It seems to me that the general authorities of the Church have been addressing the topic of pornography more and more in recent years.  I decided to find out.  I did an online search for any conference talk that has mentioned the word “pornography” or “pornographic” since 1969.  The search revealed 214 talks.  I made the following graph to show the distribution of these talks over the years:

Trends

The trend that I noticed first is that since 1998 there have been 5 to 10 talks each year that mention pornography.  This rate is quite a bit higher than any decade before it.

I also noticed that in some years there were no mentions or just one (1969, 1972, 1985, 1995, 1996), which surprises me.  Then there were years like 1973, 1974, 1992, 1993 in which pornography mentions spiked.  I wonder if in those years pornography was an even greater problem or if the increase is just a coincidence.

The two main lessons I learned from doing this analysis are 1) Pornography is not a new problem.  The Brethren have been addressing it often since at least 1970.  2) The pornography problem must be getting worse.  As time goes on, the Brethren are addressing the issue more often and more consistently.  I assume that this is due to the proliferation of pornography throughout our society, especially on the Internet.

Effects

Pornography is deadly.  Once viewed, it tantalizes the mind and binds men and women into spiritual and physical slavery.  It destroys minds, careers, families, and souls.  We should all avoid pornography like the plague (or swine flu, if you prefer).  Here is a brief selection of warnings and calls to repentance from the talks that I reviewed:

The effects of pornography

Along with losing the Spirit, pornography users also lose perspective and proportion (Clayton, 2007).

Pornography produces fantasies that destroy spirituality … Pornography also inflicts mortal wounds on our most precious personal relationships (Oaks, 2005).

Pornography impairs one’s ability to enjoy a normal emotional, romantic, and spiritual relationship with a person of the opposite sex. It erodes the moral barriers that stand against inappropriate, abnormal, or illegal behavior. As conscience is desensitized, patrons of pornography are led to act out what they have witnessed, regardless of its effects on their life and the lives of others.  Pornography is also addictive. It impairs decision-making capacities and it “hooks” its users, drawing them back obsessively for more and more (Oaks, 2005).

[Pornography] leads to fantasies that are destructive of self-respect. It leads to illicit relationships, often to disease, and to abusive criminal activity … It will be amen to the effectiveness of that priesthood for anyone who engages in the practice of seeking out pornographic material (Hinckley, 2004).

Counsel to avoid pornography and repent

My brothers and sisters, involvement in [pornography] will literally destroy the spirit. Be strong. Be clean. Avoid such degrading and destructive types of content at all costs—wherever they may be! I sound this warning to everyone, everywhere … And if you have allowed yourself to become involved in this behavior, cease now. Seek the help you need to overcome and to change the direction of your life. Take the steps necessary to get back on the strait and narrow, and then stay there (Monson, 2009).

Avoid the deadly poisons of pornography and narcotics (Packer, 2009).

Do all that you can to avoid pornography … Do not patronize pornography (Oaks, 2005).

Let any who may be in the grip of this vise get upon their knees in the privacy of their closet and plead with the Lord for help to free them from this evil monster. Otherwise, this vicious stain will continue through life and even into eternity (Hinckley, 2004).

Resolve to avoid pornography as you would avoid the most insidious disease, for that is precisely what it is (Ballard, 2002).

Avoid pornography as you would a plague (Hinckley, 1983).

Members of the Church everywhere are urged to not only resist the widespread plague of pornography, but as citizens to become actively and relentlessly engaged in the fight against this insidious enemy of humanity around the world (Kimball, 1976).

What do you think?