How Can I Choose What Movies to Watch?

by John Bytheway
October 10, 2003

You want to go to a movie with your friends. What is the movie standard outlined by the First Presidency?


A. Don't see R- rated movies.

B. Don't see R- or PG-13-rated movies.

C. Don't see movies that are vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way.

D. Only watch movies that are consistent with the thirteenth article of faith.

E. Immorality is acceptable as long as the movie makes you cry.

The correct answer is C.

Some people think the answer is A: "Don't see R- rated movies." Why would they think that? Well, back in 1986 President Ezra Taft Benson said, "Don't see R- rated movies." That's not difficult to understand, but it presents a problem. What if you are a member of the Church who lives outside the United States? What if your country uses a different movie- rating system or doesn't have a rating system at all? Good question. The fact is, President Benson said more (I didn't let him finish). Let's look at his whole quote: "Don't see R- rated movies or vulgar videos or participate in any entertainment that is immoral, suggestive, or pornographic" ("Youth of the Noble Birthright," Ensign, May 1986, 45).
Did you notice how important it is to read the entire sentence? Yes, President Benson said, "Don't see R- rated movies," but he also said to avoid "any entertainment" that can be described using these four adjectives: vulgar, immoral, suggestive, and pornographic. Are any PG-13 movies vulgar or immoral? Yup. Are any PG-13 movies suggestive and pornographic? Absolutely, and we all know it.
Four years after President Benson's talk, the Church published the 1990 version of For the Strength of Youth. Its counsel about movies used all four of President Benson's adjectives and added a new one. It also mentioned that we should not rely solely on movie ratings: "Don't attend or participate in any form of entertainment, including concerts, movies, and videocassettes, that is vulgar, immoral, inappropriate, suggestive, or pornographic in any way. Movie ratings do not always accurately reflect offensive content" (For the Strength of Youth, 11-12). A few years later, Elder H. Burke Peterson mentioned that R- rated movies aren't the only ones we shouldn't see.
Stay away from any movie, video, publication, or music—regardless of its rating—where illicit behavior and expressions are a part of the action. Have the courage to turn it off in your living room. Throw the tapes and the publications in the garbage can, for that is where we keep garbage. . . .
Again I say, leave it alone. Turn it off, walk away from it, burn it, erase it, destroy it. I know it is hard counsel we give when we say movies that are R- rated, and many with PG-13 ratings, are produced by satanic influences. Our standards should not be dictated by the rating system ("Touch Not the Evil Gift, Nor the Unclean Thing," Ensign, November 1993, 43).
In 2002 we received an updated For the Strength of Youth. The standard for entertainment in the new edition uses four adjectives, and one of them is new: "Do not attend, view, or participate in entertainment that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way. Do not participate in entertainment that in any way presents immorality or violent behavior as acceptable" (For the Strength of Youth, 17). Did you notice the new adjective? "Violent." We'll come back to that in a moment.
If you ever hear someone say, "In our Church we're not supposed to see R- rated movies," you can say, "Actually, we're not supposed to see any movies that are vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way, or movies that make violence and immorality acceptable." Our standard is based on principles. It works for Latter- day Saints in any country in the world, and because it's based on true principles, it will never have to be updated.
I'd like to answer a question that may have come up in your mind: "Brother Bytheway, why did the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet change? I thought you just said that standards don't change?" That's right. The rules might be worded differently, but the principles and doctrines have not changed. Do you know what changed? The world did—dramatically. I'll explain:

Mayberry Is My Hometown

I have a rather strange hobby. I absolutely love The Andy Griffith Show. In case you've never heard of it, it's an old black and white comedy about a sheriff named Andy; his son, Opie; his Aunt Bea; and his deputy, Barney Fife. It all takes place in a small town called Mayberry. I have taped about two hundred episodes, and when my wife and I decide there's nothing good on TV (which is just about every time we turn it on), we throw in a tape and go to Mayberry. The Andy Griffith Show first aired in 1960. It was the top show on television when they stopped making new episodes in 1968, and it has never been off the air since.
One day while browsing through Church books at Deseret Industries, I found a For the Strength of Youth pamphlet that was published way back in 1965, right in the middle of the Andy Griffith Show era. The entire highly illustrated pamphlet was only sixteen pages long. Twenty- five years later when the Church produced an updated For the Strength of Youth pamphlet, it was nineteen pages long with no illustrations. The newest For the Strength of Youth is—get this— forty- three pages long.
Why the big change? Are there new commandments that we didn't have before? Is the Church just adding more and more rules? No. The fact is, the moral standard from 1965 to 2002 is exactly the same. It hasn't changed one bit. The world, however, is quite different. The new For the Strength of Youth addresses topics that didn't need to be addressed in the days of Andy Griffith—a day when the number one show on television depicted family members who loved one another, went to church each week, said their prayers at night, and never used curse words.
Today the popular television shows either avoid religion or ridicule it. They mock the law of chastity in nearly every episode, and they use language that never would have been heard on the air in 1965. Some people call that progress. I think it's more like decay.
I've watched about one hundred hours of the Andy Griffith show, and in those one hundred hours I cannot find one curse word. Not one instance of sex outside of marriage, not even one innuendo (a joke that refers to immorality). Not one in one hundred hours! I defy anyone to find any episode of Friends without all those things—sometimes in the first scene! Yup, things have changed.

