Nothing Short Of An Awe Inspiring Day!!

So I've totally been slacking on keeping my blog updated & there are definitely no excuses for that, but TRUE, HONEST TO GOD, LAZINESS.  LOL!! I hate to admit it, but I truly got a reality check today.  What am I blabbing on about. . . . .it was our annual Women's Stake Conference today & I'm happy to report that I was in attendance.  :D  

I had the opportunity to attend this FANTASTIC & VERY MUCH NEEDED event with my parents.  They had 3 different workshops each touching base on HEALTH, FINANCES, & COMPUTER SAFETY!!  I loved all 3 workshops TREMENDOUSLY w/my parents heading the health one.  But I must say that my FAVORITE one had to be the computer safety.  Sound boring??  It did to me, at first, but that's only cause I had no idea what it was really about.  Here are some really important & serious matters that I learned about in each workshop.

First off, Computer Safety:

The dangers of the internet, mainly pornography.  A quote I loved that was shared w/us is this, "Fear not, for pornography & other designs of conspiring men are signs of the times.  Technology is power.  Opposition is not only expected, but central to our agency."  Here are some of the statistics that was founded by professors @ BYU.  The study is astounding & definitely a REALITY CHECK.  Here are some of the statistics:

- The $40-60 billion industry worldwide now includes billions of pages on the internet.  The United States is the leading producer & consumer of this debasing product.

- One in five children ages 10-12 [has] received a sexual solicitation over the internet.

- Three million of the visitors to adult websites in Sept 2000 were age 17 or younger

- Sex is the number 1 topic searched on the internet

- Research indicates that by their senior yr in high school, 100% of males have viewed pornography.  In addition, the average first exposure to pornography is age 11.

- One survey of children ages 7-17 indicated that 90% of them had seen online pornography.  In another survey of 16-17 year olds, 48% said their parents knew little of nothing about what they looked at online.  The average age for an addicts first exposure is 11 yrs old. Studies also say that all male high school students have viewed it @ one time or another.

- In 95% of the cases, it is in their homes-after midnight-while the parents are asleep.

- We know younger kids, teens, use the internet for social interaction, she said, "61% of youth from 13-17 have personal profiles, & have posted pictures of themselves online."  When teens receive a call on their cell phones,"40% reply to unknown callers & share personal information.

- At a time when an estimated 8-10% of Americans are dealing w/compulsive sexual behaviors or addictions, hundreds of Church leaders & Latter-day Saint mental health professionals list pornography as the No. 1 concern for Latter-day Saint families.

- An estimated 40 million Americans regularly visit pornographic websites.  Latter-day Saint experts in the field recognize the devastating & growing impacts of the large, plague-like, epidemic.

How scary is that??  The two that caught my eye especially was how the 'average first exposures is 11 yrs old.'  Why??  Because when young men reach the age of 12, they receive the Aaronic Priesthood.  Second, how 100%, not 60% or even 80%, which are really high figures, but 100% of male seniors in high school, have viewed pornography.  Because when young men are in their senior year(s) of high school, they usually only have one more year to go before leaving on a mission.  How eye opening it was for me today to be reminded how REAL the adversary is & how hard he's working to ruin the FAMILY.  And especially how knowledgeable he is in knowing our Plan of Salvation. 

We were reminded to teach our children of the dangers of pornography.  Utilize family home evening as a time to teach our children & to keep the lines of communication open.  Be aware of what's going on in their lives.  Filter out the different contents on your computer, ex. violence, nudity, language & so forth. . . . .

I have to run w/my husband & fold our Sunday papers so I will continue my post when we get back. . . . .Until then, I hope we can all ponder  & research the dangers of this very TOUCHY & SENSITIVE subject.  This will definitely be: TO BE CONTINUED. . . .