Miscellaneous

People these days just don’t get married anymore. And even when they do, there are a lot of them that end in divorce. One recent study says the reason is simple: Pornography.

The study was conducted by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) out of Germany. Their study looked at young men ages 18-35 and how the availability of porn on the internet impacted the marriage rate.

It’s so easy to access pornography on the internet. Think about it. Almost everywhere you turn, someone has their eyes on a screen of some sort. It could be a phone, tablet, computer, or TV. Each one of those has easy access to porn.

So what is the real effect of porn on marriage?

Well, we already know that a large number of marriages end in divorce because one spouse found the other addicted to porn. That’s no secret. However, this study asked about the impact porn has on actually getting married.

Their study concluded that it does have a negative impact. The reason being is sexual gratification.

The urge for immediate gratification is in large part the problem with society. It’s become the mindset of liberals. ‘I want it right here, right now!’ Or, ‘If it feels good, do it!’

“Traditionally, one of the reasons to enter into a marriage was sexual gratification. But as options for sexual gratification outside of marriage have grown, the need for a marriage to serve this function is diminishing. The NIH reports that the fraction of 20 year-olds who have engaged in premarital sex grew by about 50% between the late 1950s and the late 1990s. Besides premarital sex, another option is consumption of pornography, which has become widely more accessible since the proliferation of the Internet.”

Still, the question remains: Is porn the reason people don’t get married?

We as humans are what place limits on things, people, and time. The Lord however, has no limits. None at all. Our Heavenly Father is always at work by way of the Holy Spirit.

But, the ‘word of God’ (Alma 23:3) does at times run into obstructions. In history there have been times where not everyone was able to read the word of God for themselves. There are also times and places where the word of God cannot be preached.

That’s the difference. While the Lord can be present, the word of God may not be. The two must work hand in hand to build new testimonies and to reinforce the ones already set in the hearts and minds of others.

One local police department in Olathe, KS with a grant from Target and a donation from a local church were able to help give eighteen children a Christmas to remember.

For the third year of the Heroes and Helpers campaign, these officers were able to make eighteen Christmas wishes come true who would otherwise be without.

During a time where the police are looked at as the enemy, these officers hope to spread the message of love and compassion.

As you could imagine, there was a lot of excitement for these children. But, there was just as much enthusiasm with the officers as well. Not to be outdone, the Target team members tasked with wrapping the gifts also had larger than life smiles watching dreams come true.

Whether it was the new pair of shoes, new blanket, or a new toy, these children were given the chance to see the good the police do within a community.

This post is reprinted with permission from ANM News.

Speaking for myself, prayer at times can be a difficult thing. I tend to get caught up in pondering what I would like to go to the Lord with. However, when it comes time to pray I tend to ask and say a handful of the same things.

‘But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions.’ – Matthew 6:7

I don’t set out to be repetitious in my prayers. I am genuine in the things I say and ask. But I fear that I’m not ‘wrestling with God in mighty prayer.’ (Alma 8:10)

Again, I think about the things I would present to the Lord in prayer, but feel that I have a long way to go.

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin offered this on how we can improve and strengthen our prayers:

“Do your prayers at times sound and feel the same? Have you ever said a prayer mechanically, the words pouring forth as though cut from a machine? Do you sometimes bore yourself as you pray?

“Prayers that do not demand much of your thought will hardly merit much attention from our Heavenly Father. When you find yourself getting into a routine with your prayers, step back and thing. Meditate for a while on the things for which you really are grateful.” (Improving Our Prayers, BYU 2002-2003 Speeches)

It seems as though this was speaking directly to me. Almost calling me out. My heart and mind are in the right spot, but I feel that I have a lot of work ahead of me.

Being lifted up in pride can be a very damaging thing. Especially when you are blind to it. And, far too often we become so blinded that we miss all the warning signs around us.

We see it everywhere these days. Athletes, businesses and even churches. Athletes get caught up in living the highlife that they let pride tell them that they can get away with whatever they want because they can usually buy their way out. Businesses become prideful when they get way ahead of themselves thinking they are more than they really are. And, the same goes for churches.

How many times have you turned on the television and watched one of those televangelists talking about how good life can be if you just think positive thoughts. And they are doing it in lavish suits that cost $1500 or more.

Pride is destructive by nature.

“Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man… It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition is gone, pride is gone.” – C.S. Lewis

That’s the same theme we see with the athletes, businesses and churches we talked about earlier. Take away the ‘I’m better than you’ mentality, and pride almost always won’t have a leg to stand on.

Like we are reminded in Proverbs 16:18, ‘Pride goeth before destruction.’ If we allow pride to rule us, we are destined to be destroyed.

But, what is the opposite of pride? Very simply, humility. It’s our shield against being lifted up in pride.

“And they did impart of their substance, every man according to that which he had, to the poor, and the needy, and the sick, and the afflicted; and they did not wear costly apparel, yet they were neat and comely.” – Alma 1:27

Humility is a powerful and uplifting lifestyle. On the opposite side of the spectrum, pride is destructive.

How many times do we seek the approval of those around us? Far too often, we look to their judgement to either keep going or make the decision to stop. Either way, we find ourselves being judged by man, when we should seek judgement from the Lord.

“Now it is better that a man should be judged of God than of man, for the judgements of God are always just, but the judgements of man are not always just.” Mosiah 29:12

The hardest thing to remember when going about our activities is the eternal aspect of the choices we make while doing them. That’s where we must find ourselves thinking about the judgement we’ll receive from the Lord.

It’s the only judgement that counts, and matters. What our friends and family offer is a right now feel good moment. Whereas what our Father in Heaven offers is a seat at the throne next to him.

So how do we focus on being ‘judged of God’ rather than seeking the approval of those around us?

1. Align our personal standards with the gospel of Christ
2. Cultivate a relationship of listening to the Holy Spirit
3. Focus on keeping the commandments

adapted from Developing Good Judgment and Not Judging Others, GREGORY A. SCHWITZER, April 2010 General Conference

Things happen for a reason. We cannot control everything, but we can control the choices we make. Our choices bring about consequences.

“Let all things be done decently and in order.” – 1 Corinthians 14:20

There is an order to everything, and we are reminded of that when we look to our Heavenly Father and his house.

“And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might with the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.” – Mosiah 4:27

We can’t rush and rush through life. The Lord gives us the strength to run only as fast as needed in order to keep our eyes on the prize, eternal life. As much as His house is a house of order, we should work so that our’s may be as well.

‘Our house is to be a house of order. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Eccl. 3:1), advised Ecclesiastes, the Preacher. Such is true in our lives. Let us provide time for family, time for work, time for study, time for service, time for recreation, time for self—but above all, time for Christ.

‘Then our house will be a house of order.’ – Building Your Eternal Home, Thomas S. Monson, 1984 General Conference

I have so many things to be thankful for, and it starts with you. I’m so thankful for you and all of your support this year. I’m also extremely grateful for my wife and all that she does for me. She’s an incredible woman, and I’m so honored to have her by my side. I’m also thankful for my son and his new wife, as well as all of the rest of my family and friends. I would like to also share my gratitude for the men and women who serve in the greatest military fighting force anyone has ever seen.

This quote from Samuel Adams on character couldn’t be more relevant today. The corrupt in Washington have left little to no trust. Broken promises and empty hope are all many are left with. If only people would set themselves aside and work for the common good.