Joseph's Example of Fleeing Sexual Sin

Genesis 39 7 ¶And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. 8 But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; 9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? 10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. 11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. 12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. 13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, 14 That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: 15 And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out. 16 And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home. 17 And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me: 18 And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out. 19 And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled. 20 And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. 21 ¶But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. 23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.

My Thoughts:

Joseph was tempted "day by day" by Potiphars wife. He would not like with her OR even be with her for that matter. When push came to shove he even fled without the clothes (these are the clothes he had laid to the side as he "went into the house to do his business." He fled and got him out. He was even protected at times I think by having others around vs 11 is when the temptation came unprecedented when there was not one left but Joseph in the house no other men, yet his muscle memory reaction was to flee because after all how could he do such great wickedness and sin against God. We are husbands, fathers, boys, men, and priesthood holders too need such muscle memory.

As we are faithful we qualify for the blessings given to Joseph the Lord will be with us vs 21, We will prosper in any circumstance vs22 both these points summarized in vs 23.

Their Laws Had Become Corrupted

Helaman 5:2
For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and they who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction, for the laws had become corrupted.

My Thought:
Note that the act did not become right or virtuous because it became law. Rather the law had become corrupted.  There is a standard of right and wrong.  That standards is God's standard, and our laws and manner of living should be measured ultimately against the teachings of Jesus Christ and His prophets.

Real Liberty

2 Nephi 2:27

Wherefore, men are ^afree according to the ^bflesh; and ^call things are ^dgiven them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to ^echoose ^fliberty and eternal ^glife, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be ^hmiserable like unto himself.

My Thought:  

Choosing liberty leads to freedom and eternal life--Choosing to follow the commandments of God.  Choosing anything less is really "to choose captivity and death."  Keeping the commandments is liberating.  I recall these words of Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Seeing through sensuality’s deceptive spin is another vital preventive. For instance, some of those who flout the seventh commandment by their immoral lifestyles are like Cain’s declaring, “I am free” (Moses 5:33), after breaking the sixth commandment by slaying Abel. Such erroneous thinking about freedom evokes Peter’s warning words: “Of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage” (2 Pet. 2:19; see also 2 Ne. 2:26–30). True, strident souls may even fake laughter amid bondage and sin, but another proverb applies: “Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness” (Prov. 14:13).