in life." (1)
Here, brethren, I
must tell you that our bishops and our professional counselors are
seeing an increasing number of men involved with pornography, and
many of those are active members.
Some involved in
pornography apparently minimize its seriousness and continue to
exercise the priesthood of God because they think no one will know
of their involvement. But the user knows, brethren, and so does
the Lord.
Some have suggested
that pornography should be a separate question in the temple
recommend interview. It is already. At least five different
questions should elicit a confession and discussion on this
subject if the person being interviewed has the spiritual
sensitivity and honesty we expect of those who worship in the
house of the Lord.
One of the Savior’s
most memorable teachings applies to men who are secretly viewing
pornography:
"Woe unto you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside
of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of
extortion and excess.
"Thou blind
Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter,
that the outside of them may be clean also" (Matt. 23:25–26; see
also Alma 60:23).
The Savior
continues His denunciation of those who treat what is visible but
neglect to cleanse the inner man:
"Ye are like unto
whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are
within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
"Even so ye also
outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of
hypocrisy and iniquity" (Matt. 23:27–28).
The immediate
spiritual consequences of such hypocrisy are devastating. Those
who seek out and use pornography forfeit the power of their
priesthood. The Lord declares: "When we undertake to cover our
sins, … behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the
Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood
or the authority of that man" (D&C 2:37).
Patrons of
pornography also lose the companionship of the Spirit. Pornography
produces fantasies that destroy spirituality. "To be carnally
minded is death"—spiritual death (Rom. :6; see also 2 Ne. 9:39).
The scriptures
repeatedly teach that the Spirit of the Lord will not dwell in an
unclean tabernacle. When we worthily partake of the sacrament, we
are promised that we will "always have his Spirit to be with
[us]." To qualify for that promise we covenant that we will
"always remember him" (D&C 20:77). Those who seek out and use
pornography for sexual stimulation obviously violate that
covenant. They also violate a sacred covenant to refrain from
unholy and impure practices. They cannot have the Spirit of the
Lord to be with them. All such need to heed the Apostle Peter’s
plea: "Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if
perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee" (Acts
:22).
Brethren, you have
noticed that I am not discussing the effects of pornography on
mental health or criminal behavior. I am discussing its effects on
spirituality—on our ability to have the companionship of the
Spirit of the Lord and our capacity to exercise the power of the
priesthood.
Pornography also
inflicts mortal wounds on our most precious personal
relationships. In his talk to men of the priesthood last October,
President Hinckley quoted the letter of a woman who asked him to
warn Church members that pornography "has the effect of damaging
hearts and souls to their very depths, strangling the life out of
relationships" (Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2004, 60).
At a recent
stake conference a woman handed me a similar letter. Her husband
had also served in important Church callings for many years while
addicted to pornography. She told of great difficulty
in getting priesthood leaders to take this problem of pornography
seriously: "I got all kinds of
responses—like I was overreacting or it was my fault. The bishop
we have now has been great.
And now after15 years my husband is
trying to deal with his addiction, but now it is 5 years harder to
quit for him and the loss has been incalculable.”
Pornography impairs
one’s ability to enjoy a normal emotional, romantic, and spiritual
relationship with a person of the opposite sex. It erodes the
moral barriers that stand against inappropriate, abnormal, or
illegal behavior. As conscience is desensitized, patrons of
pornography are led to act out what they have witnessed,
regardless of its effects on their life and the lives of others.
Pornography is also addictive. It
impairs decision-making capacities and it “hooks” its users,
drawing them back obsessively for more and more. A man who had
been addicted to pornography and to hard drugs wrote me this
comparison: “In my eyes cocaine doesn’t hold a candle to this. I
have done both. … Quitting even the hardest drugs was nothing
compared to [trying to quit pornography]”
(letter of Mar. 20, 2005).Some seek
to justify their indulgence by arguing that they are only viewing
“soft,” not “hard,” porn. A wise bishop called this refusing to
see evil as evil. He quoted men seeking to justify their viewing
choices by comparisons such as “not as bad as” or “only one bad
scene.” But the test of what is evil is not its degree but its
effect. When persons entertain evil thoughts long enough for the
Spirit to withdraw, they lose their spiritual protection and they
are subject to the power and direction of the evil one. When they
use Internet or other pornography for what this bishop described
as “arousal on demand” (letter of Mar. 3, 2005), they are deeply
soiled by sin.
