UCAP Conference Notes from Clay Olsen

UCAP Conference – March 12, 2015

How  Pornography is Changing an Entire Generation

Clay Olsen – Fight the New Drug

Research is proving pornography is harmful.

Truth is truth.  Research eventually catches up to truth.  Society eventually catches up to research.  At one time cocaine was used for toothaches.  Nursing mothers were encouraged to drink alcohol and tobacco was said to soothe and clear the lungs.  We know in 1938, tobacco was found to be harmful and it wasn’t until the 1980’s that the government pulled tobacco ads and added the Surgeon General’s warning on tobacco.  It took 40 years to catch up.

 BRAIN - This generation is dealing pornography on a scale never before seen.  It changing this generation in three areas:  brain, heart and world.

University of Cambridge, in a recent study reported that those who have sexual behavior exhibit a behavioral addiction that is comparable to drug addiction in the limbic brain circuitry after watching porn.  The reward pathway releases pleasure chemicals.  It can hijack and rewire this part of the brain.  The neuroplasticity wiring in the brain actually changes shape.

The study conducted by the Max Plank Institute for Human Development in Brain Research found less gray matter in porn users.  This impacts the front lobe – decision making.

University of Cambridge also found that men who demonstrate compulsive sexual behavior require more and novel sexual images because they are used to seeing faster and faster images.  It can straightjacket the brain.

Porn users mirror need of drug users.

HEART – What we love – How much we love – How we think of those we love – How we express our love.

What We Love - What we consume shapes our desires.

How Much We Love – Porn users are often dissatisfied with the “real” thing.

How We Think of Love – Porn users objectify women – they see them as a collection of body parts.

How We Express Love – it lowers libido.  1992 study showed 5% erectile dysfunction in men 18-59.  In 2012, study shows 30% ED in men 18-25.  In 2014, study shows 53.5% ED in men 16-21.

Porn can change your very nature.

A former porn star says that porn destroyed his ability to love.

WORLD – Yesterday v Today – access, availability, acceptability and human nature.

Pornography use is up and so is domestic violence.  Sexual assaults have increased on college campuses. 

Pornography is used to normalize exploitation and violence against women.  88% of porn contains violence against women.

Pornography is not real.  Women have talked about having a gun pointed at their head and threatened with death is they didn’t look like they were enjoying it.  It has and will continue to escalate.

GRAPHICS DID NOT MAKE THE SWITCH :(

We are seeing a shift because individuals are talking.  The research has caught up to the truth.  Now society needs to catch up with the research.

Fight the New Drug has set up an on-line program called Fortifyprogram.org.  There are now 35,000 users in 150 countries.

We all know SimCity.  If we wanted to set up an addiction edition we would: make it wildly accessible; free; target the young for life long addicts; normalize it; keep it secret; integrate in other medias; and we could go on and on.

               Porn Culture                                      Anti-Porn

Young	Old
Trendy	Out dated
Rebellious	Obedient
Non-judgmental	Judgmental
Level headed	Extreme
Cool	Boring

We need to change the conversation and flip that chart!

Fight the New Drug knows that you have to make cool first, then informative.  Otherwise, you lose the kids.  Millennials are more motivated to make cultural change than they are by money.  Their trust is at an all time low.

We need to be fighting the old thinking and build up the new.

UCAP Conference Notes from Ernie Allen - 3/12/16

UPAC Conference – March 12, 2016

Pornography:  Its Harm to Children and What We Can Do About It

Ernie Allen, Allen Global Consulting LLC

He is an International Expert and Chairman of the We Protect Project

This class is stark and challenging.

US is failing in its response to pornography.

We are part of the largest unregulated social experience in history and we are paying a high price.

In the past, we could protect children, but now we cannot.

Will cover four points:  1)  what we know about the problem; 2) how the challenge has changed; 3) how we have failed; and 4) a possible model to follow.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM:

London School of Economics in 2008, says the average age of exposure is 11 years old.  That is probably lower now.

80% of 15-17 year olds are accessing hard-core porn.

90% of  8-16 year olds have viewed pornography

85% of males are exposed to porn

50% of females are exposed to porn

IMPACT:  Experience of viewing porn to younger children can make neurobiological changes in the brain.

It changes what they view as normal.

Philip Zambardo, Ph.D. of Stanford University has done research on compulsive use of pornography.

