I have lived and worked all over the Western United States, spending vast amounts of time in what are considered the worldly cities of LA, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Portland, Seattle, and Phoenix. However, it was not until I arrived in the Salt Lake valley that I saw more billboards for plastic surgery than I have anywhere else, not even what is considered the plastic surgery capitol of the world, Los Angeles.
When mentioning my observations to others, I would get staunch denials insisting that those other cities were substantially more in your face with these things. I couldn’t imagine that I had spent all this time in all these other cities and never noticed it until I got to Utah. Was I just expecting “Zion” to be completely pure and blowing out of proportion anything that compromised that perception? Not me!
I started doing some digging on the internet, which (as usual) proved I was right! As it turns out Forbes ranked Salt Lake City the “Vainest City in the Nation”. Salt Lake City has the most plastic surgeons per capita at six per 100,000 residents – that’s even more than New York City and LA! You don’t get service providers without people wanting a service, especially when 66% of those surgeries are elective and 80 percent of them are cosmetic in nature.
Why is the capitol of Mormonism the vainest city in the world with the biggest demand for elective plastic surgery per capita in the Nation? Maybe it’s unrelated, maybe I am jumping to irrational conclusions, but I thought it was interesting that Utah was also the highest consumer per capita of pornography.
Some of the observers have said that perhaps this is because it is less available on the retail level than other places. However, I doubt that is true since it is just as unavailable in states like Idaho and Montana, but Montana is on the exact opposite end of the list being the lowest subscriber to pornography. Others claim it is because Mormons are repressed, but that doesn’t make any sense either because Utah didn’t reach this level until 2009. If sexual repression was really the cause, Utah would’ve been at the top of one of these types of lists since its inception, but that is simply not the case.
Are the women in Utah trying to live up to the false standards set by so much pornography consumption? But why the high levels of pornography consumption and why now? Is it because of the constant bombardment from television shows with the boundaries being tested, which then lead to a desire for more and more? I think it would be interesting to do a study on those that have decided to not watch television and compare it to those that do and see if there is a substantial difference.
To protect ourselves and our families from these destroyers of body and spirit, I suggest we remember and follow the council of Elder George Q Cannon when he said:
“If the breach is daily widening between ourselves and the world . . . we may be assured that our progress is certain, however slow. On the opposite hand, if our feeling and affections, our appetites and desires, are in unison with the world around us and freely fraternize with them . . . we should do well to examine ourselves. Individuals in such a condition might possess a nominal position in the Church but would be lacking the life of the work, and, like the foolish virgins who slumbered while the bridegroom tarried, they would be unprepared for his coming. . . .” (Millennial Star, October 5, 1861 [vol. 23], pp. 645-46)
For we are truly in the time foreseen by Elder Heber C. Kimball when he warned:
“Yes, we think we are secure here in the chambers of these everlasting hills . . . but I want to say to you, my brethren, the time is coming when we will be mixed up in these now peaceful valleys to that extent that it will be difficult to tell the face of a Saint from the face of an enemy against the people of God. Then is the time to look out for the great sieve, for there will be a great sifting time, and many will fall. For I say unto you there is a test, a Test, a TEST coming.” (Orson F. Whitney, The Life of Heber C. Kimball, 1888 ed., p. 456-57)
Well said!
Personally, I deal more with moral temptation at church than anywhere else. Many of our young ladies in the church are as Elder Oaks suggested: walking pornography. They make themselves into pornography with their tight clothes and suggestive manner. Then they inevitably attract a lustful young man, get married, then that young man discovers that even his new trophy wife cannot possibly fully satisfy him; so he solicits pornography and eventually leaves his wife and kids to go chase after all the bimbos at the night clubs. Then his wife bursts into tears and laments to the bishop that she is not good enough for him and how could this have happened. These woman sow the seeds for their own misery and destruction by feeding the ravenous wolves within the men. (Of course, I offer this explanation as a generality. There are other factors and explanations: like all the sex-saturated music and movies that are ceaselessly indulged in.)
