Child birth is a blessing.

 Genesis 1:28And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 

We are commanded by God to bear children. Children are blessings. They are our eternal gifts from Him. How can we deny Him of these children?


Is the pain of childbirth  the curse of Eve.


To understand this we must understand the scriptures themselves. Eve was not cursed. God cursed the serpent ( Satan). God cursed the ground. God did not curse Eve.

Genesis 3:16Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Greatly multiply thy sorrow and they conception and in sorrow bring forth children. Many can relate to this with the pains of pregnancy and childbearing. If we read on,

Genesis 3:17And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

 Sorrow is also used in reference to the work of Adam, ie: man. My belief is that the "Fall of Man" was a blessing, pre ordained by God. Adam and Eve were not an experiment. This plan was carefully designed. Adam and Eve could have lived out their lives in Eden. They would have never partaken of the fruit. They would have retained their innocence and never conceived. Eve would have never had the joys and pains of childbirth and motherhood. Because without one, we cannot have the other. the pains of labor, whether is a hard days work, or bearing children, are a blessing. They are a reminder of all that we have been given. Because without sorrow, we can never feel pure joy.

John 21A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

Pregnancy and childbirth is how everyone of us has come to be, including our savior, Jesus Christ. Therefor it stands to reason that it would be Satan's goal  to make it as undesirable as possible.


Preparing for children. 


Childbearing is not an illness. It is a normal process of life. Our current culture treats it as a medical issue. Many avoidable health issues and lifestyle choices, create childbirth emergencies later. We know from the scriptures that taking care of our bodies is very important to our temporal well being. If we keep our bodies in good physical health, we will have less complications later on in pregnancy. The Lord's law of health is a perfect outline for prenatal care. We should abstain from tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs and even medications that are not necessary. We should choose our diets carefully. Eat meats sparingly and salts and sugars in moderation. We should eat wholesome meals. Work, rest and exercise should be equally balanced. Too much sleep or not enough can make us unproductive and are necessary to a strong body. Exercise and physical activity is very important.  

D&C 89 18And 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; 19And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; 20And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint. 21And 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.

Many of the complications of labor arise from not following these guidelines. It is our duty to care for our children. This care begins before birth. Disobedience to these guidelines give Satan an upper hand in his tactics to make childbirth fearful. Diabetes and high blood pressure are among the top reasons for inductions. 




The Fear Factor

Every time I mention pregnancy I hear a comment about how dangerous childbirth is. I meet so many moms who were convinced the child was in danger to justify the medical intervention they had. In turn, many reject effective traditional child birth methods.

This is not to attack moms, many of whom were honestly scared for their child's life. But todays culture has made women into powerless creatures who have no ability to give birth on their own. In a time where the womens rights movement is at an all time high, I often wonder how we have let childbirth keep us so oppressed.

I think a large part of it is Satan's attack on the family. Satan knows how vital families are to God's Plan. In March of 1976, President Spencer W Kimball said that Satan garnishes evil to make it appear beautiful, pleasing, easy and even good. Satan is the father of lies. Some of the lies he tells us pertain to motherhood specifically. That we don't have to be burdened with children. He tells us that abortion is fine, you are in control of your body. He convinces us that we are doing the right thing by not embracing the idea of a large family due to monetary reasons. Many women feel justified in their decision to only have a small family or none at all so they can enjoy the "nice things". Satan has bribed women out of the blessings for children and traded it with the "blessings" of material items. 

Matthew 6:19Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Recently I have watched a few shows where they portray birth as a critical medical event. The mother is "overdue" or has a medical issue ( preventable one) that requires induction. Pitocin is given. Chemically induced contractions elevate pain more severe than natural contractions. Mother is discouraged from movement, mother begs for epidural, epidural slows down progress, baby does not receive epidural, feels intense chemically induced contractions, goes into distress, mother is either forced to push even tho her body is numb or mother rushed to surgery.

Is this really the perception of birth we have come to accept? No wonder women are fearful of birth. Not just fearful of the pain but fearful for their own safety and safety of the baby. We have taken our faith in God and put it into man. 

