Questions and Answers

Our Answer

It may seem like watching a television show regularly is harmless entertainment, but our attitudes and behaviors can be influenced in negative ways by these shows.

For example, ask yourself: Do the characters portrayed in soap operas have the values I have? Do I agree with the choices they make? Do the plots feature people who choose the good, uplifting things of the world?

As President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “You cannot afford to do any of those things which do not square with the precepts, the teachings, the principles which the God of heaven has set down because of His love for you and His desire that your lives be rich and full and purposeful” (Liahona, September 1995, page 6).

Church leaders and parents are concerned that constant exposure to the corrupt ideas and worldly models of behavior promoted in many forms of entertainment today may affect your view of what is good and pure. You may argue that you are strong enough in your understanding of good and evil to resist these assaults on your spirituality, but try this little test:

Remember back to when you first started watching your program. Weren’t there incidents portrayed in the show that you found shocking? If you think about it, you may find that the show doesn’t shock you anymore. Some experts call this being desensitized. As Alice Pagana writes from the Catania Branch, Italy Catania Mission, “The regular viewer becomes desensitized to the evil in soap operas. Immorality initially depicted in a small way eventually becomes a mountain of lies, adultery, and even murder. In addition, many soap opera characters claim they are victims of circumstance and not responsible for their immoral acts. This is completely opposed to the Lord’s teaching that we are accountable for our own actions.”

Another bad thing about soap operas is their addictive nature. In other words, do you rearrange your life just so you can watch a specific show? Can you go one day, one week, or one month without watching it? Nothing so trivial as a television show should have such control over you.

To really understand how a soap opera may be affecting you, we challenge you to stop viewing it for one month. At first it will be hard, but we suspect that at the end of a month you will feel a sense of freedom and maybe even relief.

President Hinckley has said: “You [cannot] afford to idle away your time in long hours watching the frivolous and damaging programming of which much of television is comprised. There are better things for you to do” (Liahona, September 1995, page 6).

Readers’ Answers

Many soap opera characters are heroes in their make-believe world, and they may have an unwholesome influence on the lives of viewers.

But we, as Latter-day Saints, don’t need the world of the soap opera. We have the influence of the Spirit to guide us in many worthwhile gospel-related endeavors: scripture study, seminary and institute classes, sports, youth activities, Sunday School classes, service projects, Church callings, reading Church magazines and other literature, and attending firesides, to name just a few. These do not preclude attending quality theater productions or concerts, movies, or even watching worthwhile television shows. But we must choose that which is uplifting and which develops us spiritually.

Ronny Rosario Alonzo,
La Vega First Branch, San Francisco Dominican Republic de Macoris Stake

We Latter-day Saint youth need to develop good taste and the desire to eliminate immoral entertainment from our lives. We must live in righteousness, safeguarding a wholesome and constructive attitude toward home, school, the Church, and our neighborhood, living free from the contamination in the world.

Our destiny is in our hands, and it behooves us to make important decisions in our lives. We need to pray to the Lord to help us make the right choices.

Carmelena Malauf da Rocha dos Santos,
Tarumã Ward, Curitiba Brazil Bacacheri Stake

After attending school, doing homework, helping mother with the housework, being of some service to people in the community, taking part in Church activities, studying the scriptures, and communing with the Lord through prayer, you may have some time to watch television or listen to the radio. But be sure that what you view or listen to is in harmony with the principles of the gospel.

Helena Maria Silva,
Bras Cubas Ward, São Paulo Brazil Mogi das Cruzes Stake

Viewing soap operas or immoral material of any kind will gradually break down our testimonies and destroy our spirituality. We have the agency to choose for ourselves, but we need to remember that our choices today will determine our sorrow or happiness in the life to come. Remember, the prophet Alma told us, “Wickedness never was happiness” (Alma 41:10).

Kalolina Taulaki,
Sainehá Second Ward, Auckland New Zealand Mt. Roskill Stake

Soap operas are detrimental to our spiritual progression. When we place soap operas before righteous endeavors such as scripture study or helping others, we are entering a man-made world of illusion, deceit, and immorality.

Sandra Rodrigues Gonçalves,
Formosa Branch, Brasilia Brazil Alvorado Stake

Soap operas promote negative values such as violence, immorality, and unrealistic expectations. As Latter-day Saints, we need to base our lives on values consistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ. When we do, we enrich not only our own lives, but the lives of many other people, too.

Maria Lyn A. Pancho,
Escalante Branch, Philippines Bacolod Mission

The world of the soap opera is unreal. In my opinion, time would be better spent reading an instructional magazine or an inspiring book. If we watched the news on television instead of watching a soap opera, we would at least be learning about the world, which is something D&C 88:78–79 suggests we should be doing.

Maria V. Lanza de Matamoros,
Torocagua Ward, Comayaguela Honduras Torocagua Stake

Abandoning the habit of watching soap operas or similar television shows is not easy. But we need to be strong and valiant and to follow the counsel the Lord has given us:

“Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ” (Moro. 10:32).

Josival Josias,
Camaragibe Ward, Recife Brazil Camaragibe Stake

With all of the beautiful things there are to see and do in this world, why do we seek out that which is evil? To claim that our faith in Jesus Christ is sufficiently strong to protect us from the subtleties of evil is indulging in the sin of pride—and “pride goeth before destruction” (Prov. 16:18).

We need to eliminate the bad influence of soap operas and other such pastimes from our lives and concentrate on using our time and talents for the building up of the kingdom of God.

Ernest Yondo Bongongui,
Yaoundé Branch, Zaire Kinshasa Mission

We are a generation living in difficult times; there are so many choices to be made. We need the courage to choose that which is right and turn away from that which is wrong. If we are indulging our senses in degrading television programs and music, we need to stop immediately. The youth are the future of the Church. We need strong testimonies and untarnished spirits.

Mele’ofa Tupou,
Malapo Ward, Nuku’alofa Tonga Vaini Stake

We should not be reluctant to turn off the television or to tune to a different radio station if what is being presented does not agree with our Heavenly Father’s standards.

Valentina Ramirez O.,
Puente Alto First Ward, Santiago Chile Puente Alto Stake