There is no amount of
money that could ever be used to legitimize it. There is no argument convincing
enough that will sway your soul to believe it is good. Regardless, the study
the industry itself pays for, pornography and human sexual exploitation is
evil. One of the most sacred, most beautiful things in humanity is love
and the act therein of. Pornography is not that; it is pure hate. Hate for one’s
self, hate for others, hate for the sacred, and hate which the very idea of
normality sounds much like the following:
“It is just inevitable that you are going to get girls who
cry during shoots. It’s honestly pretty annoying but it just happens.
Especially for the girls starting out in the business, you're going to have to
help them grow up. Most of my girls were “emotional” at the beginning of their
careers, but I taught them that they had to detach themselves from the sex in
order to be successful. This isn't the love industry, this is the flesh
business. Remind them of that.”
Though
pornography seems like a purely physical act, its ramifications very much scar
your mind and corrupt your soul. It’s like a weed who roots into your very
being in the form of addiction. It does so not only by latching on to those who
view it from a screen, but even to those who fell under its guise of lavish
living and big paydays. This addiction can and does lead to some of the
most vile acts humans can put one another through, rape and human trafficking.
Regardless if there is consent or a payday involved, nothing
justifies pornography. If you're reading this and have a different opinion, try
giving your perspective to the one in three women you know that have been
raped. Try speaking to the women who will never see their children come home as
they have been kidnaped, sold, held against their will all to satisfy your
selfish desires until they are so used up, that they are disposed of like a
used tissue. Speak next to the victims that have been savagely gang rapped to
the point that they no longer have a life. Most ended up bleeding out due to
the trauma caused from repeatedly being violated by those who regarded the
victims as nothing but flesh to be used.
Most importantly, look into the mirror and try to convince
yourself that everything is ok. Even though you were meant for so much more,
it’s ok that you have this one millstone hanging by your neck, drowning you,
dragging you down further and further away from the truly spiritual being you
really are. While you’re looking in that mirror, think of what you're going to
tell the very God who not only suffered for your sins, but suffered with those whose suffering was ultimately caused by you.
You are meant for so much more, those exploited deserve so much
better. Let true love for yourself and others win, let go of the hate and the
anger.
Further reading:
Wisdom from the Prophets and Apostles:
Addictions often begin subtly. Addictions are thin threads of repeated action that weave themselves into thick bonds of habit. Negative habits have the potential to become consuming addictions. These binding chains of addiction can have many forms, like pornography, alcohol, sex, drugs, tobacco, gambling, food, work, the Internet, or virtual reality. Satan, our common enemy, has many favorite tools he uses to rob us of our divine potential to accomplish our mission in the Lord’s kingdom. It saddens our Heavenly Father to see how willingly some of His noble sons extend their wrists to accept the chains of devastating addictions.
Are You Sleeping through the Restoration?, By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, General Conference, 4/2014
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Let any who may be in the grip of this vise get upon their knees in the privacy of their closet and plead with the Lord for help to free them from this evil monster. Otherwise, this vicious stain will continue through life and even into eternity....
A Tragic Evil among Us, Gordon B. Hinckley, General Conference, 10/2004
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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.
A Tragic Evil among Us, Gordon B. Hinckley, General Conference, 10/2004
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The excuse is given that it is hard to avoid, that it is right at our fingertips and there is no escape. Suppose a storm is raging and the winds howl and the snow swirls about you. You find yourself unable to stop it. But you can dress properly and seek shelter, and the storm will have no effect upon you.
A Tragic Evil among Us, Gordon B. Hinckley, General Conference, 10/2004
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...Pornography is not some titillating feast for the eyes that gives a momentary rush of excitement. [Rather] it has the effect of damaging hearts and souls to their very depths, strangling the life out of relationships that should be sacred, hurting to the very core those you should love the most.”
A Tragic Evil among Us, Gordon B. Hinckley, General Conference, 10/2004
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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 121:37). 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. 8:6; see also 2 Ne. 9:39).
Pornography, Dallin H. Oaks, General Conference, 4/2005
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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).
Pornography, Dallin H. Oaks, General Conference, 4/2005
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...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.
Pornography, Dallin H. Oaks, General Conference, 4/2005
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“Pornographic or erotic stories and pictures are worse than filthy or polluted food. The body has defenses to rid itself of unwholesome food. With a few fatal exceptions, bad food will only make you sick but do no permanent harm. In contrast, a person who feasts upon filthy stories or pornographic or erotic pictures and literature records them in this marvelous retrieval system we call a brain. The brain won’t vomit back filth. Once recorded, it will always remain subject to recall, flashing its perverted images across your mind and drawing you away from the wholesome things in life.”
