We should seek Jesus Christ and all praiseworthy things. This lesson uses the symbols of Lehi's dream to teach us about avoiding bad media. A fun activity and treat reinforces the importance of seeking praiseworthy media.
13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
Watch chapter 9 from the Animated Complete Learning System, The Tree of Life DVD or CLICK FOR CLIP
LESSON SUMMARY
Discuss These ideas after you complete the activity:
Use as the Spirit and your family needs guide
What are media? (Discuss ideas.)
Media is a word for all the ways we are informed and entertained. Media includes books, music, TV, movies, magazines, websites and more.
What do you think Lehi’s dream can teach us about media use? (Discuss ideas.)
The symbols of Lehi’s dream (1 Nephi 8) can teach us much about the effects of media. Our media use can lead us away from the iron rod by defiling us like a fountain of filthy water. Media can also deceive us like a dark mist and appear desirable instead of ugly. Sometimes our media habits lull us into laziness and we neglect our relationship with God.
As we hold fast to the iron rod by trusting in the Lord, we become His workmanship to do the good things He would have us do (Eph. 2:10).
In what ways can use of bad media pull us from the gospel path? (Discuss ideas.)
Jesus taught us that it is not what goes into us that defiles us, but what comes out from our heart and actions (Matt 15:11). Buying refrigerator full of good food will not make us healthy; We must use them wisely and in conjunction with other healthy choices.
Good media choices do not make us holy. It is Jesus Christ’s atonement and the work of the Spirit. However, if we consume a diet of filthy media our hearts and actions will be affected negatively.
One of the most subtle risks is to numb us to our need for Jesus Christ and a continual relationship with Him.
What does the iron rod symbolize? (Discuss ideas.)
“And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.” (1 Nephi 11:25)
Where do we find the word of God? (Discuss ideas.)
The word of God is preserved in the scriptures and taught by living prophets. Ultimately the Word of God is Jesus Christ of whom scriptures and prophets testify. Jesus draws us to Himself (John 12:32) and as we knock in faith He opens the door to us (Matt 7:7).
Melissa cringed when she heard the Lord’s name used in vain and then again when a violent scene unfolded before her eyes.
“Do you care if I get myself a drink of water?” Melissa whispered to Stacy.
“I’ll get it for you,” Stacy offered.
Melissa hesitated for just a second. “Um, I, uh, think I need to use the rest room, too!” she said before rushing from the room.
Melissa sat on the edge of the tub for what seemed a very long time trying hard to erase the words and images from her head.
Mrs. Hansen knocked softly on the bathroom door. “Melissa, are you sick?” she asked.
Melissa jumped up and turned on the faucet. “I’m washing my hands. I’ll be right out.”
“What am I going to do? I just can’t go back in there and finish watching that movie,” Melissa mumbled to herself. “I guess I could say I’m sick and need to go home,” she thought, “but that would be lying.”
Melissa turned off the faucet and while she slowly dried her hands she began to hum the words to the song “If the Savior Stood Beside Me” and she knew what she needed to do.
“Hi, Melissa,” Mrs. Hansen said, looking up from the pizza dough she was rolling. “Are you okay?”
Melissa bashfully nodded.
Mrs. Hansen smiled. “Let’s go and set that movie back a few chapters,” she said, wiping her hands on a paper towel. “I’m sure the other girls won’t mind!”
“Can I stay in here and help you make the pizza instead?” Melissa asked. “I, uh, it’s just that I don’t watch that kind of movie,” she said apologetically.
Mrs. Hansen looked puzzled. “What?” she asked. “You don’t watch what kind of movie?”
“Movies with swearing and violence and other bad stuff.”
Mrs. Hansen hurried into the family room and hit the eject button on the DVD player.
Stacy’s face turned a pale green color and she looked like she was going to be sick.
Mrs. Hansen held up the DVD cover and the ejected DVD. “Stacy, didn’t you notice that this DVD has a different title than the cover?”
“Well, they’re both about King Arthur,” Stacy blurted.
