“Today’s popular entertainment often makes what is evil and
wrong look enjoyable and right. Let us remember the Lord’s
counsel: ‘Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil.’
Pornography, though billed by Satan as entertainment, is a
deeply poisonous, deceptive snake that lies coiled up in
magazines, the Internet, and the television.”
~ Elder David E. Sorensen
I have been thinking of late... that not only is it the outside world that take us away from what is important, but it is ultimately the things that WE bring into our lives to give us comfort. It could be anything from thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors (how we choose to spend our time and cope when things are difficult/stressful/uncertain). Ultimately - It is anything that distracts us from our end goal. The subtle things are the most dangerous and can skew our perceptions so we can’t see things as they really are.
ReplyDeleteI am the first to say that I struggle making sure that my actions/ intentions are pure and I believe that this is the point to life - it is a journey where we learn to make our thoughts, attitudes and behaviors to be aligned with Heavenly Father. That is what is so wonderful about having Jesus Christ as our Savior, Redeemer, Mediator, Counselor, Judge, and Activist etc. It is only through Him that we can change to have our perceptions be true and see things as they really are.
Elin, I'm sure you didn't mean for there to be two Day 15's.... can you fix it, so I don't get mixed up? Little things can do that to me...
ReplyDeleteLately I've been hooked on a couple of games on my smartphone... harmless I thought - helps me relax and take my brain elsewhere. But I'm realizing that ANYTHING can be turned into a distraction, or worse - an obsession - if we don't have a habit of strong temperance. The older I get the more I appreciate what the word temperance means: being moderate in action, speech, or habits, having self-control. If we want to have the spirit be our guide in life, it is so counterproductive to crowd our hours with nonsense. It's not that a little nonsense is so bad once in a while - it's just that "nonsense" is a loud and demanding friend - it has a tendency to crowd out time for the things that lead us to real growth and genuine feelings of accomplishment.
The other side of your question about how to see things as they really are, is to pray for the gift of discernment. We can't kid ourselves that we are smart enough on our own to figure out the difference between good and evil. What does the scripture say - even the very elect will be deceived? That probably happens because we don't realize how powerless we are and then pray for insight and wisdom to choose well.
Elin, how come I'm the only friend willing to have a conversation on your blog? I'm certain other readers must have some thoughts on the these scriptures and principles, if they are checking in regularly that is... How can we buoy each other up in our goals and desires if we don't open our mouths?! Dee Ann, Kristen, Kerry, Wendy, Natalie (others?)... I know who you are!!
Love to all :)
Sorry entered the wrong date this morning... was quite early at the time and obviously I wasn't not seeing things as it is.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your insights Lisa... I too wonder about the others out there??? What is on your mind???
Hey Elin and Lisa:
ReplyDeleteI have responded a couple of times :). Maybe it was last year, I can't remember, but Bishop reviewed a talk given by Elder Bednar about SIMS and other "alternate reality" games. It was one of the best talks I have heard, and so acurately voiced my feelings about computer/video games in general and lots of other things, too. It discussed in detail what strategy the adversary uses in these games. I have provided a link for anyone who wants to read it.
http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/57352/Elder-David-A-Bednar-Things-as-they-really-are.html
I used to play computer solitaire, and had to "beat" the game. Luckily, it wasn't too time-consuming. But, sometimes, I needed to just go to sleep. After a few weeks/months, I realized that this was such a waste of time, and that I had found myself in a behavioral pattern that I didn't want to continue. It really was a little thing, but little things turn into big problems really fast. I have seen many marriages destroyed by video game addictions. Relationships which need to be cultivated, don't get nourished because all spare time is on the computer. The virutal world is a world that we can control who we want to be...in an instant. It is very enticing, challenging, and a purely selfish pursuit. I see some of these tendancies in my own kids, and we have had frequent discussions about it. These little games keep us from listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and that is where we get into trouble.
Lisa: I have been thinking of your post about even the "very elect" will be deceived. I know this scripture very well, but I have never thought about it quite in the way you present. I guess I really need to know that I can't discern things as they really are without the help of the spirit. I have a hard time in genereal understanding that I can't do it by myself...just my pride, I suppose. Although, lately I have been increasingly aware that the line (Nephi says gulf) between good and evil is getting larger and more blurry and that almost every "good" thing also has evil in it. Good movies, good music, good books...i.e. This is such a great play, except for this one part. I have pretty much given up TV and a lot of movies for the last several years, maybe excpet Food Network.:).
I was glancing at LDS Living Magazine the other day and it shows these numbers:
1680--minutes per week the average child spends watching tv
3.5--minutes per week the average parent spends in meaningful conversation with his or her children
200,000--average number of violent acts an American child will witness on tv by age 18
40,000--commercials children in the US view each year
2 hours--amount of time 2/3 of infants and toddlers spend each day watching tv
These stats are just a few. 6 hours and 47 minutes is the average time the tv in on EACH DAY in a US home. TV represents to me the ultimate deception...it is easily accessible, it takes us out of our reality in seconds, and we forego many opportunities for service (in our home and elsewhere).
OK..Done with soapbox. But, I really feel strongly about this. TV is NOT family time!
Amen Sista! I too am frustrated by the garbage that gets put into too many forms of entertainment and art - what otherwise might be a very uplifting story! And then all too often our brain remembers the negative and shocking stuff over the good stuff. What's with that?! I totally agree with your soapbox Natalie, and yet I still get sucked in sometimes (sigh)... Seems like I did better when the kids were still at home. Maybe because I was so busy! ha. But I didn't spend time in the scriptures then like I am learning to appreciate now... I remember Bednar's talk - it's awesome! Some talks are so timeless and classic that they need to be studied over and over again. Thanks for providing the link.
DeleteGuess I missed your earlier comments somehow!