Sunday Lesson: Sept 28th

Our Teaching For our Times lesson came from a talk given by Sister Linda S. Reeves in the April 2014 General Conference entitled Protection from Pornography - a Christ Focused Home. Sis. Jacquelyn Brady was our teacher and did such a wonderful job presenting this delicate topic. She started the lesson by sharing an insightful Mormon Message video about a family that has suffered the damaging effects of pornography. You can watch the video again below.

From Sister Reeves: "One reason we are here on earth is to learn to manage the passions and feeling of our mortal bodies. These God-given feelings help us want to marry and have children. The intimate marriage relationship between a man and a woman that brings children into mortality is also meant to be a beautiful, loving experience that binds together two devoted heats, unites both spirit and body, and brings a fulness of joy and happiness as we learn to put each other first." Pornography distorts love and the beautiful relationship that God intended it to be. It is all around us and can be stumbled upon in so many different ways.

100% of today's teenagers will be exposed to pornography before graduation from high school. The average age of exposure is 11 years old. These are staggering statistics. Before as parents we would wonder what we would do if our children were exposed to pornography. Now we need to be prepared because it is most likely that our children will be exposed to it. Sis. Reeves says, "How grateful we are when these loved ones choose to confide in us as parents or a Church leader. We would be wise not to react with shock, anger, or rejection, which may cause them to be silent again."

There was a discussion in class about the difference between feeling shame regarding a sin and feeling guilt. Guilt is healthy for us to feel because it causes us to repent. Shame, on the other hand, is what the adversary wants us to feel because then we feel like we aren't good enough to repent. Sis. Reeves teaches, "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."

Sister Reeves counsels us to build spiritual strength in our families by praying, reading the scriptures daily, and having weekly family home evening. By doing these things we not only become closer to our Savior, but they also add protection to our homes. "Then, if pornography or other challenges do strike our families, we can petition the Lord for help and expect great guidance from the Spirit, knowing that we have done what our Father has asked us to do."

This LINK has some of the statistical information that Sis. Jacquelyn Brady shared. It is also a good reference for parents and grandparents with teenagers.

Read the entire conference talk HERE.