The evils of pornography are deadly to human spirit
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Recalling an incident from his youth and applying it to resisting evil, Elder David E. Sorensen of the Presidency of the Seventy warned, "You can't pet a rattlesnake!"
Those words were spoken by his father to young David when the boy was helping haul hay on a flatbed wagon and saw a rattlesnake lying in the hay. Afraid at first, he grew curious and began to lean over for a better look. Then came the stern warning from his father.
"Tonight I would like to talk to you about the danger of petting poisonous snakes," Elder Sorensen said, speaking at the priesthood session. "The ones I refer to do not have long, slithering bodies, but come in many other forms. Often the world makes these dangers look harmless — even exciting and interesting. But petting such snakes fills the mind with poison — poison that drives away the Holy Spirit and leads to spiritual destruction."
Pornography in magazines, on the Internet and television is an example he gave of such dangers. He said it "destroys self-esteem and weakens self-discipline. It is far more deadly to the spirit than the rattlesnake my father warned me not to pet."
Resisting temptations in today's electronic media is not easy, he acknowledged. "It takes focused courage and effort. . . . To avoid such temptations, be like Captain Moroni of old; set up 'fortifications' to strengthen your places of weakness . . . in the form of personal ground rules to protect your priceless virtue. When you're on a date, plan to be in groups, and avoid being alone. I know men, young and old, who have determined simply not to turn on the TV or surf the Internet at any time when they are alone. Fathers, it is wise to keep computers and televisions in the family room or other high-traffic areas in your home — not children's bedrooms. I also know of fathers who, while on business trips, wisely choose not to turn on the hotel TV."
One key "fortification" is to decide now, before you face a challenge, where to draw the line, he said.
