Where I stand on this
topic:
“We are living in the last days, in ‘perilous times’ (2 Timothy 3:1)” teaches Elder Robert D
Hales. “Today temptation finds you! Please remember that! Satan desires to have
you . . . How will you resist his aggressive tactics? Put on the whole armor of
God.” [i]
President Boyd K Packer warns, "The
adversary is jealous toward all who have the power to beget life. He cannot
beget life; he is impotent. He and those who followed him were cast out and
forfeited the right to a mortal body. His angels even begged to inhabit the
bodies of swine. (See Matt. 8:31.)
And the revelations tell us that “he seeketh that all men might be miserable
like unto himself.” (2 Ne. 2:27) . . . Civilizations, like Sodom and Gomorrah, destroyed themselves by disobedience
to the laws of morality. (2 Ne. 26:11;
see also Gen. 6:3; Ether 2:15; D&C
1:33; Moses 8:17.)”
Sometimes we may believe that our individual
small choices do not really matter. Choices about morality vitally affect all
mankind. President Packer states, "God grant that we will come to our
senses and protect our moral environment . . . The fate of all humanity hangs
precariously in the balance. . . . [ii]
President Packer explains,
“ . . . Pornography is
like unto a plague sweeping across the world, infecting one here and one there, relentlessly
trying to invade every home, . . . Lucifer seeks to disrupt “the great plan of
redemption,” (Jacob 6:8; Alma 34:31) “the great plan of happiness. (Alma 42:8). . . We raise an alarm and warn
members of the Church to wake up and understand what is going on. Parents, be
alert, ever watchful that this wickedness might threaten your family circle. .
. . Pornography will always repel the
Spirit of Christ and will interrupt the communications
between our Heavenly Father and His children and disrupt the tender
relationship between husband and wife.
"The priesthood holds
consummate power. It can protect you from the plague of pornography . . . [It]
can show how to break a habit and even erase an addiction. Holders of the priesthood have
that authority and should employ it to combat evil influences. . . . Every soul confined in a prison of sin, guilt, or
perversion has a key to the gate. The key is labeled “repentance.” If you know how to use this key, the adversary cannot
hold you. The twin principles of repentance
and forgiveness exceed
in strength the awesome power of the tempter. If you are bound by a habit or an
addiction that is unworthy, you must stop conduct that is harmful. Angels will
coach you, (See 2 Nephi 32:3) and priesthood leaders will guide you through those difficult times. Nowhere
are the generosity and the kindness and mercy of God more manifest than in
repentance. Do you understand the consummate cleansing power of the Atonement
made by the Son of God, our Savior, our Redeemer? . . . (D&C19:16).” In
that supernal act of love, the Savior paid the penalties for our sins so that
we might not have to pay. . . . Priesthood
holders carry with them the antidote to remove the terrible images of
pornography and to wash away guilt. The priesthood has the power to unlock the
influence of our habits, even to unchain from addiction, however tight the
grip. It can heal over the scars of past mistakes. . . .” [iii]
“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints has a single, undeviating standard of sexual morality: intimate
relations are proper only between a man and a woman in the marriage
relationship prescribed in God’s plan. . . Obedience to the law of chastity
will increase our happiness in mortality and make possible our progress in
eternity,” teaches Elder David A Bednar. [iv]
Elder Deiter F Uchtdorf comforts
and teaches, "Small errors and minor drifts away from the doctrine of the
gospel of Jesus Christ can bring sorrowful consequences into our lives. It is
therefore of critical importance that we become self-disciplined enough to make
early and decisive corrections to get back on the right track and not wait or
hope that errors will somehow correct themselves. . . . New technologies . . .
can be a blessing . . . Be cautious. . .
dangerous traps are only a mouse click away. . . . Minor decisions can
lead to major consequences. . . . We proclaim the good news that is the gospel
of redemption and salvation. No matter how terribly off course you are . . .
Have faith, and believe in the cleansing power of the infinite
Atonement of Jesus the Christ . . . confess and repent of
our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9); (Isaiah 1:18). It may not be an easy path,
and it requires self-discipline and determination, but its end is glorious
beyond description. You are not doomed to a tragic end." (My
emphasis.) [v]
How this affects my
future:
Elder Robert
D Hales taught BYU students, “‘The world has gone far afield . . . the Church
will remain constant, and the world will keep moving—that gap is [becoming]
wider and wider. … Be very careful. If you judge your
actions and the standards of the Church on the basis of where the world is and
where it’s going, you will find that you are not where you should be.
Elder Uchtdorf counsels, "Remember:
the heavens will . . . [be] filled with those . . . who recognized that they
were off course and who corrected their ways to get back in the light of gospel
truth. . . .The more we treasure the words of the prophets and apply them, the
better we will recognize when we are drifting off course—even if only by a
matter of a few degrees.[vii]
“In its widest application, sin includes every
irregularity of behavior, every source of uncleanliness,” teaches Elder Dallin
H Oaks. . . .”We can benefit from someone else’s [experiences]. . . we don’t
have to have personal experience with the effects of serious transgressions to
know that they are injurious to our souls and destructive of our eternal
welfare.” President Oaks directs me to “Conduct [my] life today so [my] tomorrows
are not burdened with bad or embarrassing memories.” [viii] He also taught, "The repenting sinner must suffer for his sins but this
suffering has a different purpose than punishment or payment. It's purpose is
change."