The Earth Was Filled with Violence

You see, the standard hasn't changed, but the world has. Remember the new word we noticed in the latest For the Strength of Youth? The word was "violent." It's an interesting word. Think back for a moment to Noah's ark and the flood. Think of what was happening on the earth before the rains fell. Why was the earth flooded? Because the people were wicked, right? Right. But that isn't the word the scriptures use. They use a different word:
The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
And God said unto Noah, the end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth (Genesis 6:11-13; emphasis added).
The earth was flooded and the wicked destroyed because the world was corrupt and filled with violence. Our movies and TV shows are also filled with corruption and violence. Things are so bad these days that we even put ratings on computer games. Do you think the leaders of the Church know about violent computer games and what they can do to your spirit?
In a recent general conference, Elder M. Russell Ballard suggested that we can prepare to serve the Lord by "limiting the amount of time spent playing computer games. How many kills you can make in a minute with a computer game will have zero effect on your capacity to be a good missionary" ("The Greatest Generation of Mission aries," Ensign, November 2002, 46).
Everything from movies to video games is filled with violence, and perhaps that's why the standards now use the word "violent" when describing the entertainment we should avoid.

I'll Watch It, But It Doesn't Mean I'll Act That Way

One LDS young woman mentioned to her grandpa that she'd recently seen the movie Titanic. Her grandpa said, "Didn't that movie have some immorality in it?" His granddaughter replied, "Yeah, but they were so in love." I can only imagine what this grandpa said next.
When we learn things in the gospel, or when the Holy Ghost instructs us, we often describe that kind of learning as "line upon line, precept upon precept" (2 Nephi 28:30; D&C 98:12). I believe that Satan has an evil counterfeit for just about everything, and I believe he likes to get us to watch certain TV shows and movies so he can teach us "lie upon lie, and decept upon decept."
In fact, someone once said that Satan will tell ten truths if he can fit in one lie. For example, a movie may feature terrific acting, a fantastic script, stunning visual effects, a gorgeous soundtrack, and a story that tugs at your heartstrings and makes you cry. But its message may be, "It's okay to break the law of chastity if you're really in love." That's the message the young woman above came away with. And she is not just an ordinary young woman. She is a young woman who, every week with her class, says, "We will stand as witnesses of God at all times, in all things, and in all places as we strive to live the Young Women Values. . . ."
Satan is persuasive, he is relentless, and he is very patient.

