Pornography

Pornography is any material depicting or describing the

human body or sexual conduct in a way that arouses sexual

feelings. It is distributed through many media, including

magazines, books, television, movies, music, and the

Internet. It is as harmful to the spirit as tobacco, alcohol, and

drugs are to the body. Using pornographic material in any

way is a violation of a commandment of God: “Thou shalt

not . . . commit adultery . . . nor do anything like unto it”

(D&C 59:6). It can lead to other serious sins. Members of the

Church should avoid pornography in any form and should

oppose its production, distribution, and use.

Pornography is tragically addictive. Like other addictions,

it leads people to experiment and to seek more powerful

stimulations. If you experiment with it and allow yourself

to remain caught in its trap, it will destroy you, degrading

your mind, heart, and spirit. It will rob you of self-respect

and of your sense of the beauties of life. It will tear you down

and lead you to evil thoughts and possibly evil actions. It will

cause terrible damage to your family relationships.

Because of the addictive nature of pornography and the

harm it can cause to body and spirit, servants of God have

repeatedly warned us to shun it. If you are caught in the trap

of pornography, stop immediately and seek help. Through

repentance, you can receive forgiveness and find hope in the

gospel. Go to your bishop or branch president for counsel on

how to overcome your problem, and seek healing through

the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Ask the Lord to give you the

strength to overcome this terrible addiction.

Additional references: Matthew 5:27–28; Romans 6:12; Alma 39:9; D&C

42:23

See also Chastity; Temptation