Boys, 10-15, exposure intensifies attitudes of aggression 6 ½ times to 24 times in sexual aggression.

Sharon W. Cooper, MD FAAP, UNC, has found that young viewers of porn believe it is real.

Donald L. Hilton, Jr., MD studies shows that “we see in people addicted to porn the same as what we see with people addicted to drugs, such as cocaine, supporting the theory that addiction to porn really is an addiction, and not merely a bad habit.  The most significant areas of change are in the control and pleasure centers of the brain.  Additionally, when we orgasm, we release a neurotransmitter call oxytocin which causes bonding, so we are literally bonding to porn when we use it to get – making beating the addiction much harder.”  (The Harvard Crimson).  The user needs more and more extreme porn.

In the first ever brain study on Internet Porn users was done by Max Plan Institute for Human Development in Berlin showed that in the hours and years of porn use showed a correlation to decreased gray matter in the region of the brain associated with reward sensitivity.

There is long-term harm.  In the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University study in the 1940’s,  showed that in men ages 15-30 only less than 1%.  In a recent study, 1 in 3 men have erectile dysfunction.

HOW THE CHALLENGE HAS CHANGED:

Content has changed.  Soft porn is non-existent. 

Now it is extremely degrading and demeaning to women.  They now use point of view photography, which is more impactful. 

Dr.  Ana Strong did a study of porn and found acts of aggression and violence.  88.2% included content of physical aggression.  50% contained verbal aggression.  94% of these aggressive acts are against girls and women.

This can no longer be considered a family value issue. 

The pornography  industry has changed their business model.  The offer free porn.  Several years ago, PornTube had 1 million visitors in one day.  Currently, they 42 million visitors per day.  They offer free porn and as the viewer continues they want more and will move to paid sites.  They are focusing on kids because they will be lifelong customers.

Today, smart phones access porn.  Projections are that there will be 250 million porn mobile users by 2017.  CISCO projects that mobile porn users will increase 11 fold by 2018.

In response to the Arab Spring, the US created the dark net (TOR), which provides anonymity and privacy.  They created to protect insurgents and journalists.  The users are drug cartels, gunrunners, and pedophiles.  2% of the dark net are pedophile sites but that 2% gets 80% of the dark net traffic.

HOW WE FAILED:

We have failed as a nation.  There have been three statutes passed and appeals courts have struck them down.

The Cox Commission states that only 28% of parents use filters on their computers.  17% use filters on their phones and only 15% use filters on gaming consoles.

We have stopped prosecuting obscenity.  1973 US Sup. Miller v. CA stated that obscenity is defined as violating contemporary community standards.

Columbia Law Review states that what used to be suppressed material are now available in vast quantity.

Sexual assaults are on the increase on college campuses and that may correlate to the amount of porn and the significant harm it causes.

A POSSIBLE MODEL TO FOLLOW:

There is a model to follow.  Prime Minister David Cameron calls for action regarding pornography and the Internet.  (Cameron).  Mr. Allen recommended reading about this plan.

In the United Kingdom, there is default filtering of adult content from their Internet providers.  The account owner, an adult, my opt out of the default filtering.  70% of Sky users left their default filters in place and only 30% of that percentage have children.

Mr. Allen has led a meeting with US Internet providers and they didn’t like nor felt they needed those limits.

The other part of the UK’s plan is age verification.  Every website will implement an age verification  or be subject to sanctions and fines.

CONCLUSION

The time of talk is over, we must act now.

Naomi Wolfe, a feminist leader, notes that pornography has supplanted the need for real women.

We need action on a state and federal level and we need private sector leadership.

Free speech is not absolute – it is limited when there is a clear and present danger.

UCAP Conference Notes from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland - 3/12/16

UCAP Conference – March 12, 2015

Keynote Speaker – Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Pornography is easier to access and it is growing.

Pornography is rending the moral fiber of society – it is rending the moral fiber of individuals.

Studies are helping to show damage – Barnum Group – Porn Phenomenon

3,000 people across the board

Earlier findings were  difficult because it was not easily researched.

Now, people are more comfortable  talking about it because the social taboo is less.

Most Americans believe it is harmful, however

89% teens are neutral about porn or seem it as good.

95% of young adults will have conversations about porn use.

Most Millennial believe that not recycling is a bigger problem than porn use.

Young woman is more common – under 25 ½ have sought porn occasionally

And 1/3 seek it monthly.