 Isaah 26:3Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

God knows our bodies. He designed them!! He knows how a baby is supposed to be born. He has not only given the keys to us, but to the child as well. When we ignore the natural birth process, we tell God that his design is flawed, and have found a way to "fix" it. 

The induction rates in the US range as high as 98%. Epidural rates are about 76%. Cesarean rates are about 32%. This is incredibly high, even by international standards. Most of these are done for convience. 

Why this is a problem. 

Lets start with the EDD. Estimated Due Date. We have this idea that this is the magical date in which the child must arrive. You may have heard the phrase, an estimated due date is not an expiration date. The average human gestation is 280 days from fertilization. AVERAGE. Very few us us know the date of fertilization. This process can occur up to 48 hours after intercourse and can also vary depending on your ovulation date. Again the AVERAGE woman ovulates on the 14th day after the start of your last cycle. So unless you have had IVF its nearly impossible to know the moment of fertilization. Especially if you are very active sexually. Whe  can however narrow it down, hence why we use estimates. By 

The EDD is given as a rough estimate. It it NORMAL for a baby to arrive at weeks 38-42 on the EDD calendar. It is not uncommon for a baby to arrive after the 42 weeks safely and naturally on its own. Babies have control over their birth. They release a protein from their lungs that initiates labor. The baby decides its birthday. When it has developed to the proper stage, it is ready to be born. Taking a child before this time, can lead to an array of problems for mother and child. Now lets revisit the 98% induction rates reported by the CDC. Think about that for a moment.

The next issue is fetal size. We often hear the baby was to big, or baby got stuck. Our bodies are specifically designed to give birth. They move, they stretch, they do things during pregnancy and labor that enables us to give birth. Babies have this same ability. They twist and turn and wiggle their way out, with the help of mom. Its a wonderful team effort. If the mother restricts her body and does not allow for certain motions, the baby can get stuck. We must allow mothers to move as her body needs to to allow the child to birth safely. The most ineffective position for birth is lithotomy, ( on our backs)   ironically that is the method most commonly used in hospital births. Studies show allow a mom to just move about decreases the chances of intervention drastically.

Exodus 1:15And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: 16And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. 17But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. 18And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? 19And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them. 20Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. 21And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses. 22And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

This is a great story for the concept of childbirth for those who have faith in God. The Hebrew women were strong, spiritually and physically. They were healthy and lively. They often gave birth before the midwife arrived. They birthed upon stools, akin to various birth positions. The Egyptian women were accustomed to more pampered life and suffered thru childbrith. They also lacked faith in God. They took a less active, more passive role in labor. 

Job 39:13Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich? 14Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust, 15And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them. 16She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear; 17Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.

“To mothers, daughters, and women everywhere, let me stress the fact that because of your great potential and influence for good in the lives of all of us, Satan is determined to destroy you. You cannot compromise with him. You must have the courage, the strength, the desire, and the determination to live as the Lord would have you live—good clean lives.…“Girls, prepare yourselves to assume the roles of mothers by gaining knowledge and wisdom through a good education. We teach that the glory of God is intelligence, and so we must all be aware of what is going on around us and be prepared to thwart Satan in his attempts to divert us from our divine destiny. With knowledge, wisdom, determination, and the Spirit of the Lord to help us we can succeed” (N. Eldon Tanner, in Conference Report, Oct. 1973, 126, 127; or Ensign, Jan. 1974, 8, 10).

Just as we as mothers do not want to see harm done to our children, Heavenly Father wants the same for us. He knows our capabilities and wants us to do the best we can. He has given us a task. A mighty task of rearing children.  He knows its a hard task.  He gives us the ability to conquer it. He knows we cant do it alone and we must seek His help and guidance.  We must decide what is best for our children and ourselves. Not what is easiest, but what we must do to ensure the mental, spiritual and physical well being of our families.  Once you have done this you have made the best childbirth choice. 

Ephesians  6:10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

Testimonies..

