I am the guard at the door - Protecting Our Kids From Pornography

I am the guard at the door
The one called to protect and fight
It is my duty to watch against those who invade
and claim it is their right



I carefully consider my surroundings
I make decisions and plan
I observe the trends and the upcoming weapons
and I protect against foe and man

Others don't have to consider enemies
others don't have to think ill
but I cannot trust, my diligence a must
I protect children from a hidden darkness that is real

There are voices that try to call me away
and distract me from the fight
They speak pretty words are adorned with frills
but in one moment they will extinguish the light

I may be called intolerant
Sometimes old fashioned is my name
but time and love has taught me that
the deep wounds of darkness are no game

Pure light unbroken in a blessing
I must protect it with all my might
because I know there are those who will wait
for a chance to dim, change or fog what's right

The souls I watch over are precious
they will grow strong in this war
but until they mature, until they know good
I will remain the guard at the door.
SChapman

_______
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
I wrote this poem when I was in Washington DC with my sister. My husband's father is buried in Arlington cemetery so we went to visit his grave. Each time I visit I make sure to also visit the tomb of the unknown soldier.

The tomb of the unknown soldier is an amazing thing to see. The first time I went I did not expect what I saw. I thought I would see a guy standing guard over a tomb but what I saw was a most sacred experience that left me in tears with a large lump in my throat.

The soldier in perfect attire head to toe walks 21 perfect steps in front of the tomb of the unknown soldier. The tomb symbolizes all of the soldiers who have died for our country who are known only to God. At first I thought the guarding soldier had a limp but realized that it was the formation of his slow meticulous steps with one foot in front of another that seemed to make his gate unnatural. Every step, turn and heal click is timed perfectly. Every few hours the guard changes. When this change occurs (The changing of the Guard) a senior officer arrives and the new guard goes through a grueling white glove inspection. His entire uniform and gun is inspected carefully and meticulously before he takes on his station.

It is touching and a bit emotional to see the intense and sacredness of the change and guarding itself. The sacrifice of the unknown soldier is most honored. You can tell that the guarding soldiers know the sacredness of their calling.

My Sacred Calling as A Mother
It made me reflect on my calling as a mother and how I honored it. I know and feel deeply that my calling as a mother is sacred and the the souls I watch over are precious but I wondered what I was doing to demonstrate how I felt about my station.

It also made me ponder about what I was guarding against. As my mind was processing these thoughts this poem just seemed to form in my mind. I sat down and literally wrote it down within a minute flat.

I know that there is a great evil out there. Whether it is premeditated or just exists, it is every where. By calling it an evil some may automatically discount what I am saying but that it what it is. Even aside from the spiritual nature of it all we can also look at it in a secular sense and still call it evil.

There is a great industry that cares nothing for me, my children or society other than the money that we carry in our pockets. They don't care that the harmful tactics they use to sell will change and affect a child's brain and perceptions for the rest of their life. They don't care that it may lead to marital conflict, aggression, and the death of emotions. The don't care that what they do will dehumanize or hurt. They don't care if all of society heads down a destructive road from which it can't return. All they care about is money.

But I do care. I care about how my boys perceive women and themselves. I care about their futures. I care about their souls. I care about how they will treat their wife and family. I care that they will not have an appetite that can never be satisfied and that they don't become prisoner to a terrible task master. I care that they can continue with their ability to serve others, that they learn truth and that they truly learn love. I care that they know they are more than just desires and appetites. That they are children with an eternal destiny and that there is beauty love and great satisfaction in boundaries.

True Joy Cannot Exist Without Self Mastery
I have reached a milestone recently. I feel like I am beginning to grasp the real purpose of life and our mortal experience. It comes down to one statement. So many other principles are encompassed in this simple statement but I believe that the purpose of life "Is to have joy". This Joy is an Eternal state of happiness and much much more than our narrow understanding of the word. It is much more than pleasure or satisfaction. It is selfless and Eternal. The understanding of this principle definitely deserves a quest of understanding on its own. But for this post I want to leave it simple. A true and eternal principle that is an extension of this is that True joy cannot exist without self mastery. Without self limitations in place there can be a sickening hunger that always oppresses and thirst that cannot be cooled.

Until they can learn or understand this I must protect them diligently. Even at their young age as a mother I am continually fighting off and battling inappropriate voices and vices that try to get into our home. I know that I cannot protect them from everything but I will protect them as long as I can and from as much as I can. I hope to arm them with knowledge and love in a way that they can make decisions for themselves before that power is taken from them by those who have no interest in them other than the money in their pockets.

I do consider my calling as a guard of children sacred and I know that I don't just protect them from physical aliments but also from spiritual storms. I am the guard at the door. I choose what comes in and I fight against that which is not invited.

My calling is sacred, my duty is divine.

Sister Eyring's Example of Being the Guard at the Door 
I am going to end with the following story about President Henry B Eyring's wife Kathleen and how she was the guard at the door for her home. It is recounted by their oldest son Henry J.

"Henry J., the oldest son, recalls an experience that made a significant difference in the spirit of the Eyring home.

“My brother and I were in front of the TV one Saturday night around midnight,” says Henry J. “A tawdry comedy show that we shouldn’t have been watching was on. The basement room was dark except for the light from the television. Without warning, Mother walked in. She was wearing a white, flowing nightgown and carrying a pair of shears. Making no sound, she reached behind the set, grabbed the cord, and gathered it into a loop. She then inserted the shears and cut the cord with a single stroke. Sparks flew and the set went dead, but not before Mother had turned and glided out of the room.”

Unnerved, Henry J. headed to bed. His innovative brother, however, cut a cord from a broken vacuum and connected it to the television. Soon the boys had plopped back down in front of the television, hardly missing any of their show.

“Mother, however, got the last laugh,” Henry J. says. “When we came home from school the next Monday, we found the television set in the middle of the floor with a huge crack through the thick glass screen. We immediately suspected Mother. When confronted, she responded with a perfectly straight face: ‘I was dusting under the TV, and it slipped.’ ”

President Eyring honored his wife’s wishes, the children honored their mother’s desires, and that was the end of television in the Eyring home. “For the most part, Mother leads through quiet example,” Henry J. observes. “However, she is also inspired and fearless. Mother’s assertiveness has been a great blessing to her children and grandchildren. Both in pivotal moments and in daily routines, she has forever changed the course of our lives.” 

. . .
With no television in the home, family members had more time for each other and more time to pursue interests, develop talents, and engage in sports and other activities as a family. Over the years President Eyring has honed his cooking skills (he makes his own bread), discovered a knack for woodcarving, and learned to paint with watercolor. On occasion he will send a thank-you note or a watercolor painting as a remembrance.

Today the Eyring home is full of paintings, carvings, and furniture that he has created with the help of skilled mentors. Many of the pieces reflect moral lessons or spiritual impressions. In addition, he makes time to send daily e-mails, affectionately known as “The Small Plates,” to his family, which now includes 25 grandchildren.

(President Henry B Eyring: Called of God, July 2008, Robert D Hales)

Here is one of the best videos about protecting children against pornography.