Virtue

I heard about two girls from Utah who have started a new campaign called Beauty Redefined. I read through their website and I am very impressed by such a proactive stance on such a silent plague that is no longer creeping in on us, but has already unpacked and looks like it is here to stay. I particularly liked this article they posted. I appreciated the idea that pornography has become readily accepted by our culture within the last 10 years, a tragedy. Pornography is, "...a state of undress and a mode of representation that invites the sexualized gaze of the viewer” (ex: Mooney, 2008). Webster’s Dictionary describes it as “the depiction of erotic behavior intended to cause sexual excitement.” Working from these definitions, we find these dangerous messages in many other places than just behind closed doors. In fact, we find them everywhere."

Why this is a cause worth fighting for: "This is not just a feminist argument calling out all the harmfully objectifying messages we are exposed to every day in the name of female equality. This is a fight for male and female mental and physical health, for safety, for meaningful relationships, for women’s worth, for the power to recognize and reject these proven harmful influences if we want to. The power of pornographic images — presented to us as normal and natural in the last decade of our lives – is REAL and is worth fighting against." -BR

So many times when I think about the problems our society faces, including pornography, I become overwhelmed by the vastness and undefinable situation we are in. Where do you start? How do you fight an opponent with no form or face? It seems so impossible. Family after family is being destroyed by the devastating results of pornography. Lives are being destroyed and happiness is being evaded. I am a firm believer in the need to increase virtue in each of our lives. Our families, relationships, and our very souls depend upon it. I believe in marriage. I believe in strong families. I believe in being creative and productive and happy. I believe that our pursuit of happiness is extremely dependent upon our avoidance of pornography and our continual search for light and truth.

Elaine S. Dalton said in her article, A Return to Virtue, "Virtue is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards. It encompasses chastity and moral purity. Virtue begins in the heart and in the mind. It is nurtured in the home. It is the accumulation of thousands of small decisions and actions. Virtue is a word we don’t hear often in today’s society, but the Latin root word virtus means strength. Virtuous women and men possess a quiet dignity and inner strength. They are confident because they are worthy to receive and be guided by the Holy Ghost. President Monson has counseled: “You be the one to make a stand for right, even if you stand alone. Have the moral courage to be a light for others to follow. There is no friendship more valuable than your own clear conscience, your own moral cleanliness—and what a glorious feeling it is to know that you stand in your appointed place clean and with the confidence that you are worthy to do so.”

It is my hope that I can always be an example of virtue and that I can defend it whenever I am able. I have listed some other sources below that I support in the fight for virtue.

The Enemy of My Soul
An Avalanche of Evil
Watch Your Step
Combating Pornography
Personal Purity