In our Church once a month we take the time to bear our testimonies. Everyone is at a different place in life, so you get such amazing testimonies on a variety of subjects. They are usually very moving. I cry at least once or twice.

Usually these testimonies motivate me in some way. But none have impacted me the way the one I didn't even get to hear did.

I usually don't allow the kids to use the restroom during sacrament meeting. Its just one hour a week. But Urijah just couldn't hold it and I made an exception. I left with he and Zachary.

When I got back Joe asked me if I heard. "Heard what?" I said. "The testimony about your page". I was confused.

About 2 months ago I created a Facebook page for our Branch. I have been trying for 2 months to get it moving. I post photos, branch, stake and church news. I also post LDS videos and scriptures. For the most part its just me posting and I feel like its a ghost town facebook page.

Last week with all the other frustrations of life, this page was adding fuel. I was upset and frustrated that this page I have been working on has been ignored. I was considering deleting it. Something stopped me tho. I just wasn't convinced to give up yet.

Today a  woman from our branch got up and testified she has been following the page. She hadn't been to church in sometime, but all the links, scriptures, photos and such have made her feel a part of the branch she had been absent from. So much so that it brought her back to church and motivated her to bear her testimony.

I know I am not alone in saying that there are often times we feel our work is not recognized. That no one notices or cares. It can make us saddened, hurt, angry, frustrated. I was humbled today. It made me realize that we have our gifts not for our own glory but for His.

We all have gifts and/or talents. We are told to maximize and share them. I will try to remember this daily but especially when I feel discouraged. If in all my life I only inspire one person to be closer to God, then its all been worth it.

38 Years Ago

38 years ago, just over 3 years before my own birth, because of a woman Norma L. McCorvey, aka Jane Roe, and her legal team, The US Supreme Court decided that a womans right to have an abortion falls under the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution.

1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.     

And the 9th Amendment

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

They decided that there would be no restriction in the earlier months, with restriction in the latter months. This was based on their definition if viability of the fetus. Before Roe V. Wade, abortion was outlawed in most states and allowed, but restricted in others. This is allowed by the 10th Amendment. The States have a right to write such laws.

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

But the Supreme Court did not see it that way.
What it boiled down to is the US Supreme court felt it was a violation of a womans privacy and that the laws regarding an abortion were not "equal rights". The state of Texas at the time of Roe v. Wade, allowed for abortion in cases of rape and incest, but not for any other cause. Ms. McCorvey was pregnant with an unwanted child and desperately sough out an abortion, only to be denied. Her daughter was in fact born and given up for adoption.

In 1995 Norma L. McCorvey became a member of the pro life movement.

Abortion is argued in two ways. As a rights issue and as a moral issue. For me they are the same. As a woman who has had 12 fetus', 3 who did not remain viable and died in the early weeks, grow in my womb, I can testify to you that this is life. This is a life that is not only part of me, but part of another human who also has rights. When we talk about individual rights, abortion involves 3 people- the mother, the father and the child. How can we declare Roe v. Wade is about the 9th amendment when it clearly effects the rights of several people. In every case it violates the rights of the unborn.

I know abortions are performed for many reasons. The most compelling is rape and birth defects. While I have not personally experienced either, I know in my heart those lives are no less important than any others. I don't see how a child who is conceived of rape, or one that may not even live, is better off dying at the hands of its own mother. Nothing, nothing, could ever convince me to take my child's life. NOTHING.

Eight weeks after conception — the baby is able to feel pain and may be starting to suck her thumb. Most abortions occur at this time.

I also know that 38 years ago, viability wasn't what it is today. Babies are surviving younger and younger outside the womb. How does that effect the decisions. Roe v. Wade did address late term abortions. The slider on "late term" has been creeping closer to time of conception since the passing of this decision.

If abortion is about a womans right, and her choice to her body, how can we pass laws saying that abortion at  8 weeks is acceptable but at 38 weeks it is not. At what point does she lose her choice over her body? Who decided this? Who do we trust with the power to decide which lives are worthy of protection and which ones are not. Where does this language take us? How does this effect other issues such as assisted suicide where an adult decides on their own accord they no longer want to live. They want a doctor to end their life. Abortion doctors are protected by the Supreme Court and the Dr. Kevorkains go to jail.

