Elder Dallin H. Oaks provided a brilliant operational definition for the word "date" in his seminal CES Fireside about the importance of dating as opposed to hanging out. According to his definition, for a date to contribute to a pattern that could potentially mature into marriage, it should be paid for, planned ahead and paired off. I'm sure we're all familiar with this talk and the concept of the "three p's."
But just knowing the three p's doesn't mean you're an expert dater any more than your owning a blue spandex jumpsuit means you fight crime.
Over the next three weeks, you and I will take a fun-filled journey through the ideal application of each of the three p's.
We'll learn that a date's being "paid for" means more than simply that money was exchanged. We'll also explore the critical distinction between "paying for a date" and "paying a date."
Next, I'll delineate what should go into "planning ahead" for a date. I'll talk about when and how this planning should occur, how it should be communicated and the very important role of flexibility on a date.
And finally, in the third and eponymous article in this series, we'll discuss the importance of "pairing off." In particular, for all of you kids who don't live in Helaman Halls, anymore, we'll be delving into the benefits of single dates as opposed to double dates and group activities.
Stay tuned for some informatively good times!