These blunt words by the Prophet underscore the importance of understanding God’s purpose for our mortal existence. However, we cannot even come to an understanding if we do not ask the most basic question: “Does God Exist?”

There are several ways in unearthing an answer to this question. One approach is a philosophical method.

Alma, a prophet from the Book of Mormon, wrote, “All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator” (Alma 30:44).

Gazing into the night sky illuminates exactly what Alma was teaching. We can see millions of dazzling stars and planets organized in such a manner that allows for life on Earth. Even the existence of our beautiful moon offers heavenly proof of God’s existence. Without the moon the ebb and flow of ocean tides would cease and oceanic life, an essential element in sustaining existence on earth, would quickly die. A plant’s transition of carbon dioxide to oxygen, known as photosynthesis, not only keeps carbon dioxide at healthy levels, but also gives us the needed oxygen to survive. This earthly balance and order did not happen by simple chance—truly “All things denote there is a God.”

When we see an airplane, automobile, or locomotive, we do not believe that it was created by a random act of nature. Instead, we understand that a pocket watch has a designer; a painting has a painter; and that order—such as ten paperclips lined up on a desk—has an “order-er.”

When we look at the earth and out into the universe we see creation, design, art, and order. It is not difficult to see that if all things temporal are associated to a creator, designer, artist, and order-er, than behind this incredibly complex universe all things eternal would also have a marvelous Creator, Designer, Artist, and Order-er.

The lack of being able to see the divine Creator doesn’t negate His existence. Just as the fact of not being able to see gravity, energy, or even love negates that these forces exist. It is the evidence of these phenomenas that make us aware of their existence (as an apple falling helped Newton formulate the law of gravity). The old adage “seeing is believing” is still true even if the seeing comes from beholding the created instead of the creator.

This philosophical approach on deciding whether God exists offers a logical base but, simply deducing that God exists doesn’t mean He cares. Utilizing the example of the painting can show that just because the artist exists doesn’t mean he has tender feelings for his painting. In fact, he may very well hate it.

Therefore, it is more important to not only know God exists, but to also know He loves and cares for us. If there was a means in discovering the existence of an all caring and loving God than this method would be superior to the philosophical approach. In order for this to happen though, we must go beyond the question of God’s existence and examine His evidence.

In speaking about faith and works the apostle James wrote, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” James sarcastically points out that even the devils believe, so how does our belief make us any different from them.

Having more than just a superficial knowledge of God requires us to know His promises and to prove the validity of them. The apostle Paul teaches in Hebrews 11:1 that, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

The last part of this verse, “…the evidence of things not seen,” shows that faith in God is built by receiving evidence of unseen things. Much like we know when we turn a light switch on that we receive light. Obviously though, we do not see the electricity surging from the light switch to the light bulb.

This same principle is true with God and His promises. He gives promises, and then the fulfillment of these promises are evidence of His existence. He remains unseen, but His actions—evidence–pulls into focus His existence.

Woven through the scriptures are promises that God has given to us. Promises that offer evidence of His existence. Promises such as:

• Exodus 20:12 – Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
• Proverbs 3:5–8 – Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
• Malachi 3:10 – Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
• Matthew 7:8 – For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
• Matthew 6:30;33 – Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
• Mark 9:23 – Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
• John 14:12 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
• Romans 8:6 – For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
• 1 Peter 4:13–14 – But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
• 1 Nephi 1:20 – …I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.
• 2 Nephi 31:12–13 – And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.
• Jacob 3:1 – But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction.
• Mosiah 7:33 – But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.
• Alma 15:8 – …If thou believest in the redemption of Christ thou canst be healed.
• Moroni 10:4–5 – And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
• D&C 9:8 – But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.
• D&C 89:18–21 [In reference to keeping the Word of the Wisdom] – And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint. And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.

An important aspect to all of these promises is an obligation on our side. To have the light bulb turn on we must move the switch. Entering a dark room and saying light doesn’t exist because the light doesn’t instantaneously come on is ridiculous.

The significance of this effort on our part cannot be underscored. D&C 82:10 shows why this is the case when it states, “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” The Lord is clear, no promises are in place when we choose not to follow His direction.

Alma offers the analogy of a seed, which shows how we should begin to exert our efforts in testing the promises of the Lord, “Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me” (Alma 32:28).

What a simple but beautiful example. If we are promised that a tree will sprout from a rock, we simply need to plant, cultivate, and watch the rock to see what transpires. When nothing happens, we can know that the rock was not a good seed. However, if, like Alma shares, we plant, cultivate and watch a seed of faith, and if it “is a good seed” we quickly learn of its goodness. We begin to feel how it enlarges and enlightens our soul.

Notice how with this analogy we are required to plant and cultivate the seed. To know if God exists requires work on our end. Work which must be continual exertion and not just a one time, wait-and-see approach. Planting the seed, but not cultivating brings less than an optimal outcome. The seed may possibly sprout but it would be thwarted in its potential.

Our efforts in proving God’s promises translate into obedience to His commandments. The more we obey what He has promised the more we are able to see fruition of these promises. In turn, His existence becomes known. From this we learn that strict obedience to God’s commandments is not blind obedience, but rather enlightened obedience.

Adam’s diligence in Moses 5:5–6 shows his understanding of enlightened obedience, “And he [the Lord] gave unto them [Adam and Eve] commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord. And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.”

Adam not understanding a commandment didn’t stop him from obeying it. What Adam knew made what he didn’t know insignificant. He had sound evidence that God existed and that God fulfilled His promises—no matter the outcome.

It is not enough for us to know if there is a God. Simple logic can give us a shallow assurance of His reality. Rather we must have an intimate understanding of God’s existence. Such an understanding comes only when we know His promises can stand the scrutiny of our obedience. If we do this we will quickly learn that “…this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life” (1 John 2:25).