And since we are discussing rights, without going too much off topic, I think its important to note other laws in effect. We currently have laws that tell us what drugs we can and cannot take, what foods we can and cannot eat. We are told what to read, what to watch. Our lives are micromanaged in every way possible, but when it comes to the unborn, and the decision to end their life, thats when choice kicks in?

20 weeks. 4.3% of abortions are performed at this age.  

When a child is conceived, they are given a life. Whether it was perfect or not thats what God gave them. He didn't do that so it could be extinguished before it was their time. I know without a doubt I would not make the decision to end it. I have made that decision before I even made the choice to have children, I made the choice that I would accept them unconditionally. If thats not a choice you can make, please reconsider your child rearing options before embarking in childrearing activities. 

Conference Report April 1969

Elder Ezra Taft Benson

Of the Council of the Twelve

Thank God for that timely and inspiring message from our beloved leader, President David O. McKay.

My remarks today are directed to the humble followers of Christ. I pray that what I have to say will be of help to them.

One of the grand promises which the Lord made when he restored his Church in these latter days was that the Church should never again be taken from the earth nor given to another people. This is reassuring, for no matter how much individual apostasy we may see occur among Church members, the Church itself shall endure and remain intact. Our task, then, is to see that we personally endure to the end in faithful fellowship with the Church.

The Lord distinguishes between the Church and its members. He said he was well pleased with the restored Church, speaking collectively, but not individually. (D&C 1:30.) During his ministry on earth, the Lord spoke of the gospel net drawing in fish. The good fish, he said, were gathered into vessels, while the bad were cast away.

It is important to realize that while the Church is made up of mortals, no mortal is the Church. Judas, for a period of time, was a member of the Church—in fact, one of its apostles—but the Church was not Judas.

Disharmony of some members

Sometimes we hear someone refer to a division in the Church. In reality, the Church is not divided. It simply means that there are some who, for the time being at least, are members of the Church but not in harmony with it. These people have a temporary membership and influence in the Church; but unless they repent, they will be missing when the final membership records are recorded.

It is well that our people understand this principle, so they will not be misled by those apostates within the Church who have not yet repented or been cut off. But there is a cleansing coming. The Lord says that his vengeance shall be poured out "upon the inhabitants of the earth. . . . And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me. . . ." (D&C 112:24-26.) I look forward to that cleansing; its need within the Church is becoming increasingly apparent.

The Lord strengthened the faith of the early apostles by pointing out Judas as a traitor, even before this apostle had completed his iniquitous work. So also in our day the Lord has told us of the tares within the wheat that will eventually be hewn down when they are fully ripe. But until they are hewn down, they will be with us, amongst us. The hymn entitled "Though in the Outward Church Below" contains this thought:

"Though in the outward Church below

Both wheat and tares together grow,

Ere long will Jesus weed the crop

And pluck the tares in anger up. . . .

We seem alike when here we meet;

Strangers may think we are all wheat;

But to the Lord's all-searching eyes,

Each heart appears without disguise.

The tares are spared for various ends,

Some for the sake of praying friends,

Others the Lord against their will,

Employs, his counsels to fulfill.

But though they grow so tall and strong,

His plan will not require them long;

In harvest, when he saves his own,

The tares shall into hell be thrown."

(Hymns, No. 102.)

Tares among the wheat

Yes, within the Church today there are tares among the wheat and wolves within the flock. As President Clark stated, "The ravening wolves are amongst us, from our own membership, and they, more than any others, are clothed in sheep's clothing because they wear the habiliments of the priesthood. . . . We should be careful of them. . . ." (Era, May 1949, p. 268. See also, Conference Report, April 1949, p. 163.)

The wolves amongst our flock are more numerous and devious today than when President Clark made this statement.

