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"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 8:22)" (Dallin H. Oaks,
"Pornography," Ensign, May
2005, 88).
"Now brethren, the time has come for any one of us who
is so involved to pull himself out of the mire, to stand above this evil thing,
to 'look to God and live' (Alma 37:47). We do not have to view salacious
magazines. We do not have to read books laden with smut. We do not have to
watch television that is beneath wholesome standards. We do not have to rent
movies that depict that which is filthy. We do not have to sit at the computer
and play with pornographic material found on the Internet.
"I repeat, we can do better than this. We must do
better than this. We are men of the priesthood. This is a most sacred and
marvelous gift, worth more than all the dross of the world. But it will be amen
to the effectiveness of that priesthood for anyone who engages in the practice
of seeking out pornographic material" (Gordon B. Hinckley, "A Tragic
Evil among Us," Ensign, Nov.
2004, 62).
"The constant, consuming march of the pornography
beetle blights neighborhoods just as it contaminates human lives. It has just
about destroyed some areas. It moves relentlessly closer to your city, your
neighborhood, and your family. Pornography is now more available than ever. At
the click of a button, evil can be viewed in our homes on televisions and
computer screens, in our hotels and movie theaters, or even in our places of
employment, where access to the Internet is often provided" (Thomas S.
Monson, "Pornography—The Deadly Carrier," Liahona, Nov. 2001, 4-5).
"In recent years pornography has spread like wildfire.
We are exposed to it daily. Pornography is as addictive as many substances we
would not even consider taking into our bodies. The consequences of pornography
are catastrophic. Keep in mind Satan does not want us to be happy or successful
in our Aaronic Priesthood ministry. Make no mistake, he wants us to be
miserable. His goal is to capture our hearts by enticing us to participate in
terrible things such as pornography. Stay away from it. We must discipline
ourselves to avoid books, magazines, music, pictures, videos, DVDs, movies,
Internet sites, television programming—anything that contains pornography or
sensual material. Pornography and priesthood are not compatible" (H. David
Burton, "Honoring the Priesthood," Ensign, May 2000, 39-40).
"Let each of us resolve this day to keep our minds, our
bodies, and our spirits free from the corrupting influence of pornography,
including everything that is obscene and indecent. Let it have no place in our
homes, our minds, or our hearts. The psalmist David wrote, 'Who shall ascend
into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath
clean hands, and a pure heart' (Ps. 24:3-4)" (David B. Haight,
"Personal Morality," Ensign,
Nov. 1984, 70).
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