Over the years my testimony has grown in many different ways, but during the last few years I have worked diligently to have the core of my testimony be focused solely upon Jesus Christ. In the early years of my testimony I believed in Christ, but unfortunately he was not at the center of my beliefs.

I didn’t realize that the Savior wasn’t the foundation of my testimony until I was a missionary. I went English speaking and it seemed that every other door I knocked on had someone who wanted to verbally battle with me over my beliefs.

After a while I reached the point that when someone wanted to argue about the Church I would ask them one question. The question was, “If Jesus Christ were to come to you today and tell you the Book of Mormon was true would you believe Him?”

The first time I asked this question was with an elderly gentleman who was quite devout in his own beliefs. I was astonished to hear that his response to my question was a defiant no. In fact, his answer took me so much by surprise I actually took a step back as if someone hit me.

I was just so certain no one would say no that I wasn’t prepared when someone did. After hearing his response I ended our conversation with the parting statement that if Jesus Christ couldn’t convince him than there was no way a 20 year old boy, far from home, would be able to do any better.

For the next few weeks I continued to ask this question when people wanted to argue about the Gospel. Each time I received a no, and each time I was surprised to hear the answer. It really bothered me to hear so many people say they wouldn’t follow Jesus Christ.

It wasn’t until I was reading Moroni 10:3–5 to an investigator that I stumbled across the reason why people were telling me no. In verse four I read something I had never seen before (and up to that point I had read this verse at least once everyday for over a year). It says: “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost” (emphasis added).

The words, “…ask God…if these things are not true…” struck me with such intensity. I had never before asked if the Book of Mormon was not true. I had only asked if it was true.

Asking if the Book of Mormon is true, or asking if the Book of Mormon is false may sound like the same question, but in truth the questions are worlds apart. I found it a lot easier to accept something I have always believed in to be truth, than to fight against my spiritual understanding and ask the Lord if it is all an illusion.

Once I realized the difference I finally understood why people were telling me no. In their understanding of truth, it was absolutely ludicrous for the Savior to say the Book of Mormon was true. For them they knew the Book of Mormon was false, and no one, including Christ could convince them otherwise.

This realization helped me see how important it was to ask if what I believed in was false. Having this intellectual and soul awaking experience really turned my world upside down and inside out. I realized I couldn’t continue preaching the salvation of Christ using the Book of Mormon (or even the Bible for that matter) as a source without first knowing that these words were the fruits of the Son of God.

I knew the Book of Mormon was a book with powerful teachings, and  those who argued otherwise had never read the book in its entirity. However, I wanted to know for certain that the teaching which flowed from the Book of Mormon were more than powerful, but eternal. I had read many religious and spiritual books that had good teachings in them, but now I sought to know what Christ felt to be true.

I clearly remember the night I decided to pray on the possibility of the falsehood of the Book of Mormon. I waited until my companion was asleep before I slipped out of my covers and knelt by my bed. I had made up my mind that the only thing that mattered to me was to follow the Savior. If that meant forsaking all that I had been taught and going a different path than I was prepared to do so.

I remember praying that I was prepared to remove my missionary badge and go home if I discovered that Christ did not want me to follow the teachings of the Book of Mormon. I must also admit that it was a difficult prayer. Not only was I trying to come to terms about the possibility of giving up my mission and Church membership, but I also found it extremely hard to move past my own personal bias beliefs.

I struggled to entertain the thought that the Book of Mormon was a lie. However, in order to succeed in my desires I knew it was necessary. Quite frankly I was scared, the sacrifices I was considering seemed to loom over me while I spoke with God on that quiet April evening.

Yet, if the Book of Mormon was true I wanted it to be an appendage to my testimony of Christ, not the center of my testimony. I deeply wanted to understand what the Master wanted and to follow it no matter the cost.

I had been testifying of Christ, but I only believed in Christ because I believed in the Book of Mormon. For me I didn’t feel that was the testimony I wanted. I just couldn’t see how this was any different from the testimony of someone who grew up only knowing the Bible or the Quran. Do they believe because it is true or do they believe because it is familiar and comfortable to them?

I don’t know how long I spent on my knees but I know I spent considerable amount of time working through this question. It took time for my heart to accept the challenge I was giving it. I knew the real consequence of what I could be giving up. My family, friends, and how I viewed the world were centered around the Church and my belief in the Book of Mormon. I knew I wouldn’t just be giving up a religion but I would be giving up a way of life.

Through the turmoil and strife I did receive my answer. The answer was so strong, so certain, that even a decade or so later, I continue to feel the conviction of the answer. That night I felt the power of the Holy Ghost and I knew the Book of Mormon was not false. However, my belief in this book came that night because in prayer I gained an in depth understanding for who the Son of God is in my life. I now know the Book of Mormon to be an eternal document given to us to understand salvation because I now know that Jesus Christ lives and is the true source of this book.

I share this sacred experience because I believe it is more important to follow Christ than it is follow anything else. It is great to have other things like the Book of Mormon and Bible as further evidence of Christ’s divinity, but these things should not be our rock. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and He is more powerful than any word, book, or person. He uses these tools to help us find him. Yet, the only way to know for certain His divinity is to strip away the restrictions we place upon Him. We must be willing to lose what we feel is important in the world in order to gain what is essential in our salvation.

Recently, the teacher shared a lesson on the importance and power of a name, particularly within our religion and our beliefs. We give baby blessings that put our children’s names upon the records of the Church; God asked Adam to name all the beasts of the field, and even Eve; and we, of course, are quite particular about the name of our Church.