President McKay has said that "the Church is little, if at all, injured by persecution and calumnies from ignorant, misinformed or malicious enemies. A greater hindrance to its progress comes from faultfinders, shirkers, commandment-breakers, and apostate cliques within its own ecclesiastical and quorum groups." (Era, December 1967, p. 35. See also, Conference Report, October 1967, p. 9.)

Not only are there apostates within our midst, but there are also apostate doctrines that are sometimes taught in our classes and from our pulpits and that appear in our publications. And these apostate precepts of men cause our people to stumble. As the Book of Mormon, speaking of our day, states: ". . . they have all gone astray save it a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men." (2 Ne. 28:14.)

The precepts of men

Let us consider some of the precepts of men that may and do cause some of the humble followers of Christ to err.

Christ taught that we should be in the world but not of it. Yet there are some in our midst who are not so much concerned about taking the gospel into the world as the are about bringing worldliness into the gospel. They want us to be in the world and of it. They want us to be popular with the worldly even though a prophet has said that this is impossible, for all hell would then want to join us.

Through their own reasoning and a few misapplied scriptures, they try to sell us the precepts and philosophies of men. They do not feel the Church is progressive enough—they say that it should embrace the social and socialist gospel of apostate Christendom.

They are bothered that President McKay believes that "the social side of the Restored Gospel is only an incident of it; it is not the end thereof." (Letter of the First Presidency to Dr. Lowry Nelson, July 17, 1947.)

They attack the Church for not being in the forefront of the so-called "civil rights movement." They are embarrassed over some Church doctrine, and as Lehi foretold, the scoffing of the world over this and other matters will cause some of them to be ashamed and they shall fall away. (See 1 Ne. 8:28.)

Publishing differences with Church

Unauthorized to receive revelation for the Church, but I fear still anxious to redirect the Church in the way they think it should go, some of them have taken to publishing their differences with the Church, in order to give their heretical views a broader and, they hope, a more respectable platform.

Along this line it would be well for all of us to remember these words of President George Q. Cannon:

"A friend . . . wished to know whether we . . . considered an honest difference of opinion between a member of the Church and the Authorities of the Church was apostasy. . . . We replied that we had not stated that an honest difference of opinion between a member of the Church and the Authorities constituted apostasy, for we could conceive of a man honestly differing in opinion from the Authorities of the Church and yet not be an apostate; but we could not conceive of a man publishing those differences of opinion and seeking by arguments, sophistry and special pleading to enforce them upon the people to produce division and strife and to place the acts and counsels of the Authorities of the Church, if possible, in a wrong light and not be an apostate, for such conduct was apostasy as we understood the term." (Deseret News, November 3, 1869.)

Birth control

The world teaches birth control. Tragically, many of our sisters subscribe to its pills and practices when they could easily provide earthly tabernacles for more of our Father's children. We know that every spirit assigned to this earth will come, whether through us or someone else There are couples in the Church who think they are getting along just fine with their limited families but who will someday suffer the pains of remorse when they meet the spirits that might have been part of their posterity. The first commandment given to man was to multiply and replenish the earth with children. That commandment has never been altered, modified, or canceled. The Lord did not say to multiply and replenish the earth if it is convenient, or if you are wealthy, or after you have gotten your schooling, or when there is peace on earth, or until you have four children. The Bible says, "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: ". . . Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them. . ." (Ps. 127:3, 5.) We believe God s glorified by having numerous children and a program of perfection for them. So also will God glorify that husband and wife who have a large posterity and who have tried to raise them up in righteousness.

False reasoning in population limitation

The precepts of men would have you believe that by limiting the population of the world, we can have peace and plenty. That is the doctrine of the devil. Small numbers do not insure peace; only righteousness does. After all, there were only a handful of men on the earth when Cain interrupted the peace of Adam's household by slaying Abel. On the other hand, the whole city of Enoch was peaceful; and it was taken into heaven because it was made up of righteous people.

And so far as limiting the population in order to provide plenty is concerned, the Lord answered that falsehood in the Doctrine and Covenants when he said:

"For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves." (D&C 104:17.)

