Combating Pornography: Watch Your Step

"See CombatingPornography.org to find resources to help prevent or overcome pornography addiction.

Also, you can read, watch, or listen to Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s April 2010 general conference address, “Place No More for the Enemy of My Soul,” which is excerpted in this video." - lds.org

Read a firsthand account of someone helping a spouse overcome a pornography addiction

Counsel from the Sunday Afternoon Session - April 2011

Sunday Afternoon Session

Richard G. Scott

·    “If you are a young man of appropriate age and are not married, don’t waste time in idle pursuits. Get on with life and focus on getting married. Don’t just coast through this period of life.”

·    “Young men, serve a worthy mission. Then make your highest priority finding a worthy, eternal companion.”

·    “When you find you are developing an interest in a young woman, show her that you are an exceptional person that she would find interesting to know better. Take her to places that are worthwhile. Show some ingenuity. If you want to have a wonderful wife, you need to have her see you as a wonderful man and prospective husband.”

·    “If you have found someone, you can form an extraordinarily wonderful courtship and marriage and be very, very happy eternally by staying within the bounds of worthiness the Lord has established.”

·    “If you are married, are you faithful to your spouse mentally as well as physically? Are you loyal to your marriage covenants by never engaging in conversation with another person that you wouldn’t want your spouse to overhear? Are you kind and supportive of your spouse and children?”

·    “Brethren, do you lead out in family activities such as scripture study, family prayer, and family home evening, or does your wife fill in the gap your lack of attention leaves in the home? Do you tell your wife often how very much you love her? It will bring her great happiness. I’ve heard men tell me when I say that, ‘Oh, she knows.’ You need to tell her. A woman grows and is greatly blessed by that reassurance. Express gratitude for what your spouse does for you. Express that love and gratitude often. That will make life far richer and more pleasant and purposeful. Don’t withhold those natural expressions of love. And it works a lot better if you are holding her close while you tell her.”

D. Todd Christofferson

·    “Perhaps some of the things said in this conference have come to you as a call to repentance or change, which if heeded will lift you to a higher place.”

·    “Even when we encounter mean-spirited criticism from persons who have little regard or love for us, it can be helpful to exercise enough meekness to weigh it and sift out anything that might benefit us.”

·    “Parents can and must correct, even chasten, if their children are not to be cast adrift at the mercy of a merciless adversary and his supporters.”

·    “Remember that reproof should be timely, with sharpness or clarity, ‘when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy’” (D&C 121:43).

·    “Remember that if we resist correction, others may discontinue offering it altogether, despite their love for us. If we repeatedly fail to act on the chastening of a loving God, then He too will desist.”

·    “Eventually, much of our chastening should come from within—we should become self-correcting.”

·    “It is a diligent, devoted effort on our part that calls forth this empowering and enabling grace, an effort that certainly includes submission to God’s chastening hand and sincere, unqualified repentance. Let us pray for His love-inspired correction.”

Carl B. Pratt

·    “Let us not be accused of robbing God. Let us be honest and pay our debts to the Lord. All He asks is 10 percent. Integrity in paying our debts to the Lord will help us be honest with our fellowmen.”

·    “[The Lord] expects us to pay tithing not from our abundance nor from the “leftovers” of the family budget but, as He commanded anciently, from the “firstlings” of our income, be it scarce or abounding.”

·    “Let us show our faith in the Lord by paying our tithing. Pay it first; pay it honestly.”

·    “Teach our children to pay tithing even on their allowance or other income, and then take them with us to tithing settlement so they know of our example and our love for the Lord.”

Lynn G. Robbins

·    “To become as [Christ] is, we must also do the things He did.”

·    “When children misbehave, let’s say when they quarrel with each other, we often misdirect our discipline on what they did, or the quarreling we observed. But the do—their behavior—is only a symptom of the unseen motive in their hearts. We might ask ourselves, ‘What attributes, if understood by the child, would correct this behavior in the future?’”