Pornography has gone almost completely digital.  71% of Adults 85% of teens and young adults are online.

When not seeking pornography, the study shows that people are exposed to unsolicited pornography once a week.

US Conference of  Catholic Bishops:  Create in Me a Clean Heart: A Pastoral Response  to Pornography states that society must see pornography as an epidemic or plague.  If this were an infectious disease like polio or  avian flu society would want it eradicated.  It would be approached like a war where they would bring in the best experts in that field to work on eradicating it.  We need to see pornography the same way.  We need to sound the sirens.

In Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, He expanded the definition of adultery to include looking at or lusting after another.  This defiles the letter and the spirit of the law.  He also talks about not hiding your light and that He is the light of the world.  There is NO light in pornography.  It is dark, dingy, dirty, secret, and hidden.  The Savior must have seen this plague coming.

LDS leaders, Catholic Priests, Protestant ministers, Jewish Rabbis and Muslim Mullahs all have spoken out against pornography.  Pornography is the opposite of healthy intimacy.

Human trafficking is violence against the soul.  In LDS belief the soul is more than the spirit.  Because of the atoning sacrifice of our Savior, we redemption of the Soul, which is the spirit and the resurrected body.  To trivialize and demean the body is to trivialize and demean the soul.  They are connected.

If we see  our child in danger – we would damn the torpedoes, storm the barricades or run into a burning building to save that child.  When these images are viewed, it should be remembered that these “actors” are someone’s son or daughter, brother or sister.  Someone’s family treasure.

Pornography is  an addiction of the highest order.  Not everyone who views porn is addicted but casual viewing leads to compulsive viewing which leads to entrapment.  Viewing rewires the neuro circuit of the brain like cocaine or alcohol.  The view begins to crave more and more.  The viewing time gets higher and more extreme.

Porn is referred to as Triple A – Accessibility, Anonymity, and Affordability.  A person takes a risk to view it and than brings embarrassment, guilt, even termination of family and/or employment.

What is a little slower in coming is the recognition of damage to the family and particularly to the spouse.  We need to recognize the collateral damage being done to families.

Elder Holland uses Hold FAST when he counsels people in this matter.  F is for Flee – leave the pull of proximity.  A is Ask for help, especially from God.  S is for Striving – this will not be easily overcome but with persistent effort it can.  T is for Triumph – victory is possible and we must have hope.

We need to do all we can do as a coalition (UCAP). 

Our Savior’s Atoning Sacrifice, that force – that pull is eternal.  We must seek it and allow it into our lives.  The Atonement is  a certain reality.

The reality of Christ’s Redemptive Power is permanent, peaceful and everlasting.

Before Christ went into the Garden of Gethsemane, he said “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation:  but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33)

The task at hand seems overwhelming and the odds are not so good, but we must issue and then answer the call.

10 - LIFT UP THE HANDS WHICH HANG DOWN

Supporting in Righteousness.  It is natural for us to want to protect our loved ones when they make choices which result in severe consequences.  We may try to protect them by repairing the damage ourselves or make restitution on their behalf.  We need to learn to "be careful not to support them in their addiction or enable them to commit sin."  (Spouse & Family Support Guide).  By always rescuing them we can either delay or stop their recovery.

We are all accountable for our actions and we cannot remove that accountability. "Only by repentance and obedience to the commandments can our loved ones be healed, receive forgiveness for their mistakes, and stand uprightly before the Lord."  (S&FSG).  What is the difference between supporting your loved ones in their recovery and hindering their recovery?  Why is it important for your loved ones to be accountable for their actions?  

Cheryl said she knew exactly what her husband should be doing and felt like if he would do what she knew he needed to do, he would be all good.  In time, she learned that she could not presume to know what was at the core of his addiction.  He needed to come to the Savior on his own.  She had to step back and let him take over his own recovery.  It needed to come due to his efforts.

Lena talked about the time her husband came home from his support meeting and he knelt by her bed and told her he could not go any further in recovery without her.

One thing we learned is that you can choose the behavior but you cannot choose the consequence.