If you have ever watched old Church commercials (pre-1990′s) you will see at the end the Church’s name and then the tagline “The Mormons.” This has evolved over the past few decades, and now you don’t see the word “Mormon” attached to the official Church name. Rather, you see a strong emphasis on the name of Jesus Christ. If you see a missionary badge (or any official literature of the church) you will notice that the font of “Jesus Christ” is four times bigger than the rest of the name of the church.

Understanding this, the teacher gave us a handout breaking down the name of the Church and showing the meaning behind it. This comes straight out of the Book of Mormon manual (see 3 Nephi 27:8), but I had never read it before so I thought I would share it here.

The Church

“The first two words of the name the Lord chose for His earthly organization are The Church.

“Note that the article The begins with a capital letter. This is an important part of the title, for the Church is the official organization of baptized believers who have taken upon themselves the name of Christ (see D&C 10:67–69; 18:21-25). . . .

“The Church is the way by which the Master accomplishes His work and bestows His glory. Its ordinances and related covenants are the crowning rewards of our membership. While many organizations can offer fellowship and fine instruction, only His church can provide baptism, confirmation, and the ordinances of the temple—all bestowed by authorized priesthood power. That power is destined to bless all children of our Heavenly Father, regardless of their nationality” (in Conference Report, Mar.-Apr. 1990, 20; or Ensign, May 1990, 18).

Jesus Christ

“By divine directive, the title of the Church bears the sacred name of Jesus Christ, whose church this is (see D&C 115:3–4). . . .

“We worship God the Eternal Father in the name of His Son by the power of the Holy Ghost. We know the premortal Jesus to be Jehovah, God of the Old Testament. We know Him to be ‘the chief corner stone’ upon which the organization of His church is based (Ephesians 2:20). We know him to be the Rock from whom revelation comes to His authorized agents (see 1 Corinthians 10:4; Helaman 5:12) and to all who worthily seek Him (see D&C 88:63)” (in Conference Report, Mar.-Apr. 1990, 19; or Ensign, May 1990, 17).

Latter-day

“It is true that scriptures foretell the final days of the earth’s temporal existence as a telestial sphere. The earth will then be renewed and receive its paradisiacal, or terrestrial, glory (see Articles of Faith 1:10). Ultimately, the earth will become celestialized (see Revelation 21:1, D&C 77:1; 88:25-26). But its last days must be preceded by its latter days!” (in Conference Report, Mar.-Apr. 1990, 18; or Ensign, May 1990, 17).

Saints

“A saint is a believer in Christ and knows of His perfect love. The giving saint shares in a true spirit of that love, and the receiving saint accepts in a true spirit of gratitude. A saint serves others. . . .

“A saint ‘refrain[s] from idleness’ (Alma 38:12) and seeks learning by study and also by faith. . . .

“A saint is honest and kind, paying financial obligations promptly and fully, treating others as she or he would want to be treated. . . .

“A saint is an honorable citizen, knowing that the very country which provides opportunity and protection deserves support, including prompt payment of taxes and personal participation in its legal political process (see D&C 134:5).

“A saint resolves any differences with others honorably and peacefully and is constant in courtesy—even in traffic at the rush hour.

“A saint shuns that which is unclean or degrading and avoids excess even of that which is good.

“Perhaps above all, a saint is reverent. Reverence for the Lord, for the earth He created, for leaders, for the dignity of others, for the law, for the sanctity of life, and for chapels and other buildings are all evidences of saintly attitudes. . . .

“A reverent saint loves the Lord and gives highest priority to keeping His commandments. Daily prayer, periodic fasting, and payment of tithes and offerings are privileges important to a faithful saint.

“Finally, a saint is one who receives the gifts of the Spirit that God has promised to all His faithful sons and daughters (see Joel 2:28–29; Acts 2:17–18)” (in Conference Report, Mar.-Apr. 1990, 18; or Ensign, May 1990, 16-17).

In my institute class we are going through the different parables of Christ found in the New Testament. Below is what we have documented, but there are disagreements among bible scholars on the official count of the parables. Anyway, I asked the teacher to email me the below handout for the benefit of everyone else. All the scriptures are linked to the scripture database at lds.org. May you find your precious coin as you read these.

Parables of Christ in the New Testament

1. Barren Fig Tree – Luke 13:6–9
2. Chief Seats – Luke 14:7–11
3. Empty House – Matthew 12:43–54; Luke 12:24–26
4. Foolish Rich Man – Luke 12:13–21
5. Friend at Midnight – Luke 11:5–13
6. Good Samaritan – Luke 10:25–37
7. Gospel Net – Matthew 13:47–50
8. Great Supper – Luke 14:16–24
9. Hidden Treasure – Matthew 13:44
10. King’s Warfare – Luke 14:31–33
11. Laborers in the Vineyard – Matthew 19:27 – 20:16
12. Leaven – Matthew 13:33
13. Lost Coin – Luke 15:8–9
14. Lost Sheep – Luke 15:1–7
15. Lost (Prodigal) Son – Luke 15: 11–32
16. Man Taking a Far Journey – Mark 13:34–37
17. Mustard Seed – Matthew 13:31–32
18. Pearl of Great Price – Matthew 13:45–46
19. Pharisee and Publican – Luke 18:9–14
20. Pounds – Luke 19:11–27
21. Rich Man and Lazarus – Luke 16:19–31
22. Royal Marriage Feast – Matthew 22:1–14
23. Sheep and the Goats – Matthew 25:31–46
24. Shut Door – Luke 13:23–30
25. Talents – Matthew 25:14–30
26. Ten Virgins – Matthew 25:1–13
27. Treasures New and Old – Matthew 13:51–52
28. Two Debtors – Luke 7:36–50
29. Two Sons – Matthew 21:28–32
30. Seed Growing Secretly – Mark 4:26–29
31. Sower – Matthew 13:1–9, 18:23; Mark 4:1–8, 14–20; Luke 8:5–8, 11–15
32. Uncompleted Tour – Luke 14:25–30
33. Unjust Judge – Luke 18:1–8
34. Unjust Steward – Luke 16:1–13
35. Unmerciful Servant – Matthew 18:21–35
36. Unprofitable Servant – Luke 17:5–10
37. Wheat and Tares – Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43
38. Wicked Husbandman – Matthew 21:33–46; Mark 12:1–12, Luke 20:9–18

