Protection from Pornography—a Christ-Focused Home
INTRODUCTION
SAY: A little over three weeks ago I had a partial knee replacement. Besides all the drugs, being very tired, dealing with deep pain and physical therapy the most difficult thing has been the breaking of the spiritual routines that I practice everyday. I like my spiritual routines like reading and pondering the scriptures, writing down my insights, praying with real intent, attending the temple and responding affirmatively to calls to serve. During this recovery, I have felt at times a spiritual lacking. I become more susceptible to sin and my natural man tendencies. I can appreciate President Kimball's quotes:
Reading A
A - “I find that when I get casual in my relationships with divinity and when it seems that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I am far, far away. If I immerse myself in the scriptures the distance narrows and the spirituality returns. I find myself loving more intensely those whom I must love with all my heart and mind and strength, and loving them more, I find it easier to abide their counsel.”
Reading B
B - Of prayer, President Kimball taught: “Prayer is such a privilege—not only to speak to our Father in Heaven, but also to receive love and inspiration from him. At the end of our prayers, we need to do some intense listening—even for several minutes. We have prayed for counsel and help. Now we must ‘be still, and know that [he is] God.’ (Ps. 46:10.)”
LEARNER READINESS
SAY: I've been instructed to give a lesson based on a talk given at April conference by Linda S. Reeves, 2nd Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency. The name of the talk is "Protection from Pornography - a Christ-Focused Home".
SAY - As I have been pondering how to present this lesson I found four main areas of focus:
1, Chirst Focused home, teaching Christ to our children, inadvertant viewing
2. Constant Spiritual Renewal
3. Buiding bonds between husband and wife
4. Getting Help and how to respond
SAY: Let's review review Sister Reeves' talk with these themes in mind.
LEARNER INVOLVEMENT
SAY - Let's read a quote from Sister Reeves. Who has reading A?
READ C
C - Dear brothers and sisters, today I am blessed to have my 13 oldest grandchildren in the congregation. This has caused me to ask, “What do I want my grandchildren to know?” This morning I would like to talk frankly to my family and to yours.
Q: What do we want our children and grandchildren to know about pornography and other evils out there in the world?
SAY: Sister Reeves then talks about building bonds between husbands and wives.
READ D
D - One reason we are here on earth is to learn to manage the passions and feelings of our mortal bodies. These God-given feelings help us want to marry and have children. The intimate marriage relationship between a man and a woman that brings children into mortality is also meant to be a beautiful, loving experience that binds together two devoted hearts, unites both spirit and body, and brings a fulness of joy and happiness as we learn to put each other first. President Spencer W. Kimball taught that in marriage, “the spouse … becomes preeminent in the life of the husband or wife, and … [no] other interest [or] person [or] thing shall ever take precedence over the companion spouse. … “Marriage presupposes total allegiance and total fidelity."
Q: How does the sacred marriage bond relate to pornography?
SAY: Let's read a story of innocence that sister Reeves relates in her talk.
READ E
E - Many years ago one of our children was noticeably distressed. I stepped into her bedroom, where she opened up her heart and explained to me that she had been at a friend’s home and had accidentally seen startling and disturbing images and actions on the television between a man and a woman without clothing. She began sobbing and expressed how horrible she felt about what she had seen and wished she could get it out of her mind. I was so grateful that she would confide in me, giving me a chance to soothe her innocent and aching heart and help her know how to get relief through our Savior’s Atonement. I remember the sacred feelings I had as we knelt together, as mother and daughter, and petitioned the help of our Heavenly Father.
Q: What is the message that Sister Reeves wants to us get from?
Q: Sister Reeves pointed her daughter to the Savior's Atonement? How can the Savior's Atonement and petitioning the help of our Heavenly Father help help a child or perhaps ourselves when we a soiled by exposure to the world?
SAY: Let read another quote
READ F
F - Many children, youth, and adults are innocently exposed to pornography, but a growing number of both men and women are choosing to view it and are drawn back repeatedly until it becomes an addiction. These individuals may desire with all of their hearts to get out of this trap but often cannot overcome it on their own. How grateful we are when these loved ones choose to confide in us as parents or a Church leader. We would be wise not to react with shock, anger, or rejection, which may cause them to be silent again.