·    “We will never have a greater opportunity to teach and show Christlike attributes to our children than in the way we discipline them. Discipline comes from the same root word as disciple and implies patience and teaching on our part. It should not be done in anger. We can and should discipline the way that Doctrine and Covenants 121 teaches us: ‘by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness and pure knowledge’ (verses 41–42).”

·    “Through discipline the child learns of consequences. In such moments it is helpful to turn negatives into positives. If the child confesses to a wrong, praise the courage it took to confess. Ask the child what he or she learned from the mistake or misdeed, which gives you, and more important, the Spirit an opportunity to touch and teach the child.”

·    “When our children misbehave, we must be careful not to say things that would cause them to believe that what they did wrong is who they are.”

·    “Never let failure progress from an action to an identity, with its attendant labels like ‘stupid,’ ‘slow,’ ‘lazy,’ or ‘clumsy.’”

·    “We need to be careful, therefore, about using permanent phrases such as ‘You always …’ or ‘You never …’ when disciplining. Phrases like these make actions appear as an identity and can adversely influence the child’s self-perception and self-worth.”

·    “In helping children discover who they are and helping strengthen their self-worth, we can appropriately compliment their achievement or behavior—the do. But it would be even wiser to focus our primary praise on their character and beliefs—who they are.”

·    “During family scripture time, look for and discuss examples of attributes discovered in your reading that day. Because Christlike attributes are gifts from God and cannot be developed without His help, in family and personal prayers, pray for those gifts.”

·    “At the dinner table, occasionally talk about attributes, especially those you discovered in the scriptures earlier that morning.”

·    “May your efforts to develop Christlike attributes be successful so that His image may be engraven in your countenance and His attributes manifest in your behavior.”

Benjamin De Hoyos

·    “Humble members of the Church who conduct daily family prayer and scripture study, engage in family history, and consecrate their time to worship in the temple frequently, become Saints.”

·    “The Saints, or members of the Church, also come to know our Savior through afflictions and trials. Let us not forget that even He had to suffer all things.”

·    “Even though our understanding of the gospel may not be as deep as is our testimony of its truth, if we place our confidence in the Lord, we will be sustained in all of our difficulties, our trials, and our afflictions (see Alma 36:3).”

C. Scott Grow

·    “There are times when each of us needs ‘relief from feelings of guilt that come from mistakes and sins.’ As we repent, the Savior removes the guilt from our souls.”

·    “As you consider your own life, are there things that you need to change? Have you made mistakes that still need to be corrected?”

·    “If you are suffering from feelings of guilt or remorse, bitterness or anger, or loss of faith, I invite you to seek relief. Repent and forsake your sins. Then, in prayer, ask God for forgiveness. Seek forgiveness from those you have wronged. Forgive those who have wronged you. Forgive yourself.”

·    “Go to the bishop if necessary. He is the Lord’s messenger of mercy. He will help you as you struggle to become clean through repentance.”

·    “Immerse yourself in prayer and scripture study. As you do so, you will feel the sanctifying influence of the Spirit.”

Jeffrey R. Holland

·    “As our conference comes to a close, I ask you to reflect in the days ahead not only on the messages you have heard but also on the unique phenomenon that general conference itself is—what we as Latter-day Saints believe such conferences to be and what we invite the world to hear and observe about them.”

·    “Consider the variety of the messages that you hear—all the more miraculous with no coordination except the direction of heaven.”

·    “In wanting to measure up to the stern as well as embrace the soothing in our general conference messages, please be reassured that when we speak on difficult subjects, we understand not everyone is viewing pornography or shirking marriage or having illicit sexual relationships. We know not everyone is violating the Sabbath or bearing false witness or abusing a spouse. We know that most in our audience are not guilty of such things, but we are under a solemn charge to issue warning calls to those who are—wherever they may be in the world.”

·    “So if you are trying to do the best you can—if, for example, you keep trying to hold family home evening in spite of the bedlam that sometimes reigns in a houseful of little bedlamites—then give yourself high marks and, when we come to that subject, listen for another which addresses a topic where you may be lacking. If we teach by the Spirit and you listen by the Spirit, some one of us will touch on your circumstance, sending a personal prophetic epistle just to you.”

