Pornographic or erotic stories and pictures are worse than filthy or polluted food. The body has defenses to rid itself of unwholesome food. With a few fatal exceptions, bad food will only make you sick but do no permanent harm. In contrast, a person who feasts upon filthy stories or pornographic or erotic pictures and literature records them in this marvelous retrieval system we call a brain. The brain won’t vomit back filth. Once recorded, it will always remain subject to recall, flashing its perverted images across your mind and drawing you away from the wholesome things in life. (Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles)
Deseret Morning News out of Salt Lake City, Utah published an article this past Thursday that really disturbs me as a parent. It was disturbing but not a surprise at all. The study conducted by Brigham Young University researchers is t
itled “Generation XXX: Pornography Acceptance and Use Among Emerging Adults.” BYU researchers interviewed 813 college students at six American colleges and universities (BYU was not included in the study).
The study found that 86% of college men and 31% of college women reported viewing pornographic material the previous year. It also found that 48% of college men and 3% of college women view it weekly. As if it isn’t alarming enough that the numbers are so high for college men, the number of college aged women who are now viewing pornography is the highest that I’m aware of. The study indicated that these young people believe that pornography is perfectly acceptable. The study also found that young women who view pornography and find it to be an acceptable expression of their sexuality often exhibit other risky behavior.
The results of this study should be an even greater call to action for all of us parents and anyone else who is concerned about our families and children. Sadly, Generation XXX is literally awash in a sea of filth. It appears to be everywhere. It is no wonder that some impressionable young people are thinking that it isn’t a big deal, that it is okay and maybe even normal. Far too many of our young people and adults as well have succumbed to this evil. The availability of it through the Internet, magazines, and even cellphones has made it so accessible.
It is safe to conclude that the proliferation of pornography today contributes directly to the kinds of behavior and attitudes reported in the study. An example in my own home brought this point home to me not too long ago. We were sitting down to watch a game on TV when a commercial for a certain lingerie company came on. When scantily clad women started parading on the screen, only one of us was visibly uncomfortable – my father. The rest of us did not react at all. We’ve become so used to seeing these images on TV, in newspapers and magazines, on billboards, and other public places that we’ve accepted them as “normal.” My father on the other hand was very uncomfortable for obvious reasons. He did not grow up in an age where images of women in their underwear was acceptable for such a medium.
Elder David B. Haight of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke on this exact point. He said “this growing presence of obscenity has been aided by the lowering of media standards for advertising, by relaxed movie ratings, by television soap operas and situation comedies that use their powerful voices to justify, glamorize, and encourage sexual relations outside of marriage.”
What’s a parent to do? Again, we must be watchful. We must be vigilant. We must not permit such evil in our homes. We must educate ourselves about the dangers of the Internet and take appropriate actions to combat them. Ask the hard questions. As a parent, this is sometimes difficult to do especially if our children are older teens or young adults. After all, they’re at a point where they are ready to break away and be an independent adult. However, we are still their parent and we need to continue to be their parent as well as their friend.
We need to ask our children what they’re doing when they’re online. Get to know who their friends are. Find out about the families of their friends. Don’t let them hang out in someone’s house if you don’t know anything about that family. Turn off the Internet feature of all cellphones in your home unless you absolutely need it. Be aware that other wireless gadgets such as iPods, PDAs, and even video game consoles can be used to access the Internet.
Read the counsels from our leaders together with your teens and preteens. Talk about it with them. Tell them why it is wrong to view pornography. Teach them about the risks not only to their physical well being but their spiritual well being as well when they allow such filth in their lives. Teach them to avoid it completely. Elder Oaks’ analogy posted at the top of this post explains why pornography, even if viewed only once, can be so damaging. Once viewed, it will stick around in our minds, even if we really wished it didn’t. Better to avoid pornography altogether. In the words of Elder Oaks, “.”
We must add our voices to the fight against pornography on the Internet and everywhere else. We must pledge to fight this vice everywhere and every time. We must choose to rise up against the kind of permissive culture that allows such images to be so commonplace and accessible.
Let us join in the fervent declaration of Joshua Choose you this day whom ye will serve; … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Let our hearts be pure. Let our lives be clean. Let our voices be heard. Let our actions be felt.(President Thomas S. Monson, First Counselor in the First Presidency)
