The Tsunami is upon Us
By C.S. Bezas

Recently I have felt burdened. I’m not sure why, but the burden has been there. Perhaps it is because I feel a responsibility to lead out for my own children in righteousness. Perhaps it is because I desire to do well in my church service. Perhaps it is that I very much want to return to my Father in Heaven after my time here on earth is done.

For whatever reason, although I find joy in my callings and responsibilities, the desire to lead in righteousness continues to increase, and it is urgent as it does so. The world around us is exponentially imploding into a chasm of ever-blackening darkness, the fruits of which are only beginning to burst.

My husband just returned from an absolutely amazing conference hosted by the LDS Marriage Network in Provo, Utah, on March 10, 2007. The purpose of the conference was to offer practical counseling solutions for pornography and sexual additions. My husband, who is working on his degree in marriage and family counseling, felt overjoyed at the conference and amazed at the science and knowledge the presenters shared. He also was stunned to hear of the large amount of church members who face this deep addiction, whether as the addicted one or as the spouse of one struggling with addictions.

The presenters shared poignant research, such as 75% of youth surveyed admitted seeing and/or seeking pornography. The presenters shared poignant stories that some of these youth’s addictions began when they were 8 years old! One presenter in particular stated unequivocally that the tsunami of pornography is about to wash over us with a destructive force we've only begun to glimpse.

Yet so many within the Church are either blind to the situation or they do not want to discuss it — because, let’s face it, for some of us it is unfamiliar territory. For those of my generation, you could only find pornography in some little magazine shop hidden away on “the other side of the tracks.” Thus, many of us never even saw what the word “pornography” represented.

But eventually those magazines began making their way into 7-11s and Circle Ks across the nation, becoming step by step more legitimate. Now the cry in society is that pornography is protected as “free speech.”

How can we have fallen as a society in such a short period of time? It definitely isn’t because church leaders haven’t warned us. Look at some of the quotes that follow. The messages are definitely clear. Apparently, the Lord needs his servants to not mince their words when it comes to this topic.

For example, here is a quote from Elder Dallin H. Oaks given during General Conference, April 2005:

What were these grossly wicked “whoredoms”? No doubt some men were already guilty of evil acts. But the main focus of Jacob’s great sermon was not with evil acts completed, but with evil acts contemplated.

Elder Oaks continues:

The next quote is from President Thomas S. Monson:

(I would highly recommend reading the rest of President Monson’s talk to see how he delineates the damage pornography is doing to society — and to us.)

To finish off, the Presiding Bishop of the church, Bishop H. David Burton, summed matters up succinctly when he stated, “The consequences of pornography are catastrophic” (“Honoring the Priesthood, Ensign, May 2000, 38).

It is not surprising then to hear spoken from the General Conference pulpit that we are to have our computers in main areas of our homes. We’re told to remove TVs, VCRs, and DVDs from our children’s bedrooms. Yet how many of us actually have followed both of these counsels? If you have, good for you!

We’ve also been counseled to have filters on every family computer, so there is at least some semblance of a protective “speed bump” of protection for our children and ourselves. Do you have a filter on every family computer? If so, good for you! If not, http://www.cp80.org has some excellent suggestions.

And we’re counseled to talk with each family member, so they have a plan of attack when confronted with naked ladies or men or other such unseemly things. (Interestingly, at the conference they mentioned that many parents are hesitant to bring these things up, thinking that the conversation will put ideas in kids’ minds. Yet the situation is now dire enough that the experts are saying parents must take the offensive with their children in these matters.)

All of these steps are essential beginning points. They prove our desire to follow wise counsel from our General Authorities. In fact, these protective measures are very similar to pulling our child out of the direction of a looming car. Yet they do not mean we’re done with our parental duties, because there comes a point when our children and the youth we teach will leave our homes and our classrooms.

Will they be ready? Have they grasped why we’re to be careful in these matters? What happens when they do leave? What will their choices be?

