The recent release of a game touted as “the most violent video game ever” has again opened up the question of whether such violent entertainment really has an effect on viewers and participants.

Many people would intuitively answer “yes” to that question, and there are studies out there that indicate just that. “Violent video games provide a forum for learning and practicing aggressive solutions to conflict situations,” said Dr. Craig A. Anderson in the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in April 2000. “In the short run, playing a violent video game appears to affect aggression by priming aggressive thoughts. Longer-term effects are likely to be longer lasting as well, as the player learns and practices new aggression-related scripts that can become more and more accessible for use when real-life conflict situations arise.”

Yet there are also studies out there that show that such violence has little or no effect on the players. One national news broadcast recently stated that a scientific correlation between video game violence and violent behavior has not yet been found.

But is waiting for scientific proof the only way to know for sure if something is harmful? Certainly not. First off, sometimes common sense and your gut feelings are all you need. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that all people are born with the “light of Christ” that helps us know right from wrong. Sometimes we as humans successfully ignore this innate understanding, but this is a gift from our Heavenly Father that we should pay attention to.

In addition, our Church leaders have told us repeatedly to avoid such violence. For the Strength of Youth, a booklet given to all youth in the Church to refer to for guidelines on moral living, says, “Depictions of violence often glamorize vicious behavior. They offend the Spirit and make you less able to respond to others in a sensitive, caring way. They contradict the Savior’s message of love for one another.” (19)

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles expressed it well when he said: “I believe the entertainment industry cannot portray on film people gunned down in cold blood, in living color, and not have it affect the attitudes and thoughts of some of the people who see it. … I believe that the desensitizing effect of such media abuses on the hearts and souls of those who are exposed to them results in a partial fulfillment of the Savior’s statement that ‘because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.’ ” (” ‘When Shall These Things Be?’ “Ensign, Dec. 1996, 58.)

Elder Marvin J. Ashton of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1915-94) said: “A diet of violence or pornography dulls the senses, and future exposures need to be rougher and more extreme. Soon the person is desensitized and is unable to react in a sensitive, caring, responsible manner, especially to those in his own home and family. Good people can become infested with this material and it can have terrifying, destructive consequences.” (“Rated A,” Ensign, Nov. 1977, 71)

Notice that there is a theme to this counsel. While the possibility of present. Each of these leaders or sources discusses the problem of becoming desensitized to this violence and to spiritual and emotional feelings in general – affecting day-to-day relationships and responsibilities.

That’s a huge danger right there. Does the world really need more ways to create problems in relationships and responsible living?

So while the world may be waiting for direct scientific links between violent video games and violent behavior, know that the Lord’s servants have already spoken on the matter. We would do well to follow their counsel.