A major reason why there is famine in some parts of the world is because evil men have used the vehicle of government to abridge the freedom that men need to produce abundantly.

True to form, many of the people who desire to frustrate God's purposes of giving mortal tabernacles to his spirit children through worldwide birth control are the very same people who support the kinds of government that perpetuate famine. They advocate an evil to cure the results of the wickedness they support.

Subversion of educational system

The world worships the learning of man. They trust in the arm of flesh. To them, men's reasoning is greater than God's revelations. The precepts of man have gone so far in subverting our educational system that in many cases a higher degree today, in the so-called social sciences, can be tantamount to a major investment in error. Very few men build firmly enough on the rock of revelation to go through this kind of an indoctrination and come out untainted. Unfortunately, of those who succumb, some use their higher degree to get teaching positions even in our Church educational system, where they spread the falsehoods they have been taught. President Joseph F. Smith was right when he said that false educational ideas would be one of the three threats to the Church within. (Gospel Doctrine, pp. 312-13.)

Sex education in the schools

Another threat, and he said it is the most serious of the three, would be sexual impurity. Today we have both of these threats combined in the growing and increasingly amoral program of sex education in the schools. At the last general Relief Society conference of the Church, Elder Harold B. Lee quoted President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., in regard to this matter. Let us listen and learn from the following wise words of this seer, President Clark:

"Many influences (more than ever before in my lifetime) are seeking to break down chastity with its divinely declared sanctity. . . .

"In schoolrooms the children are taught what is popularly called `the facts of life.' Instead of bringing about the alleged purpose of the teaching, that is, strengthening of the morals of youth, this teaching seems to have had directly the opposite effect. The teaching seems merely to have whetted curiosity and augmented appetite. (Relief Society Magazine, December 1952, p. 793.)

". . . A mind engrossed in sex is not good for much else. . . .

"Already the schools have taught sex facts ad nauseam. All their teachings have but torn away the modesty that once clothed sex; their discussions tend to make, and sometimes seem to make, sex animals of our boys and girls. The teachings do little but arouse curiosity for experience. . . .

"A work on chastity can be given in one sentence, two words: Be chaste! That tells everything. You do not need to know all the details of the reproductive process in order to keep clean. . . ." (Era, December 1949, p. 803. See also, Conference Report, October 1949, p. 194.)

Responsibility of parents

Our Church News editorials have warned us about sex education in the schools. As the April 1, 1967, editorial stated:

"Sex education belongs in the home. . . . Movements to place sex education in nearly all grades of public schools can end only in the same result which came to Sweden."

In answer to inquiries that have been received by the First Presidency about sex education in the schools, they have made the following statement: "We believe that serious hazards are involved in entrusting to the schools the teaching of this vital and important subject to our children. This responsibility cannot wisely be left to society, nor the schools: nor can the responsibility be shifted to the Church. It is the responsibility of parents to see that they fully perform their duty in this respect.

When you make a close study of the Sex Information and Education Council of the United States (known as SIECUS¹), which is the major organization pushing sex education in the schools, and read their literature and learn of their amoral leadership, you can better appreciate why the Church is opposed to sex education in the schools, whether it is called family living program or by any other name. I commend the parents who have worked to keep it out of their schools and those who have pushed it out or are attempting to do so. They must love their children.

Sensitivity training

Let us consider another precept of men: One of the tragedies of the Korean War was the fact that the enemy was able to brainwash some of our men. Those methods, highly refined and deviously developed, have been introduced on a broad scale into our own country by some behavioral scientists through a program commonly called sensitivity training. While claiming otherwise, the overall effect of this training has been to break down personal standards, encourage immorality, reduce respect for parents, and make well minds sick.

As in Korea, the heart of the training involves trying to get each member of a group to self- criticize and confess as much as possible to the group. Now any informed holder of the priesthood knows that this is directly contrary to the word of the Lord as contained in the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 42, verses 88-92. Only when a person has sinned against many people is he to make a public confession.