This is a tragedy! Our leaders have warned and forewarned us again and again. So many of the woman in the church JUST DON’T GET IT!. They don’t even know what modesty is! Even when they think they are modest, usually they are not. They don’t understand how the male mind works. They need to stop trying to be sexy and trendy; and try instead to be comely and holy. There is actually nothing as a attractive as a holy person.
A curse is coming because of this. It is not going to be pretty. Isaiah summarized it most aptly.
16 Moreover, the Lord saith: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched–forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet—
17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts.
18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments, and cauls, and round tires like the moon;
19 The chains and the bracelets, and the mufflers;
20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the ear–rings;
21 The rings, and nose jewels;
22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping–pins;
23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and hoods, and the veils.
24 And it shall come to pass, instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle, a rent; and instead of well set hair, baldness; and instead of a stomacher, a girding of sackcloth; burning instead of beauty.
25 Thy men shall fall by the sword and thy mighty in the war.
26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall be desolate, and shall sit upon the ground.
(2 Nephi 13:16 – 26)
“And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center.” (1 Nephi 16:2)
Well put! I appreciate your comment and completely agree. I do want to add that I know many young women who dress modestly and are some of the best girls I have ever known. They are good, spiritual girls who have never married. I have been married, but my husband left me and my children a few years back. He went after a younger woman who wanted the same worldly kind of life that he suddenly seemed to want. I have been on ONE date in the past 3 years. There just don’t seem to be any men out there with the same standards that I want to live by. I see some women lowering their standards because they are lonely and don’t want to be alone anymore. It makes me sad to see it. I have determined that I would rather be alone.
Elizabeth, keep it up! Your virtue and your faith will be rewarded with all of the great blessings you are praying for.
Thank you Jared!
Elizabeth, that’s both my Mothers and our second daughters middle name. I have never understod this phenomenon called “middle aged crazy”, which apparently affected your husband. In the vernacular of the times, the very first time I laid eyes on the gorgeous young lady who became my eternal companion, I “imprinted on her”. I was twitterpated big time, still am after 44 years, and always will be. True love is like that. It doesn’t change over time, except to get stronger. How could a man honestly claim that he truly loved his wife unless he was 100% loyal to her in thought, word, and deed, FOREVER? I don’t understand any other way of living. It makes me feel so very sad when I hear stories like yours. Your husband hurt you terribly, but he hurt himself even worse. He sold his birthright for a bowl of porridge as it were. I pity him, and I commend you for your integrity.
I often wondered if others noticed the family standards in the dress of the young (and not so young) women despite numerous talks against the suggestive dress and manners. thanks!
living in the southern states and the mission field gives us such a clearer picture and I think more strength to see these vain & evil things for what they are. This vanity is everywhere but I’ll take living out of Utah any day over living amidst so many who don’t take the gosple seriously.
I think two fallacies are more to blame than any others.
The first is the erroneous connection of “sex” with everything around us. Everything good or beautiful is labeled “sexy.” This fallacious correlation between beauty and sex confuses a great many. What man doesn’t think that a naked lady (most any) is one of, if not God’s most beautiful creations? And yet so is a sunset or high mountain valley and we don’t desire to mingle the flesh with them? Sex should in reality be linked to a shared covenant made in part during courtship (share the same convictions and communicate intent to see them out together). Those convictions are finished and unified at marriage. Marriage is coming together never to part, becoming one, inseparable. There can be no true “marriage” without fidelity, only a false agreement, a lie, a farce. Sex is a great part of that bond. The physical gratification part of sex can be fulfilled easily, by electronic instruments even. Why then do we link it to something so abstract as pictures? Because we buy the lie, the fallacious correlation. So stop using the word sexy, except to describe children and procreation. Without this false assumption most all desire for pornography would perish.
Remember too that God saw Adam and Eve naked in the garden and it didn’t bother Him and He didn’t bother to tell them it was bad. Of course they were innocent and He holy, but why did it not offend Him to look upon them? Perhaps because He didn’t have a problem with it, he saw it for what it was and didn’t attach anything to it. Most all third world cultures that grow up with nudity are immune to it’s teasing allure, which is not to say that they can not see the beauty present in the human form.