King Benjamin’s great sermon
describes the terrible consequences. When we withdraw from the
Spirit of the Lord, we become an enemy to righteousness, we have a
lively sense of our guilt, and we “shrink from the presence of the
Lord” (see Mosiah 2:36–38 ). “Mercy hath no claim on that man,” he
concluded; “therefore his final doom is to endure a never-ending
torment” (Mosiah 2:39).
Consider the tragic example of King
David. Though a spiritual giant in Israel, he allowed himself to
look upon something he should not have viewed (see 2 Sam.
11 ). Tempted by what he saw,
he violated two of the Ten Commandments, beginning with “Thou
shalt not commit adultery” (Ex. 20:4). In this way a prophet-king
fell from his exaltation (see D&C 32:39).
But the good news is
that no one needs to follow the evil, downward descent to torment.
Everyone caught on that terrible escalator has the key to reverse
his course. He can escape. Through repentance he can be clean.
Alma the Younger
described it:
“Yea, I did remember
all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the
pains of hell. …
“… The very thought of
coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with
inexpressible horror. …
“And it came to pass
that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by
the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have
heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of
one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the
world.
“Now, as my mind
caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus,
thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of
bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of
death.
“And now, behold, when
I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was
harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.
“And oh, what joy, and
what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with
joy as exceeding as was my pain!” (Alma 36:3–4, 7–20).
My brethren who are
caught in this addiction or troubled by this temptation, there is
a way.
First, acknowledge the
evil. Don’t defend it or try to justify yourself. For at least a
quarter century our leaders have pleaded with men, and also with
women and children, to avoid this evil. (2) Our current Church
magazines are full of warnings, information, and helps on this
subject—with more than a score of articles published or to be
published this year and last year alone. (3)
Second, seek the help of the Lord and His
servants. Hear and heed President Hinckley’s words:
"Plead with the Lord out of the depths of your
soul that He will remove from you the addiction which enslaves
you. And may you have the courage to seek the loving guidance of
your bishop and, if necessary, the counsel of caring
professionals" (Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2004, 62).
Third, do all that you can to avoid
pornography. If you ever find yourself in its presence—which can
happen to anyone in the world in which we live—follow the example
of Joseph of Egypt. When temptation caught him in her grip, he
left temptation and "got him out" (Gen. 39:12).
Don’t accommodate any degree of temptation.
Prevent sin and avoid having to deal with its inevitable
destruction. So, turn it off! Look away! Avoid it at all costs.
Direct your thoughts in wholesome paths. Remember your covenants
and be faithful in temple attendance. The wise bishop I quoted
earlier reported that "an endowed priesthood bearer’s fall into
pornography never occurs during periods of regular worship in the
temple; it happens when he has become casual in his temple
worship" (letter of Mar. 3, 2005).
We must also act to protect those we love.
Parents install alarms to warn if their household is threatened by
smoke or carbon monoxide. We should also install protections
against spiritual threats, protections like filters on Internet
connections and locating access so others can see what is being
viewed. And we should build the spiritual strength of our families
by loving relationships, family prayer, and scripture study.
Finally, do not patronize pornography. Do not
use your purchasing power to support moral degradation. And young
women, please understand that if you dress immodestly, you are
magnifying this problem by becoming pornography to some of the men
who see you.
Please heed these warnings. Let us all improve
our personal behavior and redouble our efforts to protect our
loved ones and our environment from the onslaught of pornography
that threatens our spirituality, our marriages, and our children.
I testify that this is what we should do to
enjoy the blessings of Him whom we worship. I testify of Jesus
Christ, the Light and Life of the World, whose Church this is, in
the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
1. Challenges for the Year Ahead (pamphlet, 974), 4–5;
reprinted in "Things They’re Saying," New Era, Feb. 974, 18.
2. See, for example, Gordon B. Hinckley, "A Tragic Evil Among
Us," Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2004, 59–62; David E. Sorensen, "You
Can’t Pet a Rattlesnake," Liahona, July 200, 4–50; Ensign, May
200, 4–43; Thomas S. Monson, "Pornography—the Deadly Carrier,"
Ensign, Nov. 979, 66–67; David B. Haight, "Personal Morality,"
Ensign, Nov. 94, 70–73.
3. See, for example, Rory C. Reid, "The Road Back: Abandoning
Pornography," Liahona, Feb. 2005, 2–33; Ensign, Feb. 2005, 46–5;
Arianne B. Cope, "Internet Café," New Era, Mar. 2005, 34–37;
Nycole S. Larsen, "The Decision," Friend, Mar. 2004, 40–41.