"If any shall offend in secret, he or she shall be rebuked in secret, that he or she may have opportunity to confess in secret to him or her whom he or she has offended, and to God, that the church may not speak reproachfully of him or her." (D&C 42:92.)

As President Brigham Young put it, . . . if you have sinned against your God, or against your selves, confess to God, and keep the matter to yourselves, for I do not want to know anything about it." (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 158.)

But some sensitivity training doesn't stop there. They usually want each person to tell the group about all of their innermost feelings, their personal secrets, their fears, their repressed desires. They have even conducted nudity sessions as a means of supposedly breaking down their inhibitions. They want the group to know each other's vulgar thoughts and lustful ideas, their hates, envies, jealousies. But this flies in the face of the counsel of the Prophet, who has said, "All such evils you must overcome by suppression. That is where your control comes in. Suppress that anger! Suppress that jealousy, that envy! They are all injurious to the spirit. . . ." (President David O. McKay, Gospel Ideals, p. 356.)

Standards attacked

In these sensitivity sessions one's standards, religion, family, and friends may be subjected to brutal and prolonged attack by the group. And when it's all over, if you've confessed all and had your values and ideals smashed, you may doubt if there is much worth believing or defending, and your loyalties may now have been realigned away from your family and church toward the group—for on them you may now feel very dependent, and you may be more anxious to get their consensus on a position and their approval than to find out what's right and do it.

When General William F. Dean was released from a Korean Communist prison camp, the young Chinese psychologists who had been trying to break him said: "General, don't feel bad about leaving us. You know, we will soon be with you. We are going to capture your country." Asked how, they replied: "We are going to destroy the moral character of a generation of our young Americans, and when we cave finished you will have nothing with which to really defend yourselves against us."

Demoralizing influences

And so the precepts of men are at work on our youth in so many ways. Said President Clark, ". . . a tremendous amount of the modern art, of the modern literature and music, and the drama that we have today is utterly demoralizing—utterly." (Relief Society Magazine, December 1952, p. 792.)

Have you been listening to the music that many young folks are hearing today? Some of it is nerve-jamming in nature and much of it has been deliberately designed to promote revolution, dope, immorality, and a gap between parent and child. And some of this music has invaded our church cultural halls.

Have you noticed some of our Church dances lately? Have they been praiseworthy, lovely, and of good report? "I doubt," said President McKay, "whether it is possible to dance most of the prevalent fad dances in a manner to meet LDS standards." And what about modesty in dress? When was the last time you saw a high school girl wearing a dress that covered her knees? The courageous address of Elder Spencer W. Kimball a few years ago entitled "A Style of Our Own" is certainly applicable today.

I want to congratulate the Tabernacle Choir for their attire. It was noted that in their broadcast at Constitution Hall during the inaugural festivities, all the ladies seated on the front row had dresses that covered their knees.

Now what kind of magazines come into your home? With perhaps one or two exceptions, I would not have any of the major national slick magazines in my home. As President Clark so well put it, ". . . take up any national magazine, look at the ads and, if you can stand the filth, read some of the stories—they are, in their expressed and suggestive standards of life, destructive of the very foundations of our society." (Conference Report, April 1951, p. 79.)

President Cannon's test

Now hear this test proposed by President George Q. Cannon: "If the breach is daily widening between ourselves and the world . . . we may be assured that our progress is certain, however slow. On the opposite hand, if our feelings and affections, our appetites and desires, are in unison with the world around us and freely fraternize with them . . . we should do well to examine ourselves. Individuals in such a condition might possess a nominal position in the Church but would be lacking the life of the work, and, like the foolish virgins who slumbered while the bridegroom tarried, they would be unprepared for his coming. . . ." (Millennial Star, Oct. 5, 1861 [Vol. 23], pp. 645-46.)

To repeat again from the Book of Mormon, ". . . they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men." (2 Ne. 28:14.)

May we cherish God's revelations more than man's reasoning and choose to follow the prophets of the Lord rather than the precepts of men is my humble prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.