In today’s world, we hear a lot of talk about a lot of things. One of those points of discussion is about the non-necessity of marriage. I won’t use some of the crasser phrases people use to describe such situations, but studies have shown that casual relationships with physical intimacy are destructive.
Another point of discussion by media individuals (and others) often is “how normal it is to use pornography.”
Yet in truth,
“Physical intimacy is a sacred part of the marriage relationship. It allows children to be born into families, and it brings couples closer together throughout their lives.
“The adversary tries to thwart the Lord’s plan of happiness by suggesting that physical intimacy is only for personal gratification. Pornography encourages this destructive and selfish preoccupation. Pornography depicts or describes the human body or sexual conduct in a way that arouses sexual feelings. It may be found in written material (including romance novels), photographs, movies, electronic images, video games, internet chat rooms, erotic telephone conversations, music, or any other medium. It is a tool of the adversary” “(“Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts,” published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).
I’ll stop right here and say that perhaps to some, if this is the first time of hearing such information, this might come as a surprise. For the companies who make millions of dollars from pornography, they want people of course to see it as benign and purely a form of “entertainment.” “There is no harm in this!” they proclaim.
Why are they so insistent? Because they make money off of the sale of pornographic materials. Their focus is not wrecked families that result from pornographic addictions.
Talk to any of the many counselors who work with individuals desperate to break a porn addiction. Pornography is addicting. Talk to anyone trying to stop. In fact, some studies now are indicating that in as few as three exposures, an individual can no longer leave it alone. Experts will tell you that with the way pornography works and interacts with brain chemistry, it is a more powerful drug than cocaine!
I have known individuals who have fallen prey to pornography. I have seen families destroyed by it. It reminds me of several scriptures:
Alma 5:57
And now I say unto you, all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things;…
Can we really say that looking at pictures of naked bodies is a healthy activity? Where did our world get so confused?
3 Nephi 20:41
And then shall a cry go forth: Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch not that which is unclean; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.
The Voice of reason still calls. The Lord wants His people to be a clean people. The best part is that He has provided a way for people to be clean – even if they have made big mistakes. That way is spoken of in the next scripture:
Moroni 10:30
And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.
God does not ask us to be perfect all in one moment. He does want to know, though, where our hearts are at. Can we really be serving Him if our minds are full of naked people?
And yet the world continues on with its siren song: “pornography causes no harm.”
Well, the Lord’s servants declare otherwise. And they issue a sure promise. Anyone can come to Christ. Anyone! It does not matter what we’ve previously done. Anyone can come to Christ. It is why He did what he did; He paid for our sins. He loves us. He loves you. He loves me. He wants us back in His presence.
Isaiah teaches us, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18).
What a miracle this can be! How is this possible? Isaiah answers this as he prophecies of the Lamb – the Son of God – Jesus Christ, who would be coming to save us all:
“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:3-5).
Do you remember how Jesus Christ was beaten with a whip, just prior to His crucifixion? It is this that Isaiah refers to when the prophet spoke of “His stripes.” How heart-wrenching, yet Christ allowed this so that our sins could be forgiven.
He did this because He knew we at times might stumble and err in judgment. Isaiah testifies:
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).
Oh, how my heart rejoices that Christ would do all of this for us. He did it because of love. Can you imagine the sacrifice? the effort? What this means is that because of Jesus Christ, everyone can be released from the snares in life, even the snare of pornography.
The pamphlet referred to above finishes off these thoughts with this paragraph:
“As you learn and apply the gospel of Jesus Christ in your life, you can withstand the adversary. If you ‘let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly’ (D&C 121:45), you will grow in knowledge, strength, and power. You can receive His image in your countenance and be spiritually born of Him (see Alma 5:14).”
Isn’t this great? The way out of traps and difficulties that would snare us is given in this last paragraph. When we ‘let virtue garnish’ our thoughts, we become strong in Christ.
So the way out of anything that ensnares us is to spend time in the scriptures and in prayer. When we study the scriptures, we learn of virtue and that process begins to transform us, to strengthen us. Before we know, as we humbly seek the Lord, that which had caused us to stumble has lost its power over us – all because of Him who redeemed us! We just need to follow Him, not the ways of the world!
We began by talking how marriage is central to God’s plan. It is. One of the things that can destroy a marriage more quickly than nearly any other thing is pornography.
The Lord will help anyone caught in pornography’s snares – if they will turn to Him through scripture study, prayer, and obtain the help of a counselor who specializes in addictions.
The greatest joys we can experience in this life are found in family life. Let’s work hard to make sure we preserve ours based on the gospel of Jesus Christ and Him who came to save.
P.S. Here is additional information on the Church’s Addiction Recovery Program, on Pornography and Internet Safety, and a Seven-Part Anti-Pornography Series. For additional information, the Mormon church has this helpful page on the subject of pornography.
