Blurred Lines

And he that looketh upon a woman to lust after her shall deny the faith, and shall not have the Spirit; and if he repents not he shall be cast out.

Doctrine & Covenants 42:23

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has some rules about content and what is pornographic. If a show shows certain parts of a body (X, Y, and Z) then it is pornographic and can’t be shown on TV. As you know, those lines have gotten blurred and moved over the years.

So what are God’s lines on what is pornographic? Are they the same as the FCC? In Doctrine & Covenants 42:23 we have God’s definition of what is pornographic and evil. As I read the verse, it is whatever causes sexual feelings towards someone you are not married to.  We are to avoid any medium (TV show, images, book, magazine, websites) where there is content that would stir lust. There is an order to this: verse 22 describes the ideal marriage, verse 24 talks about the sin of adultery, and the verse in between is about lust.  I think the message is that one is leading to the other so stay let’s stay with cleaving to our spouses with all our hearts in verse 22.  Naturally the rule is the same if you are not married.

Today’s Takeaway: Is there an area where you have been compromising with pornography (not by the world’s standard but God’s standard of pornography)? Get rid of those media and books.  Take away the ability to access those things that kill. Remove that slow acting poison out of your house and life immediately. It will hurt more than just yourself.