Sister Jones was a keynote speaker Saturday morning, March 10, 2018, at the Utah Coalition Against Pornography conference at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.

“I am here today as a concerned woman, mother, and grandmother,” said Sister Jones. “This problem is affecting our boys and our girls, and we’re not talking about it enough.”

Sister Jones continued, “For some reason, we don’t talk very much to youth and children about one of the strongest urges and biggest temptations they will face. Our reluctance sets them up to be taught primarily by the internet, other children or teenagers, or even Hollywood.”

Electronic Devices

The Primary leader told the audience that many parents may not realize yet how easily children can access unwanted media on their smartphones and other devices. “In today’s world, I see many parents handing their child a snake. I am speaking of smartphones. Even in impoverished countries, I have witnessed children using smartphones.”

Sister Jones suggests placing safeguards on phones and other electronic devices. Some families also use their electronic devices in high-traffic areas of their homes. She added that parents must also talk to their children in age-appropriate ways about why they should avoid pornography and what to do if they encounter it.

“Whatever the needs are for our individual families, let’s teach each family member to use technology wisely and positively from the start — to develop a moral mindset. Let’s educate children in constructive ways to use technology for good,” she explained.

Love Fights Pornography

“If we are going to have any hope of eradicating this plague from the world, love must be both at the forefront and the foundation of all our efforts,” stressed Sister Jones.

“First, we say ‘I love you’ by truly protecting them. Second, we say ‘I still love you’ by the way we respond to their exposure to pornography, whether intentional or not. And third, we say ‘I will always love you’ by providing loving support for them as they work on healing if they’ve experienced compulsive use or addiction,” she taught.

“As you and your loved one seek healing, I hope that you will find strength in the one who has the power to heal all wounds, bind people together, and create relationships quite beyond our present capacity to imagine,” Sister Jones concluded.

Read her full address, “It Starts With Us.”

Also see the Church’s website, OvercomingPornography.org.

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