But I Know Lots of People Who Watch Every New Movie

So do I. But we're not talking about who's right; we're talking about what's right. Some people like to argue that President Benson's quote and For the Strength of Youth are only for teenagers. Oh, puh-leeese. In other words, adults don't need the gift of the Holy Ghost? Is there a double standard? There's a scary verse in the Bible that says some of the very elect could be deceived in the last days (Matthew 24:24). Could our attitudes about today's entertainment prove that we've already been deceived? Elder J. Richard Clarke taught:
There is only one standard of moral decency. Any film, television show, music, or printed material unfit for youth is also unfit for parents. Those who rationalize acceptance of immoral material on grounds of maturity or sophistication are deceived. Those who excuse transgression by saying "Well, I'm not perfect" may be reminded that conscious sin is a long way from perfection ("'To Honor the Priesthood,'" Ensign, May 1991, 42; emphasis added).
The older and more mature you become, the more you will govern your life by principle rather than by example. When a four- year- old gets scolded for doing something wrong, he might point at someone else and say, "Well, he did it. Why can't I?" He's governing his actions by example. You normally won't hear a four- year- old say, "Mom, today in nursery Matthew stole Chelsea's fishy crackers, but I just couldn't participate—it's the principle of the thing." Also, you probably won't see a grown man point at someone else and say, "Well, he did it. Why can't I?" But you might hear him say, "Well, I realize that many people do that, but I choose not to. It's the principle of the thing."
Unfortunately, you may know some adults who see movies they probably shouldn't see. Sure, you could excuse your personal behavior because of their example, but the Lord is asking you to be wise enough and mature enough to govern your life by what is right, not by what is popular.
I Understand the Rule, but I Don't Understand the Why
This is a good place to remember that rules are like leaves, branches are like principles, and trunks are like doctrines. Let's look at the rule, the principle, and the doctrine on page seventeen of For the Strength of Youth:
The Rule: Do not attend, view, or participate in entertainment that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way. Do not participate in entertainment that in any way presents immorality or violent behavior as acceptable.
So here's the question: Why shouldn't I see movies like that? We could probably come up with lots of answers. Because it's bad. Because by watching, we participate in bad behavior. Because we've been asked not to. Because we don't want to support an industry that makes bad stuff. All of those responses are correct, but more important than what happens to the industry is what happens to you. Now let's look for the principle or the branch that supports the leaf.
The Principle: Whatever you read, listen to, or look at has an effect on you. Therefore, choose only entertainment and media that uplift you.
Now we're getting somewhere. Everything you do has a consequence. Everything you watch has an effect on you! Now let's keep reading, and we'll discover the doctrine.
The Doctrine: Good entertainment will help you to have good thoughts and make righteous choices. It will allow you to enjoy yourself without losing the Spirit of the Lord.
Bingo! There's the doctrine. Good entertainment allows you to keep your sword—the Holy Ghost. You will find that the entire For the Strength of Youth pamphlet was written to help you keep your gift of the Holy Ghost. It's your defense and your weapon of protection as you go out and face the world.
I suspect that if we wanted to restate the rule about movies and entertainment, we could say it just like this: "Don't participate in entertainment that offends the Spirit of the Lord." Someone might ask (and someone probably has), "But what offends the Spirit?" We could answer with the rule: "If it is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic, and if it presents immoral or violent behavior as acceptable, then it offends the Spirit and causes the Spirit to withdraw."
Another doctrine in which the standards are rooted deals with the fact that God is holy. The Spirit is often called the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit. Holy means pure and good. God wants us to be holy too, so he gave us the gift of the Holy Ghost to be our companion. The Holy Ghost will lead us to things that are good and pure and steer us away from things that are not. The Holy Ghost will help us to "stand . . . in holy places, and be not moved" (D&C 87:8).
If something is holy, it will build you spiritually. I'll bet you've heard someone call your meetinghouse or stake center an edifice. An edifice is a building, and when something builds us spiritually, we say, "That was edifying," or "I was edified."
Here's another great scripture to remember when making your decisions about movies, television, and Internet sites. "And that which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness." If it doesn't build you spiritually, then God had nothing to do with it. The scripture continues, "That which is of God is light. . . . And I say it that you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you" (D&C 50:23-25). I love that. It doesn't say "avoid dark things" or "don't partake." It says we should "chase darkness from among [us]." Imagine if we could all have that attitude about movies and media and if we could all unsheathe our swords and chase away the bad while screaming, "Get off my turf and out of my sight!"

Why Doesn't the Church Make a List of What Movies Are Acceptable?

I don't think the Church wants to hire anybody to watch movies all day (although I know people who would love to apply for the job). Besides, every week so many new movies arrive at the theater and come out on video and DVD that they can hardly be numbered. So you have to learn to decide on your own what to allow into your mind.
Worldly things can get into your head in a couple of different ways—through your eyes and through your ears. Movies do both. What we see and hear affects our thoughts, and our thoughts become our words and our deeds. That's true today, and it was true in Book of Mormon times. I wonder if King Benjamin's people asked him a question like the one above—not about a list of bad movies but perhaps about a list of all the different ways they could commit sin. Maybe that's why King Benjamin said:
And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them. But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not (Mosiah 4:29-30).
The way the rules are stated puts you in charge of making decisions. You are responsible for your own behavior, so you must decide. You wouldn't learn and grow much if the Church told you what to do every second of every day. Instead, the Church is interested in teaching correct principles, allowing you to "study it out in your mind" (D&C 9:8) and then make your own choice.
Joseph Smith was once asked how he managed to govern so many people and keep things in such good order. He did not say, "I tell them what to do every second." Instead, he responded, "I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves" (Messages of the First Presidency, comp. James R. Clark, 6 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-75], 3:54).
So the reason the Church doesn't make a list of which movies, television shows, and videos are acceptable is simple: the Church offers us something even better. It teaches us correct principles that will help us make every decision, and these correct principles will never need to be updated. With the advent of the Internet, we have another way to get movie reviews before we pay our money. We can find out ahead of time if a movie meets the standard simply by checking out online reviews, such as those found at www.screenit.com.