Q: Why is our reaction so important?
READ G
G - We as parents and leaders need to counsel with our children and youth on an ongoing basis, listening with love and understanding. They need to know the dangers of pornography and how it overtakes lives, causing loss of the Spirit, distorted feelings, deceit, damaged relationships, loss of self-control, and nearly total consumption of time, thought, and energy.
Q: Is this depiction true of what pornography can do? [tell story of intern who was involved, lost family, graduation was in the balance]
Gettting Help
LEARNER APPLICATION
READ H
H - Young people and adults, if you are caught in Satan’s trap of pornography, remember how merciful our beloved Savior is. Do you realize how deeply the Lord loves and cherishes you, even now? Our Savior has the power to cleanse and heal you. He can remove the pain and sorrow you feel and make you clean again through the power of His Atonement.
Q: What can a person do if he or she is caught in the trap?
READ I
I - The greatest filter in the world … is the personal internal filter that comes from a deep and abiding testimony.
Q: Why are we less prone to getting caught in traps like pornography or other sins if we are focused on developing our discipleship, building our faith?
READ J
J - How do we lead our children [and ourselves] to deep conversion and to access our Savior’s Atonement? I love the prophet Nephi’s declaration of what his people did to fortify the youth of his day: “We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, [and] we prophesy of Christ … that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."
SAY: Sister Reeves then talks about prioritizing our homes and our lives so that the most important things are not left undone.
Q: What should we be doing on a daily, weekly and monthly basis to reinforce spiritual growth, to deepen our conversion?
Q: When challenges strike ourselves or our family, why is it so important to stay have stayed close to the Lord?
SAY: Sister Reeves says regarding challenges"Then, if pornography or other challenges do strike our families, we can petition the Lord for help and expect great guidance from the Spirit, knowing that we have done what our Father has asked us to do."
CONCLUSION
What do I want my grandchildren to know? I want them and you to know that I know the Savior lives and loves us. He has paid the price for our sins, but we must kneel before our Father in Heaven, in deep humility, confessing our sins, and plead with Him for forgiveness. We must want to change our hearts and our desires and be humble enough to seek the help and forgiveness of those we may have hurt or forsaken.
A - “I find that when I get casual in my relationships with divinity and when it seems that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I am far, far away. If I immerse myself in the scriptures the distance narrows and the spirituality returns. I find myself loving more intensely those whom I must love with all my heart and mind and strength, and loving them more, I find it easier to abide their counsel.”
Reading B
B - Of prayer, President Kimball taught: “Prayer is such a privilege—not only to speak to our Father in Heaven, but also to receive love and inspiration from him. At the end of our prayers, we need to do some intense listening—even for several minutes. We have prayed for counsel and help. Now we must ‘be still, and know that [he is] God.’ (Ps. 46:10.)”
LEARNER READINESS
SAY: I've been instructed to give a lesson based on a talk given at April conference by Linda S. Reeves, 2nd Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency. The name of the talk is "Protection from Pornography - a Christ-Focused Home".
SAY - As I have been pondering how to present this lesson I found four main areas of focus:
1, Chirst Focused home, teaching Christ to our children, inadvertant viewing
2. Constant Spiritual Renewal
3. Buiding bonds between husband and wife
4. Getting Help and how to respond
SAY: Let's review review Sister Reeves' talk with these themes in mind.
LEARNER INVOLVEMENT
SAY - Let's read a quote from Sister Reeves. Who has reading A?
READ C
C - Dear brothers and sisters, today I am blessed to have my 13 oldest grandchildren in the congregation. This has caused me to ask, “What do I want my grandchildren to know?” This morning I would like to talk frankly to my family and to yours.
SAY: Sister Reeves then talks about building bonds between husbands and wives.
