What is the purpose of this mortal life? To discover the answer to this question, we first considered God's purpose: "For behold, this is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39).
If His work and His glory are to make possible our immortality and eternal life, our infinite happiness, then that's what we should be engaged in as well. Class members offered perspectives on how we can participate fully in God's plan of happiness. We can keep the Lord's commandments, develop personal virtues like honesty, serve and care for others, learn to live by the Spirit, receive sacred ordinances, make and keep covenants with God, and ultimately create eternal families. We can't be exalted, or be truly happy, alone. The most meaningful, fulfilling parts of life come from developing lasting relationships with other people and with deity.
So what gets in our way? We make mistakes, we fall short, we succumb to temptation. The most enticing temptations are those that seem close to the truth. A 100% lie is easily detectable, but a 1% lie can often masquerade for the truth, and over the course of time, can lead us to a far different destination than the one we seek. We need to be vigilant about seeing truth and making course corrections, so that we will arrive safely at our desired destination. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf,
"A Matter of a Few Degrees")
What causes temptations to become particularly enticing? Peer pressure can be a driving factor. Curiosity. Ignorance of consequences.
Satan is a master at crafting counterfeits--activities that appear to be fun and exciting, but that don't fulfill the real human need. His counterfeits include:
- Living together in place of faithful marriage and family
- Substance use and abuse (of drugs, including alcohol and tobacco) in place of internal peace
- Fantasies in place of meaningful relationships
- Virtual reality in place of life
What other counterfeits does Satan create? How does he then ensnare us with them?
After engaging in temptation a few times, habit and addiction can set in, lessening our resistance to other temptations, and impacting our relationships with other people.
One such example is the pernicious prevalence of pornography, the secrecy that results, the trust that's destroyed. We then discussed the long-term consequences of engaging in pornography. We followed the life trajectory of one of my friends, who was first exposed to pornography as a 10-year-old, how it impacted his perspective and his choices, led to more deviant behavior, and caused him regret and further suffering while preparing for his mission, when he later wanted to be married in the temple, and now in his marriage. We focused on pornography's impact on relationships with self, God, spouse, and children and on achieving individual and family goals. (Another example can be found in this article for the youth on the Church's website:
My Battle with Pornography.)
We also read from the following conference talks:
As mentioned in the Ensign, "Pornography lures people of all types and ages." Patrick Trueman, former chief of the U.S. Department of Justice's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Criminal Division said, "'We have in America today a crisis of pornography.'" As the keynote speaker at the ninth annual Utah Coalition Against Pornography, he related "how the $97 billion pornography industry has addicted men, women, and even children across the United States and is destroying marriages, families, and lives."
Trueman further explained how the addiction process works: "Pornography hijacks the brain by fueling dopamine production, which provides excitement, but no endorphins are emitted to help the brain feel satisfied. . . . This cycle leads users to fall deeper and deeper into their addiction as they seek a satisfaction that will never come." (Source:
"Education Is Key to Protecting Families from Pornography")
Pornography is a trap meant to prevent people from developing meaningful family relationships by causing individuals to view and use others as objects or tools for short-term pleasure, while costing lasting satisfaction and happiness.
I urged my students to listen to the Spirit and to stay as far away from it as they can. If they have a problem, to seek help immediately and to openly communicate with those who can help them, including their parents. This topic is sensitive and uncomfortable to talk about--for all of us. I felt very prompted to give this lesson, and I hope the students felt the Spirit and continue to feel inspired to make right choices.
In the event that parents or families want to discuss this topic further, I'd also recommend reading "
Talking to Youth about Pornography" by licensed clinical social worker Dan Gray for some further insights.
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Photo: Lori Allred