Satan's Smart Bombs

Recently I wrote a book about honoring the Aaronic Priesthood. I asked several young men in my ward to read the manuscript before I sent it to the publisher. One chapter mentioned the dangers of pornography, and one of the deacons who reviewed the manuscript wrote in the margin, "What's that?" I'm so glad he didn't know.
Simply put, pornography is explicit pictures, which include movies, TV shows, magazines, or Internet sites that are intended to cause sexual arousal. Pornography is very dangerous stuff, and Satan uses it as one of his deadliest weapons. In fact, Satan has developed "advanced weapon systems" for his war against chastity and virtue. I'll explain.
I love airplanes. Ever since I was as young as I can remember, I've looked into the sky with excitement whenever an airplane flew overhead. I built dozens of model airplanes before my teenage years, and when I was in college I took flying lessons and soloed in a Cessna 152. I loved flying the Cessna, but I've always wanted to have my own F-16. I don't want to bomb anyone; I would just love to have something grossly overpowered. Airplanes are sleek and beautiful, and it's unfortunate that they're often used for destructive purposes.
Many years ago, I noticed a chart in an issue of U.S. News and World Report that fascinated me.
(U.S. News & World Report, 11 February 1991, 27)
The B-17 Flying Fortress had a crew of ten and was the primary bomber used in Europe during World War II. You'll notice that it took 4500 sorties (individual missions) and 9000 bombs to destroy a target. And the bombs they dropped were accurate to within of feet" of the target.
During the Vietnam War, many pilots flew the F-105 Thunderchief. Because of improvements in the technology of war, destroying a target required only 95 missions and 190 bombs—a huge improvement. And the bombs they dropped were accurate to within "hundreds of feet" of the target.
Then war technology improved again. In 1991 the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter was used during the Gulf War. Sorties required? Only one. Bombs required to destroy the target? One. And the accuracy was "within feet." In fact, the F-117's laser- guided weapons can be programmed to fly through a specific window of a building! Again, it's too bad that such beautiful things as airplanes often have to be used for such violent and destructive purposes, but there's a lesson in all of this that I want you to see.
War technology has improved, and Satan is at war against us. He'll use any weapon he can to try to kill us spiritually. During the days of World War II, those who wanted pornography had to go to a bad part of town. They probably had to travel "thousands of feet." They also had to ask for it, and they likely felt ashamed as they reached for their wallet.
Then the spiritual war technology improved. Guess what was invented during the Vietnam War? The VCR. Today you only need to go "hundreds of feet" to a supermarket, a convenience store, or a video/DVD rental place to find movies that are "vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic." For a few bucks you can bring these movies right into your home, the center of Satan's target. Satan uses the latest technology to teach us of his ways right from our own television. What furniture in your house shows the most wear? For most of us, it's the furniture facing the TV, or the "home entertainment center."
In the past two decades, technology has improved again. Today if you have unfiltered Internet access in your home, Satan can park a smart bomb right on your desk, "within feet" of where you're sitting. Those who produce pornography have been looking for a secret way into our homes, and they've found it. Satan can now target us with his most lethal weapons with pinpoint accuracy.
We can buy a security system for our house, we can put deadbolt locks on each of the doors, and we can install motion sensor lights outside. Satan, however, can enter our homes through very small spaces. He can come through the cable, the modem, or even through the air (to your satellite dish).

