What Does It Mean To 'Soak'? The Rumored Mormon Dating Practice Popularized On TikTok Explained

Mormonism is having its moment in the spotlight given all the controversial Mommy bloggers and tradwives acting as the face of the religious sect online. But Mormonism has always been a point of curiosity for Americans, whether it's expressed in the form of entire South Park specials or through the notorious BYU college campus TikTok interviews that proliferated in the late 2010s.

Often considered to be one of the more conservative and traditional sects of Christianity, Mormonism has also given rise to certain slang terms used to describe how some young Mormons may attempt to circumvent the strict rules of their church. Here's why you may have heard the term soaking in conversations about how some Mormons try to circumvent rules about premarital intimacy.

What Does It Mean To 'Soak' As A Mormon?

"Soaking" is a term used to describe men and women engaging in the act of penetration, without the movement typically required for a guy to climax. According to Mormon urban legends propagated primarily by younger members of the church, "soaking" is supposed to let two lovers circumvent religious laws around premarital intimacy sheerly off of a technicality.

Some people have embellished the "soaking" legend with the added act of "jumping," which is supposedly when a friend jumps on the bed two people are "soaking" in order to make them simulate thrusting.

Where Does The Term 'Soaking' Come From?

One of the earliest mentions of "soaking" was posted online on a Newschoolers forum back in 2009. User breck-love described it as a "great bonding experience" that still allowed Mormons to go to heaven. It is unclear how sincerely this user meant to deliver this statement. The term made its way over to Urban Dictionary in 2011.

According to rumors propagated both online and in real life, soaking is popular at Brigham Young University (BYU), a school attended by a majority Mormon population. Mentions of young people soaking at BYU appeared on Reddit's /r/exmormons, with the story also receiving a full feature in MEL Magazine in July 2017.

What Are Some Memes About Mormon 'Soaking'?

For the full history of Soaking, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.