READ D
D - One reason we are here on earth is to learn to manage the passions and feelings of our mortal bodies. These God-given feelings help us want to marry and have children. The intimate marriage relationship between a man and a woman that brings children into mortality is also meant to be a beautiful, loving experience that binds together two devoted hearts, unites both spirit and body, and brings a fulness of joy and happiness as we learn to put each other first. President Spencer W. Kimball taught that in marriage, “the spouse … becomes preeminent in the life of the husband or wife, and … [no] other interest [or] person [or] thing shall ever take precedence over the companion spouse. … “Marriage presupposes total allegiance and total fidelity."
Q: How does the sacred marriage bond relate to pornography?
SAY: Let's read a story of innocence that sister Reeves relates in her talk.
READ E
E - Many years ago one of our children was noticeably distressed. I stepped into her bedroom, where she opened up her heart and explained to me that she had been at a friend’s home and had accidentally seen startling and disturbing images and actions on the television between a man and a woman without clothing. She began sobbing and expressed how horrible she felt about what she had seen and wished she could get it out of her mind. I was so grateful that she would confide in me, giving me a chance to soothe her innocent and aching heart and help her know how to get relief through our Savior’s Atonement. I remember the sacred feelings I had as we knelt together, as mother and daughter, and petitioned the help of our Heavenly Father.
Q: What is the message that Sister Reeves wants to us get from?
Q: Sister Reeves pointed her daughter to the Savior's Atonement? How can the Savior's Atonement and petitioning the help of our Heavenly Father help help a child or perhaps ourselves when we a soiled by exposure to the world?
SAY: Let read another quote
READ F
F - Many children, youth, and adults are innocently exposed to pornography, but a growing number of both men and women are choosing to view it and are drawn back repeatedly until it becomes an addiction. These individuals may desire with all of their hearts to get out of this trap but often cannot overcome it on their own. How grateful we are when these loved ones choose to confide in us as parents or a Church leader. We would be wise not to react with shock, anger, or rejection, which may cause them to be silent again.
Q: Why is our reaction so important?
READ G
G - We as parents and leaders need to counsel with our children and youth on an ongoing basis, listening with love and understanding. They need to know the dangers of pornography and how it overtakes lives, causing loss of the Spirit, distorted feelings, deceit, damaged relationships, loss of self-control, and nearly total consumption of time, thought, and energy.
Q: Is this depiction true of what pornography can do? [tell story of intern who was involved, lost family, graduation was in the balance]
Gettting Help
LEARNER APPLICATION
READ H
H - Young people and adults, if you are caught in Satan’s trap of pornography, remember how merciful our beloved Savior is. Do you realize how deeply the Lord loves and cherishes you, even now? Our Savior has the power to cleanse and heal you. He can remove the pain and sorrow you feel and make you clean again through the power of His Atonement.
Q: What can a person do if he or she is caught in the trap?
READ I
I - The greatest filter in the world … is the personal internal filter that comes from a deep and abiding testimony.
Q: Why are we less prone to getting caught in traps like pornography or other sins if we are focused on developing our discipleship, building our faith?
READ J
J - How do we lead our children [and ourselves] to deep conversion and to access our Savior’s Atonement? I love the prophet Nephi’s declaration of what his people did to fortify the youth of his day: “We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, [and] we prophesy of Christ … that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."
SAY: Sister Reeves then talks about prioritizing our homes and our lives so that the most important things are not left undone.
Q: What should we be doing on a daily, weekly and monthly basis to reinforce spiritual growth, to deepen our conversion?
Q: When challenges strike ourselves or our family, why is it so important to stay have stayed close to the Lord?
SAY: Sister Reeves says regarding challenges"Then, if pornography or other challenges do strike our families, we can petition the Lord for help and expect great guidance from the Spirit, knowing that we have done what our Father has asked us to do."
CONCLUSION
What do I want my grandchildren to know? I want them and you to know that I know the Savior lives and loves us. He has paid the price for our sins, but we must kneel before our Father in Heaven, in deep humility, confessing our sins, and plead with Him for forgiveness. We must want to change our hearts and our desires and be humble enough to seek the help and forgiveness of those we may have hurt or forsaken.
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