Chastity: What are the limits?

"Courtship is a wonderful period. It should be a sacred one. That is the time in which you choose your mate. Young men, your success in life depends upon that choice. Choose prayerfully the one who inspires you to your best and always remember that no man injures the thing he loves. . The seeds of a happy marriage are sown in youth. Happiness does not begin at the altar; it begins during the period of youth and courtship." — David O. McKay (Ensign, Jan 1974, p 36)

Every study of the subject has shown that living together before marriage is not good. In each case, they found:
• higher divorce rate - up to 46% higher
• lower quality of life - rates of depression and abuse are at least three times higher for unmarried couples than married ones
• cohabitation does not lead to marriage - only 21% were still together after only five years, even if they got married during that time
• commitment sidetracked - men said they were less likely to get married when they can simply live with a woman and enjoy the same benefits, then walk away with no liabilities.
— "The National Marriage Project" by Rutgers University

"No pressure, no diamonds." — Thomas Carlyle