Many things are sins because of what they lead us to. Masturbation is described by the new church handbook as being one such thing. Of course it is gluttonous as well, and so is a constant indulgence of any form of satisfaction be it ice cream, skiing, or dwelling upon the naked form extensively. Perhaps it should be more common in it’s natural form and less so in it’s salacious forms?
The second is the “give 110%” “work ethic” extreme mentality where no devotion is ever enough to the outside world, a two hour commute/eleven hour work day is average and expected and so families fall by the way-side. We try to “work hard and play hard,” but in reality time hasn’t stretched any, and we cannot really give quality time for quantity time at home. We have chosen “employment” over family at almost every turn and it’s time for husbands to return home to work with and for the family and stop commuting and over-timing their life away. Work is an eternal principle, employment is a temporary means to an end. The two are not the same!
Of course it’s easier said than done, but it’s not like we have an option. If the Lord confirms to us that this path is right, we take it in faith and let the chips fall where they will. We either support our families or we don’t. In the end I would rather fail at employment and have my family eternally than the reverse. The old adage is that you never hear somebody saying “I wish I would have spent more time at work.” It’s true, as a cancerous colleague of mine once related just prior to his passing. Pres. Kimball once stated that he would rather sell peanuts from a stand than work for another person again.
Maybe satan has control of this worldly economy and maybe he is leveraging us away from our families because we put money first. Maybe in faith there are better ways than this?
If we rid ourselves of these two over-indulgences/fallacies, and the problems would disappear and satan would be bound in those things.
My personal opinion why pornography is so prominent in LDS circles? Because the best way to make someone think about something is to tell them NOT to do it. Here… try it. DO NOT THINK ABOUT ELEPHANTS!!! You are destined to be punished if you think about them… really, try as hard as you can to not think about them.
Have much success? Psychological studies say that you most likely weren’t able to keep your mind away from them. It’s much easier to think about things you are told to think about than to think about things you are told not to think about.
And then once you have thought about them… what the harm in thinking about them more? You’re already going to be punished, might as well go whole hog. The culture of guilt causes it.
This article worries me. This is the same type of logic that blames rape victims for being raped… oh, yes it must have been “her” (not his) fault because she tempted him (never mind that rape is all about control and nothing about attraction, even old ladies get raped). It doesn’t matter how a girl dresses if there is a rapist there. Nothing she wears or doesn’t wear will change the fact that they are a rapist.
In the above paragraph you can replace the word “rapist” with “assaulter”, “fondler”, or even something as minor as “creep”. It doesn’t change the fact that we cannot control what another person does or thinks. That is purely up to them to do. Nothing a girl can do can change the character of another person or their propensity to be abusive to another person.
April, you said:
“It doesn’t matter how a girl dresses if there is a rapist there. Nothing she wears or doesn’t wear will change the fact that they are a rapist.
In the above paragraph you can replace the word “rapist” with “assaulter”, “fondler”, or even something as minor as “creep”. It doesn’t change the fact that we cannot control what another person does or thinks. That is purely up to them to do. Nothing a girl can do can change the character of another person or their propensity to be abusive to another person.”
While it is true that we cannot make other’s choices for them, we CAN have an effect on which choices they make. Sure, “Nothing a girl can do can change the character of another person,” but we are not talking about whether or not women have changed anyone’s character; it is about promotion of an idea. Would your dress and manner promote the idea of sexuality in the mind of someone with (or even without) an existing propensity for such things? While it does not ENTIRELY cause the problem, you cannot claim that the manner and dress of women have NO effect on the situation.
Besides, this issue is really about whether or not you respect your body. If you respect your body, others are more likely to do the same.
I don’t think that dress ever causes the problem. And I think that even implying as much puts the blame for rape on the victim to a harmful degree. Even girls dressed in burquas get raped. Yes, even through all of that cloth you can still tell if a girls body is attractive to some extent. Is that her fault? No. it’s not.