Giving Our Support and Encouragement.  Our loved ones may feel broken, defective and unworthy of God's love and will face many trials in recovery.  They need hope and reassurance that they are worth the required effort.  Our role is to love and support them in their recovery.  We can assure them that the Savior and their efforts can lead them to recovery.  "When we are compassionate, and strive to understand the shame or despair our loved ones may feel and consider all the efforts they are making.  We 'bear one another's burdens, . . . mourn with those that mourn; . . . and comfort those that stand in need  of comfort.'"  (S&FSG).  Being compassionate does not mean we support their poor choices or excuse their behavior.  What is the role of compassion in supporting your loved one?  How can you express your compassion?

Valerie says when she is in a place to hear what the Lord wants and she prays to see her husband as a son of God, she is able to be more compassionate.  She knows that she is forgiven over and over and feels she should be able to forgive.

Cheryl said she was able to see how broken her husband was and recognize his pain and she learned to be more compassionate.  She wants and needs mercy.  She does not want to be one that tries to exact justice on others.

Jude 21-22 says, "Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

"And of some have compassion making a difference:"

Continue to Minister.  Our loved ones may not want or be ready for our support.  They may resent or reject our efforts to help.  We can feel frustrated and discouraged when we watch our loved ones continue in addiction, but we can love them and pray for them.  Elder Robert D. Hales said "that a family member's 'faith, prayers, and efforts will be consecrated to the good of their [loved one].'"  (With All the Feeling of a Tender Parent," Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 88).  Even if our loved ones choose not to get better, we know that our prayers in their behalf are heard by our Heavenly Father.  How can you respond to a loved one who does not seem ready or willing to accept your support?

We should not respond with shame and anger.  We can pray for them and know that our prayers are being heard by a loving Heavenly Father.

Valerie says when she consecrates her life for good, fasts and prays for her husband and submit her will, she always receives an answer.  Her Heavenly Father loves her husband more than she ever could love him.

Serving Others.  Service can provide relief from our situation which may seem hopeless.  We can't serve everyone and we should be careful and not run faster than our strength, but even simple acts can "bless and encourage others -- and lift our own spirits."  (S&FSG).  We know that "when we are in the service of our fellow beings, we are only in the service of our God."  (Mosiah 2:17).  How has serving others help you bear your own challenges and struggles?  What opportunities to serve do you have?  How does the Spirit guide you in your efforts to serve?

For me, this calling as a missionary has been an incredible instrument to help me look up and outward to others.  One of my favorite quotes is "I can't help everyone with everything everywhere but I can help someone with something somewhere."  There is a joy that comes from service.  I feel that I am more capable now to help others with greater capacity for love and understanding.  Newton's Law talks about equal but opposite and we will be restored with equal yet opposite feelings of joy because we have suffered great sorrow.

Ann states service helps her look outward.

Melissa talks about how this particular trial has taught her empathy.  Not just for this particular issue, but anyone who is hurting and it has given her the opportunity to offer empathy to others.  She also believes coming to the Spouse and Family Support Meeting is an act of service and I totally agree.

Sharing.  Valerie talks about people Heavenly Father put into her life.  In the dark times, someone would come along to help her turn toward the Savior.

Star shares about her reading on covenants.  In a contract, each partner gives 50 percent.  In a covenant, partners each give 100 percent.  When she got married, she found it wasn't exactly what she wanted or expected and if her marriage had been a contract, it would have been easy to tear up and throw away.  However, she was married in the Temple and had made a covenant which creates a deeper bond and commitment.

Melissa said it was difficult to come to meeting tonight, but as soon as she got here, she felt the Spirit and she was so grateful she came.  In these meetings, everything is more -- pain, hurt, love, forgiveness and all of it leads to needed healing.  The Savior is here and when she doesn't get to come, she yearns to be here.  There is such a sisterhood and she feels close to the Savior because He is near and here with us.

We need to build and strengthen our faith.  In the song, "As Sisters In Zion," the errand of angels is given to women."  Ours is a work of love.  We should build our relationships with love and without judgment.

In Numbers 6:24-27, it says:  "The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:

"The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

"The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

"And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them."

I bear testimony if we will do our part to have the Spirit in our home, Heavenly Father will guide us and angels will assist us.  Like in 2 Kings Chapter 6 and Elisha is going to battle against a great army.  His service said to Elisha, "Alas, my master! how shall we do?" (Vs. 15).

"And he answered, Fear not for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.  (Vs. 16).

"And Elisha prayed, and said, 'Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.'  And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw:  and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha."  (Vs. 17).

Angels surround us and bear us up when necessary to fight this battle against pornography.  We must fight so we will not have anymore "lost" generations to this pernicious evil.