Parables of Christ in the Doctrine and Covenants

1. Twelve Sons – D&C 38:26–27
2. Labors in the Field – D&C 88:51–61
3. Nobleman – D&C 101:43–62
4. Woman and Unjust Judge – D&C 101:81–91

Becoming the Missionary the Lord Wants You to be
by Paul Wilson

I had an interesting experience happen to me while serving my mission in Riverside, California. I was tracking in my third area, in a city named Corona, and it was Halloween. My companion and I came to a door where we could smell the sweat aroma of baking fudge. After knocking, a girl, no older than six or seven, answered the door. She pointed to me, squinted one eye, and read slowly the largest print on my missionary badge, “JESUS CHRIST.” She paused and then very matter of factly stated, “Well it’s about time, we have been waiting for you.” An older woman in an apron, most likely her grandmother, came up from behind the girl and said, “Oh no, sweetie, he’s not Jesus Christ!”

Unfortunately, we were not invited in to teach this family, but this little girl made quite an impact on me that day. She taught me that when we share the gospel we come as a messenger, and in a very literal sense, we speak as the Savior himself. There is nothing that God desires more from us than to save all his children.

For the last several weeks I have been pondering about missionary work, more specifically, my personal style of how I share missionary work. I am not like my beautiful wife, Lindsey, who can openly and eagerly share the gospel with every living thing. I admire this trait, but try as I might, I am not engineered this way.

I am an extremely social person, but I also am hesitant at times to share something so sacred to me with someone who does not desire to hear it. I cannot turn around on a bus and ask someone if they have heard about the Book of Mormon. It was much easier as missionary to do something like this, because, well, I was a missionary.

When I was asked to give this talk the Bishop specifically wanted me to talk about how openly sharing the gospel is not a gift given to only a special few. How the Lord commands all of us to share the gospel and that we all can share it in our own unique way.

As I studied for my talk I came to see a pattern, which if followed can help us share the gospel in a way that complements our unique nature and also follows God’s will. There is a story out of the Wilford Woodruff manual that pulls to light the pattern. In the manual it says:

“Shortly after Wilford Woodruff was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church, he ‘had a great desire to preach the Gospel.’ He recalled: ‘One Sunday evening I retired into the woods alone, and called upon the Lord in earnest prayer, to open my way to go and preach the Gospel to the inhabitants of the earth. The Spirit of the Lord bore witness that my prayer was heard, and should be answered. I arose from my knees happy, and walked some forty rods, and met Elias Higbee, a High Priest, with whom I had stayed a number of months. As I approached him, he said, ‘Brother Wilford, the Spirit of the Lord tells me that you should be ordained, and go on a mission.’ I replied, ‘I am ready.’”

In this story I found four principles that prepares our hearts and minds to share the gospel in the manner the Lord needs us to share it. These principles are, “Desire, Prayer, Readiness, and Faith.”

For those of you who speak Spanish you may recognize the word ojalá. When you translate this word to English you really lose its deeper meaning. The English translation of ojalá is hopefully, but in actuality it is a deep desire of hope, often associated with God. My own personal translation of ojalá is hope and desire bound together by a love of God.

Wilford Woodruff’s story states that he had a great desire to preach the Gospel. This desire or ojalá is the first step to sharing the Gospel. No matter if you are outgoing or shy if you do not desire to share the gospel the opportunity will rarely be open to you. The real question is, “How do we create this ojalá if it is not there?”

Alma answered this question in his analogy of the seed found in Alma 32. In verses 27 and 28 of this chapter we specifically see the importance of merely beginning to believe in ojalá. To further illustrate my point I’ve made these two verses more missionary focused by injecting “missionary work” in place of “the word.” Alma shares with us,

“But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. Now, we will compare [missionary work] unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that [missionary work] is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.”

Alma teaches us that to have ojalá in missionary work that we need to begin by having a desire to believe. Let this desire to believe come from knowing that missionary work is the same work the Lord does. We learn this when God tells Moses, “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39)

The second principle to becoming the missionary you want to be is Prayer. In John 17:3 it states, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” It is interesting to note that in this scripture the Greek text uses the word Epignosis to describe how we must know God.

In Greek there are two types of knowledge. The Greek word Gnosis means to know about someone or something; whereas, the Greek word Epignosis depicts knowledge based on experience or close association. To have an Epignosis relation with God is to have an intimate awareness of God’s character and will. It is impossible to have Gnosis relation with the Savior and be able to receive salvation.

Often, I have felt that my prayers, particularly concerning missionary work, have been Gnosis in nature. I pray knowing that I should pray, but often I won’t pray with an Epignosis longing to truly know the will of the Lord. Maybe it is because I know already that the Lord wants me share the gospel and I am not doing as much as I can.

One way I have worked on overcoming the Gnosis prayer is to pray differently. I have devised for myself a sacred way to pray. Basically, I will take time to write down all the things I want to discuss with the Lord. I then write the questions I have for Him. Finally, I will write out the answers I believe I will receive to my prayers. After all of this, I will begin to pray with my notes before me. I will pray about all the things I have written down. When I receive guidance to one of my questions I will stop and write down the answer given to me.

