Leprosy of the Soul
In ancient times there was a disease so awful, so contagious
that mere contact with a person who had it could exile you from society. One
touch could cause you to become untouchable, and for you to become a walking
decaying scourge. The skin would begin to break down and even shed. Fingers and
toes would decay, and sometimes be reduced in length as the disease progressed.
Even in modern times there are two to three million people permanently disabled
because of leprosy.
Such a scourge exists today. Pornography once experienced cannot
be forgotten. It can be set aside, hidden, but it will forever be recorded in
the annals of the mind. This makes pornography a pernicious foe. The adversary
can with the slightest temptation, trick us into bringing those images to mind,
and can ensnare us even when the object is no longer in our possession. Not only is it a scourge, but once consumed
pornography, becomes a battle which has to be won in the mind for the rest of
time.
Pornography attacks the family at its core. Pornography
mingles feelings of pleasure with guilt, and loathing. It masks the true
purpose of that pleasure by minimizing spousal bonding. By experiencing the
exhilaration and pleasure of sexuality with other “fictional” beings, pornography
weakens the devotion and that sexuality should engender in our most sacred
terrestrial relationship. If all of those things weren’t bad enough, it causes
feelings of inadequacy, resentment, shame, betrayal, and impotence in a spouse.
“If my spouse has to go somewhere else for that pleasure, does that mean I am
not good enough?” These feelings of
inadequacy and shame engender anger, and can kill the seed of love. It is no
surprise then that Satan has gone out of his way to make this scourge easily obtainable,
making it available 24 hours a day in nearly every family in the world.
Like leprosy; exposure to pornography and its infection; is
full of shame. In modern times it is common for those infected with leprosy to
go undiagnosed, and as such have lasting effects even though positive treatment
has been available for nearly three decades. People are afraid to admit leprous
symptoms, or the full extent of their exposure because of the shame that even
the name of leprosy invokes. In a similar manner, many of God’s children do not
participate in the glorious powers of the atonement because of shame. They
minimize their sin and in so doing take from Christ the sin that he has paid
for already. For if the sin is “not really that bad” then his drops of blood
already spilt are ineffectual. They are not willing to “lay it all on the
altar” so that the atonement can work in their lives. Fear of the reaction of
loved ones, or the shame felt in disappointing them drives the infection deeper
within the soul where it festers until it seems there is no hope of return.
But there is hope! As Christ put forth his hand and cleansed
the leper in Galilee, he can cleanse our lives (Matt 8:1-4). “… And, behold, there came a leper and
worshipped him, saying Lord, if thou wilt,
thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand and touched him,
saying I will; be thou clean. And
immediately his leprosy was cleansed…” We must lay our pride upon the altar,
and cry out to him as did the leper “if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean!”
We must forgo the strength that we possess, and hand our lives over to him. It
is simple to write the words, yet difficult in practice. “For the natural man
is an enemy to God…unless he submit to the enticing’s of the holy spirit…and
becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord…” (Mosiah 3:19.) Leprosy is a disease that was “terminal” even
though it was clearly known from the days of the Old Testament until the 1980s,
and only then healed by the arm of the flesh. Yet Jesus healed it many times on
two continents during his short 3 year ministry. The truth is, that if we do
not repent, and lay our stained garments upon the altar for him to cleanse,
then no amount of suffering we do in this life or the next will be able to
bring us back to the warmth of family. There will be no “man made” cure in 2000
years. There will only be suffering without refuge or recompense (D&C
19:15-18). He who created this earth can cleanse us. He who healed so many can
heal us. He who is our elder brother, and loves us beyond understanding, can
save us from ourselves. May we accept
his sacrifice and when we see that we are whole, turn back and with a loud voice
glorify God, giving thanks (Luke 12:11-19.)
I'm not sure why this should be here, it helped me t write it but I can't help but feel I need to not lose it, so here it is.
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