For example, I remember a friend talking of his service in leadership at a church university. There, his ward faced the problem of kids going to Las Vegas for the weekend to “get married.” They then would have physical relations all weekend long, then seek a marriage annulment before returning to campus for the next week of classes. These kids thought that these little weekend stints meant they could legitimately have physical relations yet not have to report any sinful behavior to their bishops the next Sunday — because after all, they’d been married for the two days while “doing it!”

Personal conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ leads us to live different kinds of lives. It is for this precise reason that what the presenters shared at the A More Excellent Hope conference makes resounding sense. Those who spoke all referenced the fact that until an individual is grounded in an appreciation of what the Savior has done for them personally — until that point — any addictive behaviors will still hold sway over them.

Additionally, just as a cocaine addict needs professional assistance to recover from his addiction, a person with a pornography addiction needs professional assistance to help that brother or sister return to recovery. Just ask any professional.

Remember that statistic I mentioned earlier — that 75% percent of youth surveyed admitted to seeing and/or seeking pornography? There is so much work for us to do, folks, for our youth today! But we cannot come close to being efficient or effective in that service if we are unwilling to look at the tsunami which experts say is nearing deadly force.

We need to talk to those who are doing the studies in addictions. We need to help groups who are fighting to curtail the rampant spread of pornography in all forms of media. And most of all, we need seek to understand the Lord has provided escape for those entangled in the seasick waves of pornography addiction. We must not tire in our shouldering of this burden. We are to strengthen the feeble (see D&C 81:5).

We need to understand that, according to experts, it does not work for those persons to simply say, “Gee, I’m going to quit my pornography addiction today.” This is why it is wise to fortify and inoculate our youth before taken down by this deadly tsunami. And we must help those who have already been torn down by it.

It won’t be easy. The research shared at the More Excellent Hope conference indicates that the brain chemistry triggered by pornography is just as pernicious as that of, say, a cocaine addiction. Most of society knows that those addicted to cocaine must have professional help to conquer the addiction, due to the complexity and brain chemistry of the addiction involved. But what most of society does not yet understand is that research is now showing the severity of brain chemistry involved in pornography addiction.

Commiserating as to why pornography has eaten into and eroded the threshold of society may not do much to help. And according to the experts, this is just the beginning. We may grow tired of hearing of it. But instead of ignoring the situation, we need to raise our understanding of the current tsunami we face. When men’s hearts fail them and people weary of hearing of modern-day plagues, we personally must heed the call found in Revelations 18:4, 8. And we especially must hear the silent cries of those drowning in its turbulent waves.

I began by sharing the burden I have felt as I’ve contemplated my own personal responsibilities as a mother, a church member, and as a daughter of God. But these burdens pale in comparison as I contemplate the scourge that faces us.

It is essential in my mind that we no longer act as if our society “has no problem.” It is essential that we put our support behind entities such as http://www.cp80.org and others who are fighting to protect the family and today’s children. It is important that we work to stop the pornography companies ever-expanding reach, who have admitted that their newest target market is the 7-12 year olds amongst us.

This isn’t child’s play. This is war and Satan must be pleased. Hear the plaintive cry from a letter President Hinckley received and read in conference in October 2006:

So, yes, I do have burdens that I feel each day as I go about my personal responsibilities. But these burdens pale with that of society’s insistent swim in the foul and overwhelming waves of pornography. How about you and I place our personal burdens to the side and get on board with entities who are working to keep our world clean for our newest and youngest generations. CP80 is as good a place to start as any (found at http://www.cp80.org). As you hear of others, please write to let us know.

The thought of doing nothing makes me shudder. That would bring a far greater burden than I believe you or I would ever want to carry.

C.S. Bezas' new book, Powerful Tips for Powerful Teachers: Helping Youth Find Their Spiritual Wings, has been called the perfect book for those who teach youth. It is available at LDS bookstores and by clicking here.