I can truthfully state that every time I chose to pray in this manner I have been given different answers than what I originally wrote down. For me, it has become a beautiful and sacred way to pray. Due to the detailed nature of this prayer it does take much time, and I can honestly say that I do not pray like this every day. However, if you do struggle with a Gnosis type of prayer I challenge you to try this method of praying. It has sincerely helped me gain a deeper Epignosis relation with my Savior.

The reason I share the importance of the Epignosis prayer, is that missionary work becomes much easier knowing the will of the Lord. Often times, we prejudge people, believing that they are not the type of individuals who are open to hearing the gospel. By spending the time and energy coming to have a deep prayerful relationship with God the layers of judgment are removed and we are able to see people in the same way God does.

Once we have created a deep desire and offered sincere prayer for missionary work the next step is to be actively engaged in our desires, or to be Ready. Wilford Woodruff stated “I am ready” when told to serve a mission. It is the “Woodruff Readiness” that the Lord truly desires from us. This type of readiness I believe is putting action to your desire and being ready to serve in any compacity that Lord expects from you. It’s this readiness which shows the Lord we truly want to bring souls to Christ.

However, there are so many ways to be active in missionary work. One of the best and easiest ways is to offer as referrals all the non-members you know to the missionaries. Let the missionaries approach these people and let your friends decide whether they want to hear the message or not.

Oftentimes, we want to prepare our friends before jumping right into sharing the gospel. Being a friend is important but sometimes it is easier to let the missionaries approach those who we know and allowing them to open up opportunities of sharing the gospel. There is a great talk by Clayton M. Christensen and his wife titled the “Seven Lessons on Sharing the Gospel,” which reveals how they almost missed sharing the gospel with several people. They had initially excluded a few people in sharing the gospel because they hadn’t really become friends with these people first.

Elder and Sister Christensen’s talk also shares another way to be active in missionary work. The action they mention is to use Church lingo in our every day conversations. This has been something I’ve done most of my life and it really helps open doors in sharing the gospel. For me, having moved from Utah allowed me to do exactly what the Christensen’s talk about. I share with people that I am from Utah, and almost every time I will receive a question wondering if I am Mormon.

Lindsey and I had a great experience doing this when we went to a dinner for my graduate program. We were seated at a table with my program director and his wife. When we shared that we had just moved from Utah both the director and his wife started peppering us with questions about the church. We spent a wonderful evening sharing our values, and in no way was either my director or his wife offended by us being so open about our religious beliefs.

The final principle in helping you share the gospel is Faith. For me, this is a tough principle. Not because I don’t have faith in God, but rather, I don’t have faith in myself that I deserve God’s blessings. It reminds me of a quote from my favorite philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, when he states, “It is hard to believe because it is hard to obey.” We are all flawed with sin and Satan will use this fact against us. Do not believe in this pernicious lie. If we truly desire, pray, and act, God will keep his promise and guide us to those who want to hear the gospel.

I witnessed this first hand when I was a teenager. I met my best friend, Logan, at the age of 11. Logan and I were as opposite as two boys can be. He was a talented athlete and I was, well…not. We had vastly different interests from each other but for some reason we became good friends. We would participate in each other’s interests and have fun doing it (though, I never did become any good at sports).

It wasn’t long before Logan was coming with me to Stake dances. We had a lot of fun, but more importantly he came in contact with the Church. When he was 16 he asked his parents if he could be baptized, but they did not consent. The church was foreign to them and they were not yet ready to allow their only son to join. I was devastated; I so badly wanted Logan to feel the joy and peace of having the blessing of baptism and the constant companion of the Holy Ghost.

It took another two long years before Logan was baptized. He was baptized one week after his 18th birthday and one year later he was called to serve a mission in Switzerland, French speaking. However, the story does not end here. Upon serving an honorable mission Logan and I moved to Utah and became roommates for college. It was here that Logan met my cousin Lauren. Lauren had left the church, but through Logan’s friendship and diligence she returned and they were married in the Saint George Temple.

They now have two beautiful children and are both stalwart in the church. I think of how sharing the gospel not only touched Logan’s life, but all the people he taught on his mission, my dear cousin Lauren’s life, and in turn touched my own life. The ripple effect of sharing the gospel is an eternal ripple. Logan’s eternal ripple began with the faith of his 11 year old friend. It was this faith that carried both Logan and I through seven years of waiting before he could be baptized.

Brethren and Sisters, sharing the gospel is not easy, but I testify that it is worth it. I promise you that if you have desire, if you pray, are ready, and have faith that you will see, as the little girl from the beginning of my talk did, that we are saviors to those who accept the Lord’s gospel message.

This I say in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

I often think about how our society has become similar to ancient Rome and the entertainment of the Christian martyrs in the colosseum. Our gory entertain isn’t as real as the Roman lions, but it has the same effect—a desensitized soul and a moral destitute society.

Seedy television shows, Internet sites, music lyrics, and many other forms of media are constantly working to engage us and sever us from the spirit. Yet, it has become so easy to justify media that does so well in entertaining us.

I remember as a teenager pleading with my parents to let me see a rated-R movie. It had all the great aspects of becoming an epic movie, but my parents didn’t care since it also had an R rating. I remember stating to my mom that the Church leaders had never come out and outright said that we couldn’t watch R movies. Avoiding bad movie ratings were only guidelines and not a commandment.

Needless to say, this line of reasoning didn’t work, but my mom also couldn’t refute my argument (this was at the dawn of the Internet and we didn’t have it in our home). So, for my own future teenagers I compiled the below quotes showing the brethern indeed counseling (and commanding) us to avoid not only rated R movies but anything that offends the spirit.

———-

The bolded red text highlights the direct counsel to not watch rated R movies.

Robert L. Simpson, Ensign, 1973
How about taking a few minutes, for example, to voice objection to the local supermarket manager about easy availability and prominent display of unacceptable material on his periodical display rack.

