as a way to remove the shock value of the naked male.

As everyone knows, nudity is poor. It is simple.
hat http://mushroomplanet.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=videonudism.com equals sex. Which
might have
is why beach gallery dropped
Delight . . .
when eight years ago, I
learned about a site
Named LDS Skinny-Dipper
Connection1.
on the degree of "military intelligence." I had to check it out.
According to the site, its constituency is "Steadfast members
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." "Families
"Wholesome interest
in societal nudity under appropriate circumstances," it said.
I smirked. This was going to be amusing, reading the rationalizations of these individuals trying to justify this sort of
thing!
I read through the website.
were a lot of words! They claimed that nonsexual social nudity

is a positive, beneficial thing. It is educational because it permits
everyone to see what human bodies really look like---rather
than have the glorified, air brushed images we see in the
media daily. It strips away the mystery of the human
body---particularly those components we keep hidden from each
other---and decreases lust because people become comfortable and familiar with all the body parts. It fight body
shame and negative self-image. click fosters openness and trust
because it enables you to be fully who you're and still be
When I completed, to my shock and astonishment, I exclaimed,
"They're right! There's absolutely no doctrinal objection to wholesome,
nonsexual societal nudity!"
Oh, there were all sorts of LDS cultural objections, all sorts

T

D. MICHAEL MARTINDALE is the author of the critically acclaimed LDS novel Brother Brigham. He has
been a naturist activist for several years and is in the
Procedure of developing a website on family naturism at
FAMILYSKINNYDIPPERS.COM. Martindale lives in Salt
PAGE 44

of "people doctrines" against it, lots of objections to sexualized nudity. But no bona-fide official doctrine against nonsexual nudity.
It is simply that most people do not know there's such a matter as
nonsexual nudity. Recall the equation, "nudity equals sex."

T

HAT WAS ALL I needed: permission from people who
understood my LDS hang-ups. I printed out the entire
LDS Skinny-Dipper Connection web site and presented
the thick sheaf of paper to my wife. "Read this, and tell me
what you believe," I said to her.
She did not read all of it (there were lots of words!), but she
read a substantial part of it, given the papers back to me and
said, "Well, I believe it is rationalization, but if you want to do it,
go ahead."
I did. I became a full fledged, practicing Mormon naturist.
From other naturist hikers, I learned just how to trek bare safely. http://www.fiberartsfestival.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=xelyd.com
Seen places such as Diamond Fork hot springs in Spanish
Fork Canyon where a convention of naked soaking has existed for
decades, and eventually I seen a few naturist resorts and
nude beaches.
The first time I attended the temple after I began practicing
naturism, I was apprehensive. Walking into that environment,
I didn't understand how I'd feel, understanding all the things I 'd done
Nude. Because, really, all I had was an "intellectual testimony"
of nudism Rationally, I was convinced. But being born and
raised in America and within the LDS Church, I had lots of
Psychological conditioning that wasn't so easily overcome. Would
Would an evil spirit follow me indoors, alarming a
Would God
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 sense of peace came over
me. It seemed to say, "Do Not worry about it. http://www.munizmanagement.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=beachsex.site is fine."
For three years, that was the only religious symptom I
had that my choice to embrace nudism was acceptable to
God. But from time to time, it'd strike 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


dress code. She brought her swimsuit; I didn't.
Before the celebration, we attended the wedding reception of a
family in the ward.
The whole time, I kept
what I'd be off doing right after the reception. After all, it was
not so long ago that I was laughing at the idea of a
Mormon fkk.

WHILE MANAGING REGULAR day to day living, I
over the doubts engendered by both halves of my