Love and Sexuality in the Human Experience
183
have no moral power to resist them and fall an easy prey.—
Letter 26d,
1887
. (
In Heavenly Places, 199
.)
The Downward Steps—Satan’s constant temptations are de-
signed to weaken man’s government over his own heart, to undermine
his power of self-control. He leads man to break the bands which
connect him in holy, happy union with his Maker.
Then, when he is disconnected from God, passion obtains control
over reason, and impulse over principle, and he becomes sinful in
thought and action, his judgment is perverted, his reason seems to be
enfeebled, and he needs to be restored to himself by being restored to
God by a correct view of himself in the light of God’s word.—
Letter
24, 1890
.
Avoid Reading, Seeing, and Hearing Impurity—Those who
would not fall a prey to Satan’s devices must guard well the avenues
of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which
will suggest impure thoughts. The mind must not be left to dwell
at random upon every subject that the enemy of souls may suggest.
The heart must be faithfully sentineled, or evils without will awaken
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evils within, and the soul will wander in darkness.—
The Acts of the
Apostles, 518
(1911).
You will have to become a faithful sentinel over your eyes, ears,
and all your senses if you would control your mind and prevent vain
and corrupt thoughts from staining your soul. The power of grace
alone can accomplish this most desirable work.—
Testimonies for the
Church 2:561
(1870).
Salacious Novels and Pornography—Impure pictures have a cor-
rupting influence. Novels are eagerly perused by many, and as the
result, their imagination becomes defiled.
In the cars, photographs of females in a state of nudity are fre-
quently circulated for sale. These disgusting pictures are also found
in daguerrean saloons [photographic studios], and are hung upon the
walls of those who deal in engravings. This is an age when corruption
is teeming everywhere.
The lust of the eye and corrupt passions are aroused by beholding
and by reading.... The mind takes pleasure in contemplating scenes
which awaken the lower and baser passions. These vile images, seen
through defiled imagination, corrupt the morals and prepare the de-
luded, infatuated beings to give loose rein to lustful passions. Then