How about taking just five minutes each week to review the TV log and then establishing a few rules that all the family agrees to concerning viewing time and on which channel.

Why not make some effort to find out something about the next movie that will engage your family’s undivided attention for two and a half or three hours and will probably cost you far more than you contributed to the poor and the needy that month. It goes without saying that all X- and R-rated movies are automatically eliminated.

Marvin J Ashton, Ensign, November 1977
We have a tendency to rate or grade others, and they do the same to us. If our perspective is proper, we use these ratings or gradings to motivate us to reach high levels of achievement and self-discipline. The whole concept of ratings enables us to set high goals and provides the challenge to us to achieve them.

In spite of this inborn desire to achieve, there remains an area where the attainment of high or good ratings seems to be ignored. I speak of the growing numbers of movies, books, magazines, theatrical productions, and television programs where efforts to glorify immorality or violence have become predominant. “Rated R” or “Rated X” has replaced the idealism of being “Rated A.”

I know that free expression is a vital part of the eternal principle of free agency and must be preserved and protected. I also know how certain forces use the freedom of speech to degrade or debase, and this constitutes perversion and enslavement. Because I recognize that there will always be opposition in all things, I suspect that we will not soon see the day when obscenity in its various forms will be entirely eliminated. But I have faith that it can be fully eliminated in the lives of quality individuals. I firmly believe that most thinking people can be inspired to strive for the A rating by choosing wholesome, worthwhile literature, art, and habits.

As each of us uses our free agency to choose the material that enters our lives, we ought to recognize that the battle between “Rated A” and “Rated X” is part of the war that began in heaven and is still being fought today. The enemy seeks any strategic or tactical foothold he can gain, and any bridgehead he attains becomes the launching point for the next encounter. The number of victories we allow him can seriously affect the final outcome of the struggle.

How does the adversary wage this battle? What are his tactics? Those who are fighting pornography and obscenity have helped us recognize some of his battle plans. They tell us that a person who becomes involved in obscenity soon acquires distorted views of personal conduct. He becomes unable to relate to others in a normal, healthy way. Like most other habits, an addictive effect begins to take hold of him. A diet of violence or pornography dulls the senses, and future exposures need to be rougher and more extreme. Soon the person is desensitized and is unable to react in a sensitive, caring, responsible manner, especially to those in his own home and family. Good people can become infested with this material and it can have terrifying, destructive consequences.

Mark E. Peterson, Ensign, Febuary 1972
And speaking of maintaining discriminating values, were you not shocked recently by the announcement of the changes in the movie ratings, wherein X and R movies are now to be released as though they were GP [General audiences, parental guidance suggested]? When Life magazine commented on this trend, it quoted one of the movie producers as saying, “The game these days is to bring in a movie that gets away with as much as possible and at the same time inveigles a GP rating which insures you more or less widespread distribution.”

The public is being deceived by the ratings, many people not knowing even what the letters GP stand for. It is certainly no wonder that the movies are failing as a means of public entertainment and that they now have only 4 percent of the entertainment dollar in the United States.

Sisters of the Relief Society, you must learn increasingly to be discriminating about conditions in the world. Of necessity we live in the world and hence must face its issues. The Relief Society helps you mothers to develop this discriminating sense of values so that you can intelligently choose the right from the wrong. The study courses provided in the weekly meetings of Relief Society will do this for you, and thus help you to fight these evils and save your families and your homes.

The time has come when righteousness must be made a fighting force in the world; not a passive thing as it so often is, but a power that will combat evil on its own ground.

Vice has increased so rapidly in the past few years that if it is not stopped, it will engulf us. The silent majority of good-living people—and they still are in the majority, I am thankful to say—can no longer recline as a sleeping giant in a circle of self-content. This silent majority of righteousness must now assert itself with power. First and foremost, each one of us must put our own homes in order. Each one of us must drive from our own homes every invitation to sin, every vestige of pornography, every evil TV or radio program, and every unclean book or magazine.

Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, May 1986
Consider carefully the words of the prophet Alma to his errant son, Corianton, “Forsake your sins, and go no more after the lusts of your eyes.” (Alma 39:9.)

“The lusts of your eyes.” In our day, what does that expression mean?

Movies, television programs, and video recordings that are both suggestive and lewd.

Magazines and books that are obscene and pornographic.

We counsel you, young men, not to pollute your minds with such degrading matter, for the mind through which this filth passes is never the same afterwards. Don’t see R-rated movies or vulgar videos or participate in any entertainment that is immoral, suggestive, or pornographic. Don’t listen to music that is degrading.

Remember Elder Boyd K. Packer’s statement: “Music, once … innocent, now is often used for wicked purposes. … “In our day music itself has been corrupted. Music can, by its tempo, by its beat, by its intensity [and I would add by its lyrics], dull the spiritual sensitivity of men. …

“Young people,” Elder Packer goes on to say, “you cannot afford to fill your mind with the unworthy hard music of our day.” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1973, pp. 21, 25; or Ensign, Jan. 1974, pp. 25, 28.)

Instead, we encourage you to listen to uplifting music, both popular and classical, that builds the spirit. Learn some favorite hymns from our new hymnbook that build faith and spirituality. Attend dances where the music and the lighting and the dance movements are conducive to the Spirit. Watch those shows and entertainment that lift the spirit and promote clean thoughts and actions. Read books and magazines that do the same.

H. Burke Peterson, Liahona, November 1993
In magazines and books, on CDs and tapes, on our television and theater screens is portrayed more and more often a lifestyle that might even rival the excesses of those who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah. The screens, music, and printed materials are filled with a profusion of sex, nudity, and vulgarity.