Pornography, Dallin H. Oaks, General Conference, 4/2005
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...letters from persons burdened with this addiction. Some of these letters were from men who had overcome pornography. One man wrote: “There are several lessons I’ve gleaned from my experience coming out of the darkness of a sin that so thoroughly dominates the lives of the people it ensnares: (1) This is a major problem that is unbelievably difficult to overcome. … (2) The most important source of support and strength in the repentance process is the Savior. … (3) Intense, daily scripture study, regular temple worship, and serious, contemplative participation in the ordinance of the sacrament are all indispensable parts of a true repentance process. This, I assume, is because all of these activities serve to deepen and strengthen one’s relationship with the Savior, one’s understanding of His atoning sacrifice, and one’s faith in His healing power” (letter dated Oct. 24, 2005).
He Heals the Heavy Laden, Dallin H. Oaks, General Conference, 10/2006
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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. This potent tool of Lucifer degrades the mind and the heart and the soul of any who use it....
To Acquire Spiritual Guidance, Richard G. Scott, General Conference, 10/2009
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Pornography is especially dangerous and addictive. Curious exploration of pornography can become a controlling habit, leading to coarser material and to sexual transgression. Avoid pornography at all costs.
Preparation Brings Blessings, Thomas S. Monson, General Conference, 4/2010
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...once that true love must include the idea of permanence. True love endures. But lust changes as quickly as it can turn a pornographic page or glance at yet another potential object for gratification walking by, male or female. True love we are absolutely giddy about—as I am about Sister Holland; we shout it from the housetops. But lust is characterized by shame and stealth and is almost pathologically clandestine—the later and darker the hour the better, with a double-bolted door just in case. Love makes us instinctively reach out to God and other people. Lust, on the other hand, is anything but godly and celebrates self-indulgence. Love comes with open hands and open heart; lust comes with only an open appetite. These are just some of the reasons that prostituting the true meaning of love—either with imagination or another person—is so destructive. It destroys...
Place No More for the Enemy of My Soul, Jeffrey R. Holland, General Conference, 4/2010
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Priesthood holders carry with them the antidote to remove the terrible images of pornography and to wash away guilt. The priesthood has the power to unlock the influence of our habits, even to unchain from addiction, however tight the grip. It can heal over the scars of past mistakes.
Cleansing the Inner Vessel, Boyd K. Packer, General Conference, 10/2010
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In our day the dreadful influence of pornography is like unto a plague sweeping across the world, infecting one here and one there, relentlessly trying to invade every home, most frequently through the husband and father. The effect of this plague can be, unfortunately often is, spiritually fatal. Lucifer seeks to disrupt “the great plan of redemption,” “the great plan of happiness.” 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. The priesthood holds consummate power. It can protect you from the plague of pornography—and it is a plague—if you are succumbing to its influence. If one is obedient, the priesthood can show how to break a habit and even erase an addiction. Holders of the priesthood have that authority and should employ it to combat evil influences.
Cleansing the Inner Vessel, Boyd K. Packer, General Conference, 10/2010
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...But make no mistake: there are also people who are determined to both destroy faith and reject any religious influence in society. Other evil people exploit, manipulate, and tear down society with drugs, pornography, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, robbery, and dishonest business practices. The power and influence of these people is very large even if they are relatively small in number.
Let There Be Light!, Quentin L. Cook, General Conference, 10/2010
An ever-present danger to the family is the onslaught of evil forces that seem to come from every direction. While our primary effort must be to seek light and truth, we would be wise to black out from our homes the lethal bombs that destroy spiritual development and growth. Pornography, in particular, is a weapon of mass moral destruction. Its impact is at the forefront in eroding moral values.
Let There Be Light!, Quentin L. Cook, General Conference, 10/2010
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...Because the Spirit whispers to us gently and delicately, it is easy to understand why we should shun inappropriate media, pornography, and harmful, addictive substances and behaviors. These...
The Spirit of Revelation, David A. Bednar, General Conference, 4/2011
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Stay completely away from pornography. Do not allow yourself to view it, ever. It has proven to be an addiction which is more than difficult to overcome....
Priesthood Power, Thomas S. Monson, General Conference, 4/2011
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Permissiveness, immorality, pornography, drugs, the power of peer pressure—all these and more—cause many to be tossed about on a sea of sin and crushed on the jagged reefs of lost opportunities, forfeited blessings, and shattered dreams.
Believe, Obey, and Endure, By President Thomas S. Monson, General Conference, 4/2012
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For example, consider the plague of pornography sweeping across the world. The Lord’s standard of worthiness gives no allowance for pornography among those officiating in the ordinances of the priesthood. The Savior said: “Repent of your … secret abominations.” “The light of the body is the eye. … If thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.” “[For] whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
Power in the Priesthood, By Elder Neil L. Andersen, General Conference, 10/2013
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First, addictions that impair
agency, contradict moral beliefs, and destroy good health cause bondage. The
impact of drugs and alcohol, immorality, pornography, gambling, financial
subjugation, and other afflictions imposes on those in bondage and on society a
burden of such magnitude that it is almost impossible to quantify.
Lamentations of Jeremiah: Beware of Bondage, By Elder Quentin L. Cook, General Conference, 10/2013
Lamentations of Jeremiah: Beware of Bondage, By Elder Quentin L. Cook, General Conference, 10/2013
