Skip to content
Main Street Plaza

A Community for Anyone Interested in Mormonism.

Main Street Plaza

A Community for Anyone Interested in Mormonism.

anti-porn videos from the 1980s?

profxm, March 27, 2013March 23, 2013

I’ve been working on a research project examining official Mormon discourse over the last 40 years or so and came across a reference to some anti-porn videos produced by the Church in the 1980s.  Has anyone ever heard of these videos?  And, even better, does anyone have copies they would like to share?

Here’s the citation:

“Church Produces Anti-Pornography Documentaries,” Ensign, Jan. 1987, 75–76

The Church has produced several half-hour radio and television documentaries on the plague of pornography and plans to distribute them as widely as possible as free public affairs programs. The programs resulted from the Church’s longstanding concern about the growing availability and impact of pornographic material.

Commenting on pornography and the abuse of modern technology to disseminate it, Elder David B. Haight of the Council of the Twelve said:

“New technologies that can bless our lives in so many positive ways are also being used to spread pornography. … Video recorders now can bring to homes great classics, … but they also bring into some of these same homes lurid portrayals of debauchery that contaminate those who view them.”

It is estimated that pornographic videocassettes are now being rented or sold in more than 22,000 stores throughout the United States alone, Elder Haight said.

“The growing presence of obscenity has been aided by the lowering of media standards for advertising, by relaxed movie ratings, by television soap operas and situation comedies that use their powerful voices to justify, glamorize, and encourage sexual relations outside of marriage,” he pointed out.

The documentaries feature comments on the pornography issue from a clinical psychologist, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent, a U.S. attorney, and clergy and other leaders of various denominations, including Elder Haight and Ardeth G. Kapp, general president of the Church’s Young Women organization. The programs will be distributed to commercial television stations, cable TV systems, and radio stations throughout the United States.

“Let our voices be heard in our communities,” said Elder Haight. “If something offends [our] standards of decency, our voices should be heard. Make our elected officials and law enforcement people aware that we support the fair enforcement of laws prohibiting obscenity and regulating indecency.”

 

pornography

Post navigation

Previous post
Next post

Related Posts

Mormons love pseudo prostitution?

September 22, 2012

City Weekly SLC has a great story on the sugar daddy phenomenon and how popular it is in Utah. While Utah isn’t #1 in most categories, it ranks in the top 20 on several. Interestingly, lots of the sugar babies are Mormon – 71% of the users in Utah are…

Read More

Effects of Pornography are Negligible?

December 2, 2009November 15, 2023

References to pornography in General Conference address have coincided with the availability of pornography, as this graph illustrates: While that certainly won’t surprise anyone, the scientific evidence does seem to suggest that pornography causes no harm whatsoever. I caught this article in my science news today reiterating that very point….

Read More

Sunday in Outer Blogness: Personal Entrance/Exit Stories!

January 17, 2010November 9, 2011

This week we have had a bonanza of personal conversion and deconversion stories! Naturally, you probably noticed Saganist’s story posted here yesterday. But there are more! Check out the Urban Koda’s funny story When I knew…. Greenish Blue reposted a fascinating mini-series recounting his personal history with Mormonism and belief….

Read More

Comments (2)

  1. chanson says:
    March 29, 2013 at 8:54 am

    Wow, those sound really interesting! Did you try posting this question on the exmo reddit?

  2. profxm says:
    April 1, 2013 at 3:57 am

    That’s a good idea. Maybe someone on the Exmo Reddit would know.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Mormon Alumni Association Books

Latest Comments:

  1. Anon on Collecting Nominations for the 2025 Brodie Awards!!December 12, 2025

    Most humorous episodes Britty the Apostate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRYqwEy6rhk Best new humorous/satirical channel: Britty the Apostate https://www.facebook.com/people/Britty-The-Apostate/61579368354784/ https://www.tiktok.com/@brittytheapostate https://www.youtube.com/@BrittyTheApostate

  2. chanson on Collecting Nominations for the 2025 Brodie Awards!!December 10, 2025

    Abstract Atheists for best new channel 2025.

  3. chanson on Collecting Nominations for the 2025 Brodie Awards!!December 10, 2025

    I've found two for a new category of personal survival stories (if we get one more, we can make this…

  4. chanson on Collecting Nominations for the 2025 Brodie Awards!!December 10, 2025

    For best history (or narrative nonfiction) book: The Juvenile Instructor Office: The Growth of Specialized Publishing in Utah in the…

  5. chanson on Collecting Nominations for the 2025 Brodie Awards!!December 10, 2025

    Thanks for the great nominations so far!!! I'm going to add some nominations here myself. I'll consolidate later. For Best…

8: The Mormon Proposition Acceptance of Gays Add new tag Affirmation angry exmormon awards Book Reviews BYU comments Conformity Dallin H. Oaks DAMU disaffected mormon underground Dustin Lance Black Ex-Mormon Exclusion policy Excommunicated exmormon faith Family feminism Gay Gay Love Gay Marriage Gay Relationships General Conference Happiness Homosexual Homosexuality LDS LGBT LGBTQ Link Bomb missionaries Modesty Mormon Mormon Alumni Association Mormonism motherhood peace politics Polygamy priesthood ban Sunstone temple

Awards

William Law X-Mormon of the Year:

  • 2024: Nemo the Mormon
  • 2023: Adam Steed
  • 2022: David Archuleta
  • 2021: Jeff T. Green
  • 2020: Jacinda Ardern
  • 2019: David Nielsen
  • 2018: Sam Young
  • 2017: Savannah
  • 2016: Jeremy Runnells
  • 2015: John Dehlin
  • 2014: Kate Kelly
  • 2013: J. Seth Anderson and Michael Ferguson
  • 2012: David Tweede
  • 2011: Joanna Brooks
  • 2010: Monica Bielanko
  • 2009: Walter Kirn

Other Cool Sites!

WasMormon.org
©2025 Main Street Plaza | WordPress Theme by SuperbThemes