In Moroni 10:30 we read:
“And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing” (emphasis added).

One of the great tragedies is that too many Latter-day Saints are watching and listening to this type of so-called entertainment. Some do it only casually at first. They think they are spiritually strong and will be immune to its influence. This trash is nothing more nor less than pornography dressed in one of its many imitation robes of splendor—one of the master counterfeiter’s best products. Satan has slyly and slowly lowered the social norms of morality to a tragic and destructive level.

Part of the tragedy I speak of is that many do not recognize they are trapped or soon will be. They see this as a form of entertainment that serves as a relief from the troubles of the day. In reality, it is only relieving them of their spirituality and their capacity to draw on the powers of heaven in times of need.

We must come to understand fully the consequences of having an appetite for such entertainment. Such an appetite can lead to an eternal penalty. No person can look at, read about, or listen to such explicit vulgarity, even in its mildest form, without bringing sorrow to a loving God and injury to one’s own spirit. We cannot look at or listen to these unholy depictions in our own living room or wherever they are shown without suffering the consequences—and those consequences are very real.

We must remember that our rewards for righteous living are only partially enjoyed in this mortal life. Likewise, our miseries for breaking the commandments of God will not all be realized fully as we live here on the earth. Eternity is a long, long time.

I plead with you to leave it alone. Stay away from any movie, video, publication, or music—regardless of its rating—where illicit behavior and expressions are part of the action. Have the courage to turn it off in your living room. Throw the tapes and the publications in the garbage can, for that is where we keep garbage.

The Doctrine and Covenants gives a warning and a promise. The promise says, “If your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things” (D&C 88:67).

In an application of this scripture today, it is my understanding that anytime we look at or listen to this kind of material—even in its mildest form—the light inside of us grows dimmer because the darkness inside increases. The effect of this is that we cannot think as clearly about life’s challenges—be they business, church, school, family, or personal. We have cluttered the channel to the source of all light with various unclean images. Our entitlement to personal revelation on any subject is severely restricted. We don’t do as well in school or at work. We are left more on our own, and as a result we make more mistakes and we are not as happy. Remember, our mind is a wonderful instrument. It will record and keep whatever we put into it, both trash and beauty. When we see or hear anything filthy or vulgar, whatever the source, our mind records it. As it makes the filthy record, beauty and clean thoughts are pushed into the background. Hope and faith in Christ begin to fade, and more and more, turmoil and discontent become our companions.

Brothers, sisters, and parents are not as happy together as they used to be. We find less peace and contentedness in our hearts and homes. We do things that later we wish we had not done. Contention raises its vicious head, and when contention is present, the Spirit of Christ departs from us.

Again I say, leave it alone. Turn it off, walk away from it, burn it, erase it, destroy it. I know it is hard counsel we give when we say R-rated movies, and many with PG-13 ratings, are produced by satanic influences. Our standards should not be dictated by the rating system. I repeat, because of what they really represent, these types of movies, music, tapes, and other products serve the purposes of the author of all darkness.

H. Burke Peterson, Ensign, November 1974
You know it isn’t hard to recognize a real warrior for the priesthood. You meet him at every turn. He is the one who says no when others say yes to movies on Sunday, to R- or X-rated shows at any time (he knows he must not fall to this temptation). He’s the one who says no to immoral books or magazines or pictures or stories at any time. He says no to fishing or swimming or boating on Sunday. He’s the one who says no when others say, “Just try it,” to a beer or a cigarette—even if it’s just one. This courageous warrior is also the one who says yes when others say no to priesthood meeting Sunday morning, to sacrament meeting, to tithe paying, to prayers each day, to seminary or institute classes. This stalwart young man is one who says yes when others say no to a mission.

Joseph B. Wirthlin, New Era, May 1988
These little rationalizations prompted by Satan will become great detriments to our spiritual growth. Pornography in all its forms—found at the movie theater, on television, and in printed form—constitutes a spiritual poison that is addictive and destructive. Every ounce of pornography and immoral entertainment will cause you to lose a pound of spirituality. And it will only take a few ounces of immorality to cause you to lose all of your spiritual strength, for the Lord’s Spirit will not dwell in an unclean temple.

Our prophet, President Ezra Taft Benson, gave us excellent counsel when he said:
“We counsel you … not to pollute your minds with such degrading matter, for the mind through which this filth passes is never the same afterwards. Don’t see R-rated movies or vulgar videos or participate in any entertainment that is immoral, suggestive, or pornographic. … Watch those shows and entertainment that lift the spirit and promote clean thoughts and actions. Read books and magazines that do the same” (“To the Youth of the Noble Birthright,” Ensign, May 1986, p. 45).

Hartman Rector Jr., Ensign, January 1973
Potiphar’s wife became particularly insistent, even to taking hold of his coat and attempting to draw him to her. But Joseph did the very best thing he could do under the circumstances. The scripture records, “… he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.” (Gen. 39:12.) Or, in today’s language—he ran.

Maybe that doesn’t sound like a very sophisticated thing to do, but sometimes running is the only thing to do. This was such a time. I am sure that Joseph did not know he was going to be alone with her, or he would not have gone into the house. I have great faith in Joseph.

It is more important that we beware of compromising situations than anything else we can do. We must avoid them. If we don’t, we will run the great risk of being overcome.

In my experience, I have found that it is very, very dangerous to fly just high enough to miss the treetops. I spent twenty-six years flying the navy’s airplanes. It was very exciting to see how close I could fly to the trees. This is called “flat hatting” in the navy, and it is extremely dangerous. When you are flying just high enough to miss the trees and your engine coughs once, you are in the trees. Now let’s pretend that the navy had a commandment—“Thou shalt not fly thy airplane in the trees.” As a matter of fact, they did have such a commandment. In order to really be free of the commandment, it becomes necessary for me to add a commandment of my own to the navy’s commandment, such as, “Thou shalt not fly thy airplane closer than 5,000 feet to the trees.” When you do this, you make the navy’s commandment of not flying in the trees easy to live, and the safety factor is tremendously increased.

