As far as my experiences, here's a little bio and philosophy:
I can recall, as a young boy, realizing for the first time that babies were born naked! What a shock! You see, I was raised in a very strict textile LDS family. ["Textile" means "anti-nudist" in this context. AP] But from my late teens, I began to see the problems that society in the U.S. especially, has from its innate concepts (however denied) that the body is evil, and must not be revealed to anyone. With these thoughts not yet matured, I married a strict textile.
Certainly LDS are not immune from these problems. My parents divorced while I was a teenager. The night before my wife and I were wed and sealed in the SLC temple, a sweet old brother working in the state clerk's office (I think) warned my wife and me not to get too intimate with each other, to draw lines from the very beginning. Gee, what "inspired" counsel. After my wife raised our 4 children in the same concepts, (she always regarded my nudist tendencies as suspect), one is thrice married and is a single mother of 4. Another married, and is divorced, a third has never married (in his late 20's), and the fourth may just make it, rocky marriage, 2 beautiful children. With marriage being ordained of God, and intended for eternity, why don't LDS (and other Christians) have better records of long marriages? I believe it is that very tendency to never get really intimate with each other. I see Satan laughing (and chalking up another victory) each time an eternal union is severed.
My very first experience was in Y summer camp -- a (very) cold mountain camp with a swimming pool. We boys were all encouraged to skinny dip, and I enjoyed it, except for the cold.
The next was in my brother's backyard pool in Arizona, one evening family poolside party. My sister-in-law dared me, so I took off my suit (underwater) and swam the length of the pool before suiting up again (underwater). Again, felt right.
Many years ago, we were visiting in Santa Barbara, California. I got up super early one morning and went to the nude beach there before anyone else. As the sun rose, I took off my swimsuit and dashed into the water and back to the beach to "dress" again, quickly. Amazing experience, exhilarating. Felt right.
One LDS professional recommended my wife and I go to one of Idaho's hot springs, strip, soak, and just enjoy each other. We never did, still haven't.
Not many years ago, after getting on line, I found info on nudism in Colorado. Went to Valley View Hot Springs. This was really my first co-ed experience. I had no problem, only a little apprehension (lasted about 5 minutes) joining a number of swimmers and sunbathers in the big swimming pool. I particularly noted the contrast of the children there, playing together having great clean fun, vs. the usual mortification children raised in the textile way have if even a strap breaks, etc. Absolutely healthy.
Been there many times since. Been to The Well outside Penrose, Colorado, but its fee schedule tolerates only affluent adults, whereas Valley View Hot Springs is family-oriented throughout. And The Well is a more sterile environment, whereas Valley View Hot Springs is almost natural throughout. Also to Cottonwood Hot Springs, but "Clothing-Optional" is permitted only in the "private" pools, rented for a limited time.
I have not participated in social
nudity outside the water environment, but believe I would do well, so long
as the people were good, moral people (preferably Christian, preferably
LDS), so that I could trust them.
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