I've been sitting on this post for a few months. I hope that everything comes across the way it's meant to be. Please let me know what you think.
One day a Sunday school teacher walked into class carrying a
big plate of brownies. The teenagers in the class pounce on them like a pack of
rabid hyenas. They start devouring them right after the opening prayer and the
teacher sits back and smiles.
"I've got a secret." she says coyly," There
is a special ingredient in those brownies." Her students look up
interested.
"Dog poop."
Gasp.
"That's right, dog poop."
Immediately each student turns a pale green and gags at the
thought. Normally the lesson then continues discussing how media consumption
needs to be watched and monitored and if there are any "bad parts",
or dog poop, then it should be avoided all together.
This lesson always made me cringe just a bit. I love movies.
Media have inspired me to be a better person, to help out those in need. It may
sound cliché, but it changed my life. The problem is the films and television
shows that promoted the most change were ones that contained what many would
consider "dog poop". Were these changes really for the better? Or was
I being deceived by the amount of "feces" I had consumed?
I wrestled with this idea for quite a while and one day I
realized the flaw in this metaphor.
Brownies are not good for you.
If our diet consisted of solely brownies then we would die
from obesity and malnutrition. We could not survive. I realized that what many
well-intended Sunday school teachers were talking about was filling our lives
with harmless media. Media clear of any bad language, violence, sex, or
anything at all that might harm an individual in any way. While these movies
are often funny and decent media, the often lack what I refer to as
"nutritional value". They are the media equivalent to marshmallow
fluff, mostly air and a bit of sugar to help it go down. However, doesn't For
the Strength of Youth pamphlet say that we are to "select only media that
uplifts you"? Is marshmallow fluff really that uplifting?
Nutrient dense films are often like eating a plate full of
sprouts or a bowl full of spinach. They might not taste very good. You also
might not enjoy it. However, they're also really good for you. Also, like most
vegetables, once you eat them enough you actually will grow to like them. They
will become delicious and delightful to your mind. They will uplift and inspire
you to do difficult things and to change your life. Nutrient dense media will
also challenge you in ways that you would not be challenged with harmless
media. That is because often times they contain a bit of dirt or "dog
poop" as well.
Remember when we were kids and we would load up pie tins
with mud? Did you ever try a bite just to see what it would taste like? I did.
Then again, I wasn't the brightest kid in the universe. The funny thing about
that is I lived. Even with the dirt and poop and all sorts of bacteria that
were squirming around in the mud, I still lived. And you know what? It wasn't
that bad. Would I try it again? Never. But would I say that it harmed me?
Never. A little bit of poop is far less harmful than a diet filled with
brownies, no matter how good those brownies might be.
Media that have a high nutritional value are a rare find. It
has been my experience that they also challenge audiences by depicting
violence, crime, extramarital sex, or even sex in general. However, there is
one key feature that cannot be ignored. Nutrient dense media rarely, if ever,
condone the illicit behavior. They illuminate the consequences for the negative
behavior. They show the loneliness and pain that follows it. They show the
reality behind the sin. Is this bad for our families?
One of my favorite stories in the Book of Mormon is the
story of Korihor. He is one bad guy. So why does Mormon, with his limited space
and resources, chose to quote Korihor? Mormon intentionally puts false teachings
into the Book of Mormon rather than keep the book completely free of anything
harmful. He does the same thing earlier when Alma and Amulek watch as the
believers are cast into a pit of fire. Or later when the Nephites sacrifice
virgins to their idolatrous gods. This pattern continues throughout The Book of
Mormon and all of the scriptures. Why does God want us to continually read
graphic depictions of wickedness, which if seen in a movie would warrant the
movie full of dog poop?
God never intended the scriptures, gospel, or our lives to
be marshmallow fluff. He wants us to wrestle with ideas or concepts that make
us queasy. He wants us to understand sin, while not experiencing it. He wants
us to know the pain that sin and wickedness cause. By showing us these
illustrations via proxy in the scriptures he hopes that we will learn from
others experiences. Is it too difficult to believe that there are those in the
media who want us to learn the real consequences of bad behavior without
experiencing it first hand?
Filling our lives with brownies and fluff and media with low
nutritional value will only cause us to become fat, lethargic and slothful
servants. This is not to say that any
depiction of violence, sexuality, and foul language is appropriate for
everyone. We are to seek for "anything virtuous, lovely,
or of good report or praiseworthy". However, just like sprouts and
vegetables that do not taste good in the interim, but provide our bodies with
essential nutrients for our growth, media that causes us to wrestle with ideas
and beliefs will lead to growth, development, and a greater understanding of
our place in God's plan.
