LDS WHY » Movies

At what age can I watch PG-13 Movies?

admin — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 23:34:14 +0000

Who loves watching movies?

A lot of people wonder about how to tell if a movie is appropriate. Why does it even matter? For the Strength of Youth says, “Whatever you read, listen to, or look at has an effect on you. Therefore, choose only entertainment and media that uplift you. 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” (17).

We’ve found some research that illustrates this point. Quoting from our book we find the following–

So the more “bad movies” one watches, the more likely one is to do “bad things.” So perhaps instead of asking, “How old do I need to be in order to watch PG-13 movies?” we could ask, “What are entertainment choices that I should make in order to have the Spirit with me?”

Again, For the Strength of Youth gives great guidance. We read, “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” (17). That should be the guideline for all of us, whether we are 3, 13, 33 or 103.

LDS WHY: Why is it Wrong To Watch A Movie That Glorifies Violence or Immorality if it is Historically Accurate?

admin — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:47:06 +0000

Just because it is historical doesn’t mean it is good. Seeing any kind of violence—whether the violence is historically accurate or not—can dull our spiritual senses and affect our actions. The Church has produced some excellent historical films that, of necessity, contain images of war or bloodshed. But they do it in such a way that the images are not graphic or gruesome and the movies do not glorify the violence taking place. For the Strength of Youth says, “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.” Historical accuracy does not trump spiritual appropriateness, no matter what story is being told.

LDS WHY: Why can’t I watch whatever I want?

admin — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:03:17 +0000

In August of 2001, President Henry B. Eyring gave a remarkable prophecy. He said that LDS youth cannot just “go with the flow” anymore and expect to remain righteous. He then prophesied of what is to come in the future: “The flow has become a flood and soon will be a torrent. It will become a torrent of sounds and sights and sensations that invite temptation and offend the Spirit of God.”

Just a few short months after President Eyring prophesied of the torrent of sounds, sights, and sensations about to hit our youth, the first iPod was introduced to the general public. Two years later, the first video iPod came out. The youth of today are the first generation to be able to carry thousands of songs, images, and videos in the palm of their hand, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Not only have iPods blossomed, but since 2001, so have cultural phenomenons like You-Tube, Google Images, MySpace, Facebook, Wikipedia, Nintendo Wii, Sony PSP , satellite radio, high-definition TV, and home theater systems. Truly a torrent of sounds, sights, and sensations has washed over this current generation like never before in the history of the world. If ever there was a need to understand why it matters so much what we watch, it is now.