I completely disagree that respecting your body has anything to do with with the way you dress. I think that respecting your body has everything to do with how you take care of it.
April, all I have to say to you, with all respect for who your are, is that you are ignorant. I am a man and know how a man thinks. I am not a criminal, or a rapist, or a creep. I am married with two kids and am don’t have any “sexual” issues to speak of. However, when a girl does not dress modestly, it makes it hard for any guy to “focus on a hymn” so to speak. While the girl who got raped did not deserve it, and many girls who get raped are dressed modestly, that is beside the point of this article. The point is this, if you dress immodestly, then the spirit will not be with you and you will effect the spirit being with guys who see you. I can tell you this for a fact. Days when I feel the spirit the most can turn in to days I am tempted the most when there are women who come across my path who are dressed immodestly. These are the facts. I am a man and know it to be true. Clothing your body modestly is the best thing you can do to respect your virtue and your womanhood. The spirit will be with you when you live the gospel, which includes dressing modestly.
That is interesting. You have no respect for anyone whom you are calling ignorant. Respect cannot equal name calling and belittling.
I fully disagree with you and tend to think that while you may not be ignorant you obviously lack self control if you allow others to dictate what your thoughts must be. I’m sorry you struggle so much with this, however this is not any girl/woman’s fault… this is your own personal failing. You should probably stop blaming it on others, the sooner you do, the more likely you will be to be better able to control your words/thoughts/deeds.
PS. There are men who do agree with me on this, so my disagreement with you is not solely based on the fact that I am a woman. It’s also apparent that your confidence in women’s ability to think is very low.
April, please look up the word ‘ignorant’. It simply means you are unaware (in this case) of what men go through. I did not intend for you to take it as me calling you stupid or to belittle you in anyway. I am sorry if that is how it made you feel. My intentions of the above were merely to point out that clothing does effect the thoughts of a mans mind. As mentioned above in another comment, “stop thinking of elephants”. There, I just made you think of elephants and for the whole rest of this message, you will think about elephants. Now, no man in this world is perfect. If they tell you they are, they are lying. There is one other possibility; if your friends are not lying, then they are probably gay. Any NORMAL guy finds naked women attractive. You have proceeded to try to attack me personally and try to twist my meanings to show that I have a problem of liking to look at women and having difficulty controlling my thoughts. Well, all I can say is that God made us men to be attracted naturally to the naked female and yes, any “normal” man will be attracted to that. I don’t care what they (your friends) try to tell you. They are lying to protect their vices. If I was not LDS and raised with the gospel of Jesus Christ, then of course I would tell women that their naked bodies do not affect me (just so that they would remain that way). I tell you the truth and you can pray about it yourself to know for yourself. Immodesty effects men whether they like it or not (that doesn’t mean we can’t control our thoughts). That does not mean we all dwell on it. But a picture is worth 1000 words. The damage is done at first sight. Again, I mean you know disrespect and I do have a high opinion of woman’s ability to think. You seem to think that I don’t. Well, I apologize again if that is how I made you feel. Women are God’s greatest creations.
