PROVO, UTAH

R-E-S-P-E-C-T was the theme of Merrilee A. Boyack's discussion with the youth at BYU Education Week on Tuesday, Aug 16.

So often today we hear the sayings, "You're messing with my freedom!" "I can repent before I go on a mission." "I can repent before I get married." "It is my body, my life."

In fact, Sister Boyack said, many of those in attendance have probably said those things, heard those things or thought those things. She showed the audience a plate of brownies and asked how many would like one. Most raised their hands. She then asked if she were to add a tiny bit of arsenic if they would still want one. There were no hands.

"When you clearly know the danger that lies within, you decide to keep yourself clean and pure, no matter what," said Sister Boyack, an author and professional lecturer. She reminded the youth of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" and read: "The sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife."

"Satan is out to get you because he knows who you really are," she told the attentive audience. The adversary will catch you like a fishhook."

She showed a picture and told the youth that the pointy part going in the opposite direction was the barb. Just like the hook that goes in easily but does not come out, sin is similar. She said that sin does the following:

1. Goes through a vital place and kills.

2. Can tire you out.

3. Allows others to yank you around.

"Moral sin operates the same way as the fish hook," she noted and referred to the scripture found in 2 Nephi 28:19 that states "the devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains," with little fish hooks on the end, she added.

"If you are reacting negatively to good, it means that Satan has his hook in you," Sister Boyack said. "Satan does not have a catch and release program."

She advised youth to avoid temptation and listed three areas to fighting the adversary.

Respect yourself

She qouted President Hinckley: "Of course you are tempted. It seems as if the whole world has become obsessed with sex. … Turn your back on it. Shun it… each time you do so it will be so much the easier the next time. What a wonderful thing it will be if someday you can stand before the Lord and say, 'I am clean'"

Sister Boyack told the youth sin starts with thoughts. When someone is watching, listening to, or reading things he or she is not supposed to, the mind is clogged and it is hard for the Spirit to get through.

She said that every day people have exposure to temptation and asked the audience if they were making choices that would feed and nourish the temptation. "Or are we creating an environment in our lives and in our spirit that is completely hostile to sin?"

She recalled the instructions to stop, drop and roll, and applied it to when the soul may, figuratively, be on fire. If a friend were to show something bad or do something wrong, she daid, follow the fire instructions.

"Your soul is on fire," she said. "What do you do? Turn around and say 'Whoa!' You roll right out of there."

Respect others

Sister Boyack counseled the young men to be careful of how they treat young women and asked the youth to consider these things:

1. Would you want your son or daughter treated that way?

2. Do unto others — would you want to be treated this way?

3. How we treat others is how we treat God.

Sister Boyack referred to "For The Strength of Youth," which states: "Before marriage, do not do anything to arouse the powerful emotions that must be expressed only in marriage." These emotions can come from magazines, Websites and romance novels, noted Sister Boyack. "The minute we trigger that we stop, drop and roll."

She recalled that President Spencer W. Kimball and Elder Richard G. Scott have spoken on the importance of sexual purity and she admonished the youth to be careful. She continued the allegory of the fire and said transgressors don't start off with a bonfire; the fire starts small and grows.

"It is the same with temptation." She said Satan uses little stuff to catch someone on fire. "The only way to stop the fire and to prevent the fire from starting is when he is piling up the kindling." Like the fire starting small, and growing large, individuals can resist temptation by controlling their thoughts.

Respect God

"Satan is doing everything in his power to destroy virtue, cleanliness and all that is good," she warned. "We must show respect to God and to the power He has given us."

She spoke of a tremendous power to create life and said that in order to respect God individuals must do what He says, and respect that power He has given them.

Appearance is also important. She asked the youth to consider what message they were giving off. "Do your clothes say, look at me or respect me?"

"Never forget that you are royalty."