Promotion of Violence

I watched a video yesterday... I'll include the link at the end.

When I was a teenager, periodically our local Mormon congregation would hold a standards night. I actually looked forward to them, hoping for some kind of guidance as to how far I could go with a girl. I'm not sure if it was good or not, but those specific clarifications never came.

The evening was generally spent talking about modest clothing and threats that Satan was going to get us.

At the conclusion of my first "Standards Night", we were all handed a bundle of pamphlets, tied together with a ribbon. On of those pamphlets was a print version of a sermon performed by a Mormon apostle. It was entitled, "To Young Men Only". I read the entire thing, hoping to find out the key descriptions of how far I could go.

I should probably add at this point, that as a rather unpopular, shy and buck toothed teenager, my chances of finding a girl who would actually want to go some way with me, was little more than a pipe dream... But I always have, and always will be an optimist!!

Anyway, the book included descriptions of little factories and machines, and all I really remember was the theme over and over again that masturbation was evil and of the devil, and if I engaged in it, I was going to go to hell.

That is about all I remember of the pamphlet. Masturbation = Evil = You'll go to hell = Just another reason why my self-esteem as a teenager was shot to hell.

Anyway, but back to the video at hand...

It included a section from this talk, which I don't recall reading, but I check online, and is indeed there.

Here it is... From the mouth of a man who claims to speak with God, receive revelation for the entire earth and be a special witness for Christ (You know Christ... The guy who taught to turn the other cheek and stuff like that...)

Not only that, but this little speech has no doubt passed through Correlation - the committee that makes sure that everything these (so called) mouth pieces for God say, is politically correct and in harmony with the Gospel.

And so with that in mind, mouth piece of God and Harmony with the Gospel of Christ - again - Christ, the guy who taught, love your neighbor and do unto others as you would have them do unto you - I present the following excerpt from "To Young Men Only"

This power is ordained for the begetting of life and as a binding tie in the marriage covenant. It is not to be misused. It is not to be used prematurely. It is to be known between husband and wife and in no other way. If you misuse it, you will be sorry.

Now a warning! I am hesitant to even mention it, for it is not pleasant. It must be labeled as major transgression. But I will speak plainly. There are some circumstances in which young men may be tempted to handle one another, to have contact with one another physically in unusual ways. Latter-day Saint young men are not to do this.

Sometimes this begins in a moment of idle foolishness, when boys are just playing around. But it is not foolishness. It is remarkably dangerous. Such practices, however tempting, are perversion. When a young man is finding his way into manhood, such experiences can misdirect his normal desires and pervert him not only physically but emotionally and spiritually as well.

It was intended that we use this power only with our partner in marriage. I repeat, very plainly, physical mischief with another man is forbidden. It is forbidden by the Lord.

There are some men who entice young men to join them in these immoral acts. If you are ever approached to participate in anything like that, it is time to vigorously resist.

While I was in a mission on one occasion, a missionary said he had something to confess. I was very worried because he just could not get himself to tell me what he had done.

After patient encouragement he finally blurted out, "I hit my companion."

"Oh, is that all," I said in great relief.

"But I floored him," he said.

After learning a little more, my response was "Well, thanks. Somebody had to do it, and it wouldn't be well for a General Authority to solve the problem that way"

I am not recommending that course to you, but I am not omitting it. You must protect yourself.

There is a falsehood that some are born with an attraction to their own kind, with nothing they can do about it. They are just "that way" and can only yield to those desires. That is a malicious and destructive lie. While it is a convincing idea to some, it is of the devil. No one is locked into that kind of life. From our premortal life we were directed into a physical body. There is no mismatching of bodies and spirits. Boys are to become men --masculine, manly men --ultimately to become husbands and fathers. No one is predestined to a perverted use of these powers.

I fully admit that I used to like the idea of gay-bashing. When I was 19, I was running to catch the last train home for the night, and I ran right into a gay couple making out. They did nothing to me, and probably didn't even know I was there, but the experience fill me with rage.

They had offended me, pushed the perverted lifestyle on me, and with the power of God residing in every fiber of my being, by god I was going to have my revenge.

I'm a different person now. Grateful that I never acted out on those initial feelings, but at the same time, still incredibly remorseful that I ever had them.