April, I think you’re onto something here. A number of years ago, one of the general authorities suggested that since our minds can only focus on one thing at a time, that therefore anytime an inappropriate thought comes into our minds, we should immediately think of the words to our favorite hymn. However, sometime later, an instructor at a Church Education Week Seminar in our stake reported that he tried this method of controlling carnal thoughts. After all, it was suggested by a General Authority, so it must have been inspired right? Wrong! This man said that tying inappropriate thoughts to his favorite hymn worked in reverse as well as in forward. When he would be in a Church meeting, and he and the congregation started singing this hymn, WHOA!!!, guess what he saw in his mind! So he had to execute plan B, another method of controlling his thoughts. I don’t recall what it was, but I will tell you what mine is. It occurred to me some time ago that branding something with a negative iron was counterproductive if the intent is to deflect attention away from it. For example, back when the drug lord rapist Bill Clinton was president, he began a relentless attack on the tobacco companies, beating his chest before the cameras and microphones, while proclaiming himself to be motivated only by his concern for the health of our young people. Prior to his unbelievably hypocritical attack, teenage tobacco use had leveled off in America, had plateaud. However, less than a year later, teenage tobacco use had skyrocketed over 30%. The lesson here is that undue attention to anything, especially of the negative variety, tends to spark curiosity of it, and hence experimentation. Sex is no different. About all we hear about sex from the time we are in primary practically is that it is bad, ugly, sinful, dangerous, and can send you to HELLLL!!! forever. Consequently, to a man, the exposed parts of female bodies are bad, ugly, sinful, dangerous, and can send a man to HELLLL!!! forever. Well, I fought this problem that we men have from this same negative perspective that most good men do, until it finally occurred to me that it made no sense: How in the world can the most exquisite, most beautiful, most attractive, most perfect of all of Fathers creations be bad, ugly, sinful, dangerous, and destined to send me to HELLLL!!! forever. I mean, what a totally ludicrous idea! I thought about it for awhile, consulted the scriptures on it, and concluded that this approach is invariably a failure because it makes a positive into a negative. The body of the female human is totally positive. It is totally nurturing, soothing, loving, exciting, and wonderful in every respect. I can’t commit adultery or fornicate or entertain impure thoughts because these activities are incompatible with my eternal goals. However, I can cease turning a positive into a negative. So, this is what I do. For one thing, I can lust all I want to, as long as it’s my eternal companion that I am lusting after, and only her. And for another thing, when I am out and about, and I see a great deal more of the female mammary gland and other once discreet parts than I need to see, I don’t need to ruin my favorite hymn or feel guilty if I allow myself to enjoy the sight for one milli-second longer than it takes to look away. I no longer have any reason to feel guilty at all. I stay in the positive. I say to myself “Wow, she is beautiful. Heavenly Father, thanks so very much for giving us such beautiful sisters to make life on earth so interesting and rewarding. Please help that young lady to keep the commandments and find happiness both now and in the eternities”. This works, without fail, every time.
Bulls Eye Michael!
I live in Scandinavia, where nudity or partial nudity is a lot more common and not as much frowned upon as it is in the US, but that does not mean people here run around and act on their instincts any more than they do in the US or any other place for that matter. If I go to a beach to swim and suntan without clothes, that does not mean that I have to have a heart attack or a physical reaction at the midsection of my body when I see other naked persons around me… Instead, it’s all about who we are inside and how committed we are to what we believe in and to who we have given vows to.
If I see a beautiful woman, rather than lusting after her, I think of how lucky her husband is to have her and of the beauty of their family and kids. That picture helps me see the higher road and helps me avoid acting in any way that would jeopardize anyone’s happiness.
Wow John! I think you may have even more self-control than I have. I could never justify sunbathing in the nude, or going where others do. Seems to me that that is like pouring gasoline on a spark. And the thought of getting sand in my crotch really turns me off. Maybe I just value the protection I was promised by the wearing of my temple garments more than you do. I don’t know, but I think I’m glad I don’t live in Scandinavia.
Now, this may be a bit off topic, but I just want to assure you that I most certainly do value the protection of my garments, but who says you are supposed to wear your garments when you go suntanning or swimming?
Nude sunbathing is a good way to get skin cancer. There’s more than one reason God wants us to cover our bodies, and not all of them are immediately clear.
What a fine article. Thank you.
I am so sick of mothers and daughters that come to church in their TIGHT body hugging clothing, spewing ‘sexy’, instead of sweet beauty, to all around them. They think if their tight clothing has a small sleeve, they are following the standards set…..read those standards again, please. Even good, chaste men are going to be prone to look at these pre-porn, seductive outfits, form fitted curves/bodies.
And for the modest women: if you envy these sisters because they look very attractive in an earthly seductive, sexy way, just remember YOU are there in your loose clothing with your REAL beauty for all to respect.