“But, one is a Disney movie and the other one is rated R!” Mrs. Hansen exclaimed. “You know we don’t watch this kind of movie.”
Stacy hung her head.
“It’s not all Stacy’s fault,” Corrine quietly said.
“None of us have ever seen an R-rated movie, Stephanie confessed. “I guess we were all curious, except Melissa.”
Mrs. Hansen took a deep breath to help calm herself down. “I’m sorry girls. It’s my fault, too,” she said. “I should have been paying closer attention. I think we should take a few minutes and talk a little bit about why the Prophet has asked us not to watch R-rated movies.” After they talked, Mrs. Hansen asked the girls to try an experiment.
“Now, everyone close your eyes,” she said. “Now, try to get the images from the movie out of your mind.”
Each of the girl’s confessed that no matter how hard they tried the bad images kept coming back.
“Satan is very cunning,” Mrs. Hansen explained. “He knows that if he can get us to let trash into our minds it’s
really, really hard for us to get it back out again.”
Stacy had an idea. “Mom, do you think if we watched one of my scripture videos it would help get the bad images out of our heads?”
“I think that would be a good place to start,” Mother answered.
While the girls watched “The Tree of Life” DVD, Mother called each of the girl’s parents to apologize and explain what had happened.
When the pizza was done, the girls gathered around the kitchen table and Stacy offered a prayer. “… Please bless this food and please help us to hold to the iron rod and never watch a bad movie again. Heavenly Father, please help us put the trash that we’ve let in our minds out. …”
Bake for about 35–40 minutes or until tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool for 15 minutes.
Turn cake out onto a serving tray.
Cool completely.
Mix 1 3/4 cups frosting with food coloring.
Frost cake. Reserve 1/4 cup frosting for writing on cake.
Treat Time:
Let children help decorate perimeter of cake with black OR chocolate licorice twists to create the bezel of the TV. Write “Seek Praiseworthy Media” on the T V screen with the reserved white frosting.
Ingredients
2-1/4 cups flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 oz. can mandarin oranges (drained)
2 cups of your favorite white frosting
15 drops blue food coloring
Black or chocolate licorice twists
ACTIVITY
Activity: Younger children will need help from an older sibling or parent.
2. Explain: The film industry requires anyone under the age of seventeen to be accompanied by a parent or adult twenty-one or older to watch an R-rated movie.
3. Ask: What have the prophets said about R-rated movies? (Discuss ideas.)
5. Ask: How can the Thirteenth Article of Faith help us in choosing media? (Discuss ideas.)
6. Explain: We have been counseled to choose games, movies and music that are also mentally and spiritually stimulating.
7. Ask: What games, movies and music do we have in our home that are mentally and spiritually stimulating? (Discuss ideas.)
8. Ask: What would you do if you were at a friends house and they were watching or playing media that will lead you from the Word of God? (Discuss ideas.)
9. Reinforce the principle taught by doing the “Praiseworthy or Trash?” activity.
"We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."
4.What are media? (Discuss ideas.)
(Media is a word for all the ways we are informed and entertained. Media includes books, music, TV, movies, magazines, websites and more.)
5. What do you think Lehi’s dream can teach us about media use? (Discuss ideas.)
The symbols of Lehi’s dream (1 Nephi 8) can teach us much about the effects of media. Our media use can lead us away from the iron rod by defiling us like a fountain of filthy water. Media can also deceive us like a dark mist and appear desirable instead of ugly. Sometimes our media habits lull us into laziness and we neglect our relationship with God. As we hold fast to the iron rod by trusting in the Lord, we become His workmanship to do the good things He would have us do (Eph. 2:10).
6. In what ways can use of bad media pull us from the gospel path? (Discuss ideas.)
“Movies, television programs, and video recordings that are both suggestive and lewd. Magazines and books that are obscene and pornographic. We counsel you not to pollute your minds with such degrading matter, for the mind through which this filth passes is never the same afterwards. Don’t see R-rated movies or vulgar videos or participate in any entertainment that is immoral, suggestive, or pornographic.” Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, May 1986
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above for full screen)