Thomas S. Monson

·    “May we long remember the messages we have heard. As we receive the issues of the Ensign and Liahona magazines which will contain these messages in written form, may we read and study them.”

·    “May we be examples of honesty and integrity wherever we go and in whatever we do.”

Could You Ride Out the Storm?

“Many more people could ride out the storm-tossed waves in their economic lives if they had their year’s supply of food … and were debt-free. Today we find that many have followed this counsel in reverse: they have at least a year’s supply of debt and are food-free.” President Thomas S. Monson

Although this statement by President Monson might make us chuckle, in reality it could lead to a scary ride on storm-tossed waves. Is your family prepared for the storms that lie ahead? Recently I have been reminded that we have much more to do to be ready for unforeseen storms that may lie ahead.

And I have had the thought that the more prepared we are physically the more prepared we will be spiritually. If we are prepared physically for the waves I believe we will more easily feel the Savior's power working in us to calm the storm and we will feel of God's love for us.

Elder Holland said, "It is not without a recognition of life’s tempests but fully and directly because of them that I testify of God’s love and the Savior’s power to calm the storm."

WHAT IS YOUR FAMILY DOING TO BE PREPARED FOR AN EMERGENCY?
I'd love to hear tips, suggestions, and even questions that some of you have in regards to food storage, other emergency supplies, 72 hour kits, etc.

Here are some great resources to check out:

Family Home Storage Pamphlet

Family Finances Pamphlet

Family Emergency Planning

Prepared LDS Family

The Sacrifices Made For Scriptures

A few nights ago for scripture study we talked about Moroni and how far and long he wandered to stay away from the Lamanites and protect the plates. I hadn’t realized that it was probably thousands of miles. My husband ended by saying and we have the scriptures right by our beds, we need to read them.

Then on Sunday morning I watched this video of the great sacrifices that Joseph Smith and other early saints went through to translate and make available the Book of Mormon. I love Elder Hollands words about how they would not have done what they did if this book wasn't true. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and I am grateful for the sacrfices made so that I can have access to its words.

Then I thought of others like Nephi who also risked their lives to obtain the word of God and I felt blessed and grateful to all of these wonderful men for their faith and their diligence in bringing the word of God to me. I think I often take for granted all that has gone on before so that I can have access to the scriptures right in my own home, right next to my own bed, always at my fingertips whenever I chose to pick them up. I need to be more faithful and diligent in my personal scripture journey because if I don’t I will be risking my own spiritual life and there is no reason why I or any of us should do this when our scriptures lie right by our beds (or on our bookshelves).

And when I shared all of these thoughts with my husband he reminded me of these great words from Elder Christofferson:

On October 6, in the year 1536, a pitiful figure was led from a dungeon in Vilvorde Castle near Brussels, Belgium. For nearly a year and a half, the man had suffered isolation in a dark, damp cell. Now outside the castle wall, the prisoner was fastened to a post. He had time to utter aloud his final prayer, “Lord! open the king of England’s eyes,” and then he was strangled. Immediately, his body was burned at the stake. Who was this man, and what was the offense for which both political and ecclesiastical authorities had condemned him? His name was William Tyndale, and his crime was to have translated and published the Bible in English.

William Tyndale was not the first, nor the last, of those who in many countries and languages have sacrificed, even to the point of death, to bring the word of God out of obscurity. We owe them all a great debt of gratitude. We owe perhaps an even greater debt to those who faithfully recorded and preserved the word through the ages, often with painstaking labor and sacrifice—Moses, Isaiah, Abraham, John, Paul, Nephi, Mormon, Joseph Smith, and many others. What did they know about the importance of scriptures that we also need to know?

In Tyndale’s day, scriptural ignorance abounded because people lacked access to the Bible, especially in a language they could understand. Today the Bible and other scripture are readily at hand, yet there is a growing scriptural illiteracy because people will not open the books. Consequently they have forgotten things their grandparents knew.