Admittedly, the latter commandment is your own addition, and care should be exercised that you do not get it mixed up with the law and expound it as the law. Rather, it is your own commandment, invented by you for your own self-preservation; and, if you are going to preach it, it should be expounded as such. We should studiously avoid placing ourselves in positions where we could be overcome by temptation. Paul’s admonition that we avoid even the appearance of evil certainly represents an addition to the Lord’s commandment, which is, to “forsake all evil” and “entangle not yourselves in sin.” (See D&C 98:11; D&C 88:86.) But if we follow Paul’s admonition, we will find the Lord’s commandment much easier to live.

It is so important that young people who are unmarried erect barriers against temptation to help them avoid the compromising situations. May I suggest a few barriers.

1. Never go into a house alone with one of the opposite sex.
2. Never, never enter a bedroom alone with one of the opposite sex.
3. Do not neck or pet. Now, admittedly there is no place in the scriptures where the Lord has said, “Thou shalt not neck or pet.” I know that, but he has said, “Thou shalt not commit adultery, or fornication, or anything like unto it.”
4. Never park on a lonely road with just the two of you alone.
5. Do not read pornographic literature.
6. Do not attend R- or X-rated movies, and avoid drive-ins

David B. Haight, Ensign, November 1986

Bruce C. Hafen, New Era, Febuary 2002
It’s now simply a fact that most of those who write and most of those who produce today’s movies, TV programs, and popular music, as well as those who set the editorial policies of many magazines, believe that sex outside of marriage is really quite harmless. On this particular subject of sexual morality, I honestly believe our society is within the grip of the evil one.

Can you see why the Brethren tell us to stay away from X- and R-rated movies? Can you see why they plead with us to avoid drugs, alcohol, vulgar music, and the other products of the carnal environment that now surrounds us almost as water surrounds the fish of the sea? These aren’t trivial things. If the H-bomb symbolizes our age, we are playing now not just with fire, but with nuclear power. The prince of darkness has dragged out the heavy artillery.

Joe J. Christensen, Ensign, November 1996

Satan has made great inroads into the lives of some Latter-day Saints through the evil in the media. I am confident that the great majority of you have not been guilty of serious sexual sin, but many are placing themselves in a path that could lead to it. A bishop reported that he had observed that the spiritual level of the young priesthood bearers in his ward was declining. Through his personal interviews with them, he discovered that many of them were watching R-rated movies. When he asked them where they went to see such trash, they said, “We don’t go anywhere. We watch them at home. We have cable television, and when our parents are gone we watch anything we want to.”

Fathers, you may want to reconsider having unrestricted cable or unsupervised television sets in your home and particularly in your children’s bedrooms.

It is very unreasonable to suppose that exposure to profanity, nudity, sex, and violence has no negative effects on us. We can’t roll around in the mud without getting dirty.

It is a concern that some of our young Latter-day Saints, as well as their parents, regularly watch R-rated and other inappropriate movies and videos. One more reason why the “devil laugheth, and his angels rejoice” (3 Ne. 9:2).

Just a few months ago the Lord’s prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, shared with the youth, and with all of us, this clear and unmistakable counsel:

“Be clean. I cannot emphasize that enough. Be clean. It is so very, very important, and you at your age are in such temptation all the time. It is thrown at you on television. It is thrown at you in books and magazines and videos. You do not have to rent them. Don’t do it. Just don’t do it. Don’t look at them. If somebody proposes that you sit around all night watching some of that sleazy stuff, you say, ‘It’s not for me.’ Stay away from it” (Denver, Colorado, youth meeting, 14 Apr. 1996).

The Lord and his living prophets are counting on you to avoid the trash that surrounds you in the media. When anyone chooses to ignore or defiantly go against the counsel of the living prophet, he is on very shaky ground.

Richard G. Scott, Liahona, March 2001
I know that you will find the same response as you consistently choose to obey your principles. You are establishing a reputation. When you make it clear that you will not vary from your standards, you will be led to individuals like yourself and the criticism from others will become less intense. Often those who publicly deride you for your high standards privately do not want you to violate them. They need your good example. Whether it be turning your back on an off-color joke, refusing to see an R-rated movie or videocassette, or walking out of a party that is moving in the wrong direction, make your standards clear to others by quietly making the right choices when the temptation is first presented. A decisive, correct choice made once and consistently kept thereafter will avoid much heartache. You then can use your energy in keeping your resolve rather than repeatedly wrestling with the same challenge. Also, you will greatly reduce the possibility that you will be overcome by temptation.

Joe J. Christensen, New Era, January 1998,

In addition to making a resolution that we will read only the best in print, it would be very beneficial if now we resolved not to watch even one R-rated or NC-17 movie, or television shows with questionable content. That may sound extreme, but I assure you that much of our future happiness and success depends on it. We cannot justify mentally shifting into neutral and failing to exert our efforts to progress intellectually. Whether or not you are in school, the challenge is the same. We should continue learning throughout our lives.

Joe J. Christensen, Ensign, Dec 1994
It also would be very beneficial if we resolve not to watch even one movie, video, or television show of R-rated quality or worse—from now on. I assure you that much of our future happiness and success depends on that choice.

David A. Bednar, Ensign, May 2006
The standard is clear. If something we think, see, hear, or do distances us from the Holy Ghost, then we should stop thinking, seeing, hearing, or doing that thing. If that which is intended to entertain, for example, alienates us from the Holy Spirit, then certainly that type of entertainment is not for us.