I like how the comments here (except maybe April) place the responsibility of immoral thoughts, actions, etc. on the YW of the Church. Is the Priesthood so weak they are tempted, or they ALLOW themselves to give in to temptation by dress?
I agree there are lower standards of dress which is not attractive but the choice I make to linger on the ‘tight body hugging clothes’ of Sis. So-and-so is exactly that-my own choice. Therefore, the effects of that choice is my own. As a Priesthood holder I am responsible for MY thoughts, words, and deeds, not some external environmental stimuli, be it clothes, pornography, etc.
I think the people who are castigating the YW and their mothers for their choice of clothing need to look inwards for the source of their discomfort and ire. What’s the real issue here?
Side-note: the phrase “living in the mission field” is erroneous. This article even references Utah as the highest consumer of porn in the U.S. So, where are the missionaries needed more? We are all living in the mission field.
The real issue here is that the men in the church are bombarded with various forms of pornography every day in almost every public place; then we go to church and church activities and it is no different. I think most men try very hard to have pure thoughts; but we are not androids with ON/OFF switches to control our mental processes. We deal with hormones and all aspects of a fallen and carnal nature. Let he/she who is guiltless cast the first stone.
And I do take responsibility for my thoughts and actions; no thanks to all the pornographic influences transmitted by so many of the daughters of Zion.
And yes, most of our priesthood men are weak; they are very weak indeed. The young woman of the church flaunt that weakness at their own peril.
All I am saying is that such a think ought not to be and that the young woman of the church need to wake up to the fact that immodesty is a sin which has prophesied dire consequences in the Last Days.
The Brothers are not weak… and the excuse that women’s clothing is causing them to faulter is just that, an excuse! It entitles them to be lazy in controlling themselves and their thoughts.
This attitude hurts BOTH the women and the men.
You are the one making excuses and choosing to be offended.
All I am saying is that immodesty among LDS woman contributes to the problem LDS men are having with pornography. If that offends you and causes you to get defensive then maybe you are the one who needs a quick dose of humility.
You say the brethren are not weak. Then why do the General Authorities rebuke them from head to foot every six months for their involvement in pornography and other vices?
It is obvious that you have no real idea what these images do to even the best of men.
Wake up and smell the coffee! This stuff is very very deadly! If you want to make excuses for the young woman who choose to “go a whoring,” as Moses put it, then you are the one in denial.
Repent and take some responsibility for yourself; don’t just blame the men for being weak minded.
As far as I am concerned, this conversation is done.
LOL wow… talk about putting words in my mouth. I never said I was offended and I’m not. Oh and BTW many MEN that I know share my thoughts on this.
Louis, buddy, you said:
“I think the people who are castigating the YW and their mothers for their choice of clothing need to look inwards for the source of their discomfort and ire.”
Mosiah 3:19 tells us that “the natural man is an enemy to God.” We also know that Satan tempts men according to their weaknesses. Men have a natural weakness toward women, it is built in by God.
The Prophet and Apostles, it seems, also disagree with your assessment:
“Prophets of God have always counseled His children to dress modestly. The way you dress is a reflection of what you are on the inside. Your dress and grooming send messages about you to others and influence the way you and others act. When you are well groomed and modestly dressed, you invite the companionship of the Spirit and can exercise a good influence on those around you.
Never lower your dress standards for any occasion. Doing so sends the message that you are using your body to get attention and approval and that modesty is important only when it is convenient.”
https://lds.org/youth/for-the-strength-of-youth/dress-and-appearance?lang=eng
You also asked:
“What’s the real issue here?”
The real issue is that if I don’t want to smoke, I don’t hang around with smokers. If I don’t want to swear, I don’t hang around with those who swear. AND if I don’t want to think about women’s bodies, I don’t go places (websites, etc), where I will be forced to think about women’s bodies.
We go to church to seek forgiveness of our weaknesses, and help with repenting. What does a man do if he avoids sexually suggestive things all week, only to see it at church?
The tares are choking the wheat.