My plan to apply it in my life:
“All
of us must come to an honest, open self-examination, an awareness within as to
who and what we want to be,” Elder M Russell Ballard shared. “Keep foremost in
mind the sacred covenants [you] have made with the Lord … [Your] main goal
should be to seek ‘immortality and eternal life’ (Moses 1:39). Eliminate from [your life] the things that clamor for and
consume [your] thoughts, feelings, and energies without contributing to . . .reaching …‘immortality and eternal life’ (Moses 1:39). . . . Just
do the very best you can each day. Do the basic
things and, before you realize it, your life will be full of spiritual
understanding that will confirm to you that your Heavenly Father loves you.
When a person knows this, then life will be full of purpose and meaning, making
balance easier to maintain.” [x]
Elder Oaks guides, “Avoid the “promotional literature of illicit sexual relations” in what [you] read and [view]. . . . Once recorded, [filth] will always remain subject to recall, flashing its perverted images across your mind and drawing you away from the wholesome things in life.” [xi]
Elder
Packer suggests, “One way you can learn to control your thoughts . . . has to
do with
music. . . . What do
you do at a time . . . when the stage of your mind is commandeered by the imps
of unclean thinking? . . . Choose from among the sacred music of the Church a
favorite hymn, one with words that are uplifting and music that is reverent,
one that makes you feel something akin to inspiration. . . . Go over it in your
mind carefully. Memorize it. Even
though you have had no musical training, you can think through a hymn. Now,
use this hymn as the place for your thoughts to go. Make it your emergency
channel. Whenever you find these shady actors have slipped from the sidelines
of your thinking onto the stage of your mind, put on this record, as it were.
(Emphasis mine.) I am working on memorizing more hymns and scriptures.
"'Music,' said Gladstone, 'is one of the most forceful instruments for
governing the mind and spirit of man.'" [xii]
The music I have in my mind strengthens me.
Elder Richard G Scott warns, “Many
of us have a personal electronic device that fits into our pocket. We are
seldom without its company; we may refer to it many times a day. Unfortunately,
these devices can be a source of filth and wasted time. But, used with
discipline, this technology can be a tool of protection from the worst of
society.
“. . . Studying, pondering, and
listening to [scriptures] during quiet moments of each day will enhance
communication through the Spirit.
“Be wise in how you embrace technology. Mark
important scriptures on your device and refer back to them frequently. If you .
. . review a verse of scripture as often as some of you send text
messages, you could soon have hundreds of passages
of scripture memorized. Those
passages would prove to be a powerful source of inspiration and guidance by
the Holy Ghost in
times of need.” [xiii]
(My emphasis.) I work constantly to memorize and retain scriptures and good
quotes.
NOTES:
[i]
Elder ROBERT D HALES of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostle, “Stand
Strong in Holy Places,”183rd Annual General
Conference, 6 April 2013
[ii]
President BOYD K.
PACKER,
President
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Our Moral
Environment,”
162nd Annual General Conference, April 1992
[iii]
President BOYD K. PACKER, President
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Cleansing
the Inner Vessel,” 180th Semi-Annual General
Conference, October 2010
[iv]
Elder DAVID A.
BEDNAR of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “We
Believe in Being Chaste,” 183rd Annual
General Conference, 6 April 2013
[v]
Elder DEITER F
UCHTDORF,
Second Counselor in the First Presidency, “A Matter of a
Few Degrees,” 178th
Annual General Conference, April 2008, Ensign, May 2008, 60.
[vi] (Robert D. Hales, “This Is the Way; and
There Is None Other Way,” in Brigham Young University 1981–82 Speeches (1982),
3–4; available at speeches.byu.edu.)
[vii]
Elder DEITER F
UCHTDORF,
Second Counselor in the First Presidency, “A Matter of a
Few Degrees,” 178th
Annual General Conference, April 2008, Ensign, May 2008, 60.
[viii] Elder DALLIN H. OAKS of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, "Sin and
Suffering," Fireside, Brigham Young
University, 5
August 1990 or July 1992 Ensign
[x]
Elder M. RUSSELL BALLARD of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Keeping Life’s Demands In Balance,” 157th Annual General
Conference, April 1987
[xi] Elder DALLIN H.
OAKS of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Pornography,” 175th Annual General Conference, April 2005; (Challenges
for the Year Ahead (pamphlet, 1974), 4–5; reprinted in ‘Things They’re Saying,’ New
Era, Feb. 1974, 18)”
[xii]
President BOYD K.
PACKER, President of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Inspiring
Music—Worthy Thoughts,” January 1974 Ensign
[xiii]
Elder RICHARD G.
SCOTT of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “For
Peace at Home” 183rd Annual
General Conference, 6 April 2013
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