And the Bride Wore White: The Seven Secrets to Sexual Purity [Paperback]

Dannah Gresh (Author), Jaci Velasquez (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2004

Only God has the power to enable us to remain sexually pure. Apart from Him, the task is nearly impossible. Worldly passions engulf our youth, dragging them into a world for which they are unprepared and is outside of God?s will.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I don't know if I can fully explain what I experienced. I got so much. It wasn't about abstinence. It was about life. I met God truly for the first time." -- Lola, 16

"My opinion is that it is one of the best I have ever read on the topic. Our women desperately need this challenge." -- Dean of Women At A Christian College

"The change in my daughter was immediate. She seems to have a new outlook, a new commitment to Christ, a new respect for herself and a glow that had been missing for a while. I highly recommend this and encourage mothers to get your daughters involved and watch them grow!" -- Pam, Mother of Katie, 17

"The incredible thing about this book is that as you read and go through it, it feels like an intimate conversation with a close friend.I encourage you to completely and wholeheartedly dive into this book. I know it will be an encouragement for you as you stand strong in this world of pressure and confusion." -- From the Foreword by Jaci Valasquez

"What a pleasure it was to read this book and find someone who wants to make the white wedding dress a symbol of purity again. Dannah helps walk us down the aisle of a pure lifestyle!" -- Leslee J. Unruh, President, National Abstinence Clearinghouse

"Wow! I was totally blown away by Dannah's fantastic book. It gives young women the strength they need to set high standards and value their virginity. It's also an excellent tool for healing and renewal for those who have been sexually active outside of marriage. Thanks for some great ideas-I'm going to use them in my work!" -- Mary-Louise Kurey, Miss Wisconsin 1999, Youth Motivational Speaker

About the Author

Dannah Gresh is the founder of Pure Freedom Retreats, which she conducts for junior and senior high and college-age young women. Dannah and her husband, Bob, live in State College, Pennsylvania, with their two children, Robby and Lexi.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 183 pages
• Publisher: Moody Publishers (January 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802483305
• ISBN-13: 978-0802483300
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,086,696 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dannah Gresh is a best-selling author and the founder of Pure Freedom, (purefreedom.org) and is the creator of Secret Keeper Girl (secretkeepergirl.com). She is a frequent guest who is called upon to defend the conservative position of abstinence in mediums such as The Chicago Tribune, USA Today, and TIME. Her most recent best-sellers are "Six Ways To Keep The Little In Your Girl: Guiding Your Tween To Her Teens" and "What Are You Waiting For: The One Thing No One Ever Tells You About Sex." She lives with her family and a wonderful menagerie of pets in the Happy Valley of State College, Pennsylvania.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

93 of 101 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just a "don't"- a "WHY", July 10, 2000

By 

Amy L Conner - See all my reviews

This review is from: And the Bride Wore White: The Seven Secrets to Sexual Purity (Paperback)

Every woman should read this book. Especially if you have daughters. No matter where you are in your life, as a young unmarried woman, a wife/mom, or even a grandmother Dannah's words will speak to your heart. I bought this book for my 16 yr old sister and found that even as a happily married wife and mom, I couldn't put it down. All my life I'd heard the "don't" message and although there are plenty of compelling reasons often mentioned (STD's unwanted pregnancy ect) the most compelling of all was missed. I found it in these pages. The most compelling reason to strive for purity is the reward. Purity is holding your hunger at bay, anticipating the incredible feast God has created in marital love. Purity is getting and staying focused on the goal- and like Dannah says it is a process. Why on earth would you choose cheetos when you have a banquet prepared and waiting! If you didn't know what the banquet was all about your hunger might get the best of you- For many of us it did. I cried when I finished this book thinking of how my life might have been different if only someone had given me this book when I was 16. But after the mourning came healing. Read this book. Give it to your daughters, your sisters, your granddaughters... God will bless you all.

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just an abstinence message, June 11, 2000

By 

maria telegraphis (State College, Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: And the Bride Wore White: The Seven Secrets to Sexual Purity (Paperback)

Before meeting Dannah I had already heard the abstinence message. The message that I had heard told my generation not to have sex because we just shouldn't. Reasons for waiting was so we didn't have to experience STD's, unwanted pregenacies, and mulitple heartaches. Often the message would be given by someone who had long since experienced the temptation of premarital sex. It was almost if the married speakers would be bragging because they could do something that we were not yet allowed to. When I went to one of Dannah's retreats I knew that there was something different about her and her message. Her message was one of love, making you able to connect with her. She said that purity is a process, you do not wake up one morning and are pure, and you don't just loose it through an act. Purity is much greater and has to be culitvated through your relationship with Christ. By saying that purity is a process, she was also saying that just because you are married does not mean you are done with working on purity. When she admitted that she put herself on our level and was no longer someone who had it all figured out,but someone who understood what we were going through. She also used her personal stories to help us understand that she is not to condem us but to identify with us. It is how she identifies with us that makes us want to hear what she has to say. Dannah also makes it extremely clear that the reason why God wants us to wait is not to spoil our fun, but to give you the best sexual experience later. God loves His children to have sex, but only in the proper setting. He wants you to wait not so you can be deprived of sex but so that you will not be deprived of what sex is supposed to be. How can that holy act that is meant to bring two people and make them as one, be as holy if it has occurred with others and out of the context of marriage? Dannah also makes us realize that God does not set up these standards and then leaves us but is with us every step of the way. She reminds us that God is always there for us even if we had premarital sex. His forgivness out weighs our failures and he can always make us pure again. I would highly recommend this book because it encompasses everything that is in her retreats. My generation has to understand that they are precious in God's eyes and that He wants us to save sex so we can be the happiest later in our lives. Dannah Gresh does a beautiful job in drawing her readers closer to God so that He can tell them what He needs them to hear.

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great and Practical Book, February 26, 2005

By 

LMS "Book worm" (WI United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: And the Bride Wore White: Seven Secrets to Sexual Purity (Paperback)

I found this book at the Christian bookstore and was intrigued by the title. I didn't realize until after I bought it that it was intended for teenagers (I'm in my late 20s and single) But I'm not at all sorry I bought this book. The Lord has really been convincing me lately of the importance of being sexually pure. I was looking for a book that not only discussed purity but how to live it out. This book gives some great tips. I can't wait to try them out for myself. I wish I had had this information when I was a young teenager. It would have saved me a lot of grief, regret and heartache. But while no one can change the past, with God's help and the tips in this book. You can change the future. I appreciate the author's honest. Yes, she is married, but she is very much aware of the struggles that young single women face. I think this book should be required reading for every teenager and for every parent with teenage girls. I would definitely recommend this book to others.