D. and if you don’t want to convert people you stay with people who think and act exactly like you do.
I don’t go to church to convert people; I go to church to worship the Lord, and I have a hard time doing it when people stick their ta-ta’s in my face.
I’m really not arguing with you here, as the Prophet made the truth clear in the quote I provided above. If you want to deny it, that’s your problem.
So you hang out with people who smoke, drink, are democrats, wear tank tops, etc outside of church?
If so, I’m impressed because your comment before tended to indicate otherwise.
Amen Louis… I totally stand being you on this one.
I think that we should all be able to agree that the doctrine of the Church clearly teaches us that the body is a gift from God and that each of us has a solemn responsibility to honor and respect it in every way.
For men, we are to control our thoughts and natural attraction to the female body and “cleave unto our spouse and none other”, both physically, mentally and spiritually. We have no excuses for not being able to control our thoughts, period.
For women, the doctrine cannot be stated more plainly, “The way you dress is a reflection of what you are on the inside. Your dress and grooming send messages about you to others and influence the way you and others act… Immodest clothing includes short shorts and skirts, tight clothing, shirts that do not cover the stomach, and other revealing attire.” (For the Strength of Youth) In addition, Elder Oaks warned, “And young women, please understand that if you dress immodestly (see definition above), you are magnifying this problem by becoming pornography to some of the men who see you.” (Gen Conf. April 2005) Notice that Elder Oaks said “magnifying” the problem, not “are” the problem…big difference!
It would appear to me from these quotes that there is no way to escape the fact that both men and women have roles to play in removing the scourge of pornography from among us. If men will remember their covenants, resist the natural man and fill their lives with virtue, they can overcome pornography. If women will live the standards taught by prophets of God, they will help, rather than hurt, the men of the priesthood.
I truly believe that men have the significantly greater responsibility when it relates to pornography, but likewise, claiming that women have NO responsibility is simply denying the doctrine of the church and the teachings of the prophets.
Well said Greg.
“You men and you women that lift up your voices against that holy principle that has been introduced among this people, the time will come when your daughters will run these streets as common harlots.”
(Pres. Heber C. Kimball, as related in General Conference, Oct 1901, p. 32)
@John Birberg – Don’t you remember the story of Adam and Eve? As soon as their eyes were opened and they discovered their nakedness, the Lord basically told them to go get some clothes on! Shame on you for excusing your lewd and immodest practices!
These statistics are not surprising, but they are incredibly shocking!!
All around me, I see women getting their breast enhancements and laser “treatments”. Skirts so short, and tops so low that I can see their garments quite easily. Thirteen-year-old girls dressing scandalously, with pounds of makeup (trying to appear “older”, but looking more like prostitutes-in-training than anything else). Young primary girls so obsessed with their image that they are never satisfied. Then I go to the singles ward and realize that when it comes to a lot of my ward members, if I did not know them outside of Church, I would not be able to tell that they are LDS. It is tragic. Elder Kimball’s words are indeed coming true.
There are two YW in my ward who come to church dressed in short tight low strappy dresses. Their parents are inactive so the girls are coming to church by themselves. I’m glad to see them each week no matter what thy have on. The YW leaders have been a great influence in their lives. The girls haven’t had easy lives and the church provides stability for them. I hope they keep coming even if they are wearing skimpy clothes.
Brigham warned us this would happen if we abandoned the new and everlasting covenant of marriage.
I think the title of the article may tear down more than it builds up, but I agree with the content. My family and I have noticed this as well. We would do well to learn from the consequences prophecies for the vain “daughters of Zion.” I also think that these young women (and older women) aren’t completely to blame–I can say from experience that they’re really not being taught! I was taught that we should be “modest” in young women’s, but never the specifics of what that meant. I didn’t have a clue about the physiological effects that viewing the shape of a woman’s body has on our men. I think that teaching the specifics and the WHY of modesty to our young men and women would help a lot. For me, the Botkin sisters opened my eyes to those important concepts. I would highly recommend their book, ‘It’s Not That Complicated,’ for young women, as well as their webcast, ‘Reclaiming Beauty.’