Scriptural Shields, Prophetic Protections

We're under attack, as our prophets have continually told us. I've never heard stronger counsel from the leaders of the Church than their warnings about pornography. President Gordon B. Hinckley has spoken in very sobering terms about the destructive power of this modern weapon of Satan:
Stay away from pornography! Avoid it as you would a terrible disease. It is a consuming disease. It is addictive. It gets hold of men and grasps them until they can scarcely let go. . . . These magazines, these video tapes, these late- night programs, you don't need them. They will just hurt you, they won't help you. They will destroy you, if you persist in looking at them (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1997], 463).
Of course, the Internet is not the only way pornography spreads. Elder Richard G. Scott mentioned six different delivery systems Satan uses to attack the world with this modern plague:
One of the most damning influences on earth, one that has caused uncountable grief, suffering, heartache, and destroyed marriages is the onslaught of pornography in all of its vicious, corroding, destructive forms. Whether it is through the printed page, movies, television, obscene lyrics, the telephone, or on a flickering personal computer screen, pornography is overpoweringly addictive and severely damaging. This potent tool of Lucifer degrades the mind, the heart, and the soul of any who use it. All who are caught in its seductive, tantalizing web and remain so will become addicted to its immoral, destructive influence ("The Sanctity of Womanhood," Ensign, May 2000, 37).
Now we know the rule. Don't get anywhere near pornography. It's too dangerous. The "maybe just a little won't hurt" attitude can be deadly because pornography is so addictive. Remember what Moroni said: "Touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing" (Moroni 10:30). He didn't say, "A little won't hurt," or "It's okay in moderation." He said, "Don't even touch it!" In the same verse, Moroni also encouraged us to "lay hold upon every good gift." We know exactly which gift to cling to—the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Earlier in this book when we talked about the standard for entertainment, we mentioned that the doctrine that supports the rule is to keep the Spirit of the Lord with you. Notice how quickly Jesus goes from the rule to the doctrine in this verse:
And verily I say unto you, as I have said before, he that looketh on a woman to lust after her, or if any shall commit adultery in their hearts, they shall not have the Spirit, but shall deny the faith and shall fear (D&C 63:16).
The major consequence of touching the evil gift is the loss of the holy gift, or the gift of the Holy Ghost. It's amazing that on your eighth birthday, among all the gifts you received from your family and friends, you also received a gift from God. It didn't come in a package; it came through the priesthood. It's priceless and powerful. It's your sword! And if you start looking at evil gifts, you lose it. And your faith turns to doubt, and your doubt turns to fear.

It's the Thought that Counts

When George Albert Smith was a thirteen- year- old boy, he heard Karl G. Maeser, the principal of Brigham Young Academy, say, "Not only will you be held accountable for the things you do, but you will be held responsible for the very thoughts you think." This idea troubled the young student until he came to an important realization:
Why, of course you will be held accountable for your thoughts, because when your life is completed in mortality, it will be the sum of your thoughts. That one suggestion has been a great blessing to me all my life, and it has enabled me upon many occasions to avoid thinking improperly, because I realize that I will be, when my life's labor is complete, the product of my thoughts (in Ezra Taft Benson, "Think on Christ," Ensign, April 1984, 10).
Usually, our thoughts are pretty random. They jump all over the place based on what's going on around us. But sometimes we deliberately put things into our minds. We do that when we choose to watch TV, buy movie tickets, rent videos, or visit Internet sites. That's when we have to be careful. The gospel encourages us to think our thoughts according to a plan. Imagine that! We're actually supposed to plan our thoughts! The apostle Paul taught:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Philippians 4:8; em phasis added).
At the judgment day, we will be "the sum of our thoughts." You've probably heard that we'll be judged according to our works and our desires, and that's true (Alma 41:3). But we think about things before we do them. Every action begins with a thought; therefore, our thoughts will either condemn us or bless us. Alma taught:
For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence (Alma 12:14).
Wow! I think that's just about the scariest verse I've ever read. But it's also a motivating verse because it makes us want to control our thoughts and channel them to things that are good and holy and noble and true. The question is, what do you think?

A Final Thought

Now you know a little bit more about the standards. You know a little bit more about how we should choose our movies, videos, television shows, Internet sites, and even computer games. You know that we may have to sacrifice some of our . . .
Oops, hold everything. That's the wrong word. Sacrifice is when we give up something good for something better. Giving up entertainment that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic is not a sacrifice. What we're talking about is giving up something bad for something good. What would we call that? How about "being wise" or "receiving the truth" or "keeping our guide"?
For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day (D&C 45:57).
Phew, that was close. You've got to be careful how you use the word sacrifice. Saying "no thanks" to a lot of today's entertainment isn't a sacrifice; it's a pleasure.
I was born into an Andy Griffith Show world. You're growing up in a much different world. My For the Strength of Youth had sixteen pages. Yours has forty- three. When I was a teenager no one had movies in their home. Today people own hundreds of tapes and DVDs. You've been sent to do battle in a world that is much different than the world just a few decades ago. The world needs you. It's a good thing you're here, and it's a good thing you're armed.