I suppose that never in history has a people been blessed with such a quantity of holy writ. And not only that, but every man, woman, and child may possess and study his or her own personal copy of these sacred texts, most in his or her own language. How incredible such a thing would have seemed to the people of William Tyndale’s day and to the Saints of earlier dispensations! Surely with this blessing the Lord is telling us that our need for constant recourse to the scriptures is greater than in any previous time. May we feast continuously on the words of Christ that will tell us all things we should do (see 2 Nephi 32:3).

More Excited for the Easter Bunny?

"The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the most important event in all of history. Yet how many are more excited about what the Easter Bunny brings on Easter morning than about what the Savior brought on that first Easter? “On this Easter eve, may our thoughts turn to Him who atoned for our sins, who showed us the way to live, how to pray, and who demonstrated by His own actions how we might do so” (Thomas S. Monson, “Pathways to Perfection,” Ensign, May 2002). (Click on the quote for a list of ideas to help you and your family remember the Savior this Easter.)

For a week worth of Easter scripture readings click HERE. (Last year we did "candy" Easter on a different day and then on actual Easter Sunday we did an easter egg hunt with each of the pictures found in the above link in an egg. It worked out well. We were still able to enjoy some treats and fun egg hunts but we were able to center that special day around the Savior.)

Let us all strive to make the Savior the center of our Easter this year. Let is focus on Him as we listen to or watch each Conference session that weekend. Let us always remember what our Savior and Redeemer has done for each one of us. He loves us. He died for us. He lives.

A Must Read Post For All Mothers This Christmas Season

Christmas, Mary, and Motherhood by Stephanie at Diapers and Divinity. It was just what I needed to hear tonight as a stressed Mother...stressed with young children and stressed with Christmas happenings. The post was written so perfectly with words shared by both Elder Holland and Stephanie. It is a must read so head on over.

An Apostle's Easter Thoughts on Christ: None Were with Him

I loved Elder Holland's powerful thoughts this Conference and so I was thrilled to find out that a video had been created of a portion of his talk and was posted on Mormon Messages. This would be a good video to sit down and watch with your family on Easter day or even for FHE on Monday. If you missed his talk or even if you didn't, I urge you to read the entire talk HERE (All of the Conference talks are now available in English).

This Easter season let us remember what our Savior has down for us. Let us remember that He understands the things we go through and that He knows us personally. Let us remember that He lives.

Priesthood: Be Ready and Worthy to Act

My husband introduced me to this video last night of a portion of a talk by Elder Holland. It fits perfectly with my previous post but in a different perspective. I focused on the blessings that we all can receive through the power of the priesthood and in this talk Elder Holland focuses on the need for every priesthood holder to "be ready and worthy to act". It is a powerful message.

I would love to hear your experiences of when you were blessed by the priesthood or when you were able to use the power of priesthood because you were ready and worthy to act.

You can read one of my experiences in the previous post.

My Words...Never Cease

This is Elder Holland's tesimony of continuing revelation. It is a wonderful video. I too, know that God's words never cease. I know that we can individually receive revelation for ourselves and I also know that The Book of Mormon is a true book and is a testimony that revelation continues today. Enjoy the video of Elder Holland's words.

"My Words...Never Cease"

(click on title to read full text)

Elder Holland

To read from the different books of our
standard works click on the links below:

The Old Testament
The New Testament
The Book of Mormon
The Doctrine and Covenants
The Pearl of Great Price

To receive a free copy of the Book of Mormon click on the link below
then scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Request a Copy:

Free Book of Mormon

If you have any questions you'd like to have answered
by LDS missionaries click on this link:

Live Online Chat with Missionaries

Are we Christians?

Elder Holland
But even as we invite one and all to examine closely the marvel of it, there is one thing we would not like anyone to wonder about—that is whether or not we are “Christians.”

2 Nephi 25:23,26
For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ...and we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ.

This talk by Elder Holland perfectly expresses

our love for the Savior and our belief in Him.

The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

I Believe in Christ

What a perfect song to express our belief and testimony in the Savior.

I do believe in Christ. I know that He is our Savior and our Redeemer. I know that He is the Son of God. He is our perfect example and He is the only Way to follow. He is at the head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and we worship Him as well as the Father. We are Christians.