Pornography

POSITION STATEMENT

Pornography, like other addictive behaviors can consume your thoughts, actions and limit your ability to feel the Spirit, because the Spirit cannot dwell in unholy places. It can destroy your ability to feel natural affection and which can destroy personal, marriage and family relationships. Regret, sorrow and despair accompany addictive behaviors because we feel helpless and unable to control the addiction. We need to be aware of the consequences and shun the practice before being introduced to the behavior.  Pornography is difficult to combat on your own. The Lord is on our side and is always available to help us change our behaviors and thoughts. Through the Atonement, we can be healed from our iniquities. We can turn to Him in prayer and ask Him to guide our actions and we can seek the help of our bishop and loving family members. Addictions are Satan’s devices and used to repel the Spirit and our relationship with God. It is wonderful to know the Lord does not leave us alone and is waiting for us to accept His mercy and Atonement and will receive us with “outstretched arms.”

QUOTES

1.

“We are designed to soar freely through the heavens.  We are not meant to be shackled to the earth, imprisoned in straitjackets of our own making.”

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, General Conference- “Are You Sleeping Through The Restoration?, April, 2014

2.

“Addictions are thin threads of repeated action that weave themselves into thick bonds of habit.  Negative habits have the potential to become consuming addictions.”

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Are You Sleeping Through The Restoration?”, General Conference-  April, 2014

3.

“Whether you wear a green T-shirt or a blue one makes no difference in the long run. However, whether you decide to push a key on your computer which will take you to pornography can make all the difference in your life.”

President Thomas S. Monson, “The Three R’s of Choice”, General Conference, October 2010

4.
“Satan has become a master at using the addictive power of pornography to limit individual capacity to be led by the Spirit. The onslaught of pornography in all of its vicious, corroding, destructive forms has caused great grief, suffering, heartache, and destroyed marriages. It is one of the most damning influences on earth. Whether it be through the printed page, movies, television, obscene lyrics, vulgarities on the telephone, or flickering personal computer screen, pornography is overpoweringly addictive and severely damaging.”

Elder Richard G. Scott, To Acquire Spiritual Guidance, General Conference, April 2009

5.

"I feel to mention one in particular, and that is the Internet. On one hand, it provides nearly limitless opportunities for acquiring useful and important information. Through it we can communicate with others around the world. The Church itself has a wonderful Web site, filled with valuable and uplifting information and priceless resources. On the other hand, however, and extremely alarming, are the reports of the number of individuals who are utilizing the Internet for evil and degrading purposes, the viewing of pornography being the most prevalent of these purposes. My brothers and sisters, involvement in such will literally destroy the spirit. Be strong. Be clean. Avoid such degrading and destructive types of content at all costs, wherever they may be! I sound this warning to everyone, everywhere. I add, particularly to the young people, that this includes pornographic images transmitted via cell phones."

President Thomas S. Monson, “Until We Meet Again”, General Conference, April 2009

6.

"Strangely enough, it may be that the simplest and most powerful prevention and cure for pornography, or any unclean act, is to ignore and avoid it. Delete from the mind any unworthy thought that tries to take root. Once you have decided to remain clean, you are asserting your God-given agency. And then, as President Smith counseled, “Don’t look back.”

President Boyd K. Packer, “Cleansing the Inner Vessel”, General Conference, October 2010

7.

"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."

President Boyd K. Packer, “Cleansing the Inner Vessel”, General Conference, October 2010

“Young people and adults, if you are caught in Satan’s trap of pornography, remember how merciful our beloved Savior is. Do you realize how deeply the Lord loves and cherishes you, even now? Our Savior has the power to cleanse and heal you. He can remove the pain and sorrow you feel and make you clean again through the power of His Atonement.”

Linda S. Reeves, “Protection from Pornography-Christ Focused Home”, General Conference, April 2014

8.

“There is also great concern about some of the pernicious, addictive behaviors like gambling and evil pornography that are so personally destructive and so rampant in our society. Remember, brothers and sisters, any kind of addiction is to surrender to something, thus relinquishing agency and becoming dependent.”

Elder M. Russell Ballard, “O That Cunning Plan of the Evil One, General Conference, October 2010

9.

“Today I speak to all whose freedom to choose has been diminished by the effects of ill-advised choices of the past. I speak specifically of choices that have led to excessive debt and addictions to food, drugs, pornography, and other patterns of thought and action that diminish one’s sense of self-worth. All of these excesses affect us individually and undermine our family relationships.”

Elder Robert D. Hales, “Becoming Provident Providers, Temporally and Spiritually”, April 2009

10.

“Remember that agency, that freedom of choice that you demanded when you forsook your covenants? That same agency can now be drawn upon to exert a great spiritual power of redemption.”

President Boyd K. Packer, “Covenants”, General Conference, October 1990