women should honor the gift of their bodies in the way they dress, but priesthood holders need to man up and take responsibility for themselves. No matter how you justify it, it’s never going to be a woman’s fault if you can’t manage to have virtuous thoughts
TODD CARMAN
Veneta, Ore.
