Internet Safety

I found an article by Elder David E. Sorensen called "You Can't Pet a Rattlesnake."  He talks about a time when he was a boy and almost petted a Rattlesnake that he thought was asleep.  His father fortunately caught him and said "David, my boy, you can't pet a rattlesnake."  That is good advice where pornography and other negative influences on the internet are concerned.  Elder Sorenson said: "..build fortifications in the form of personal ground rules to protect your priceless virtue.  When you're on a date, plan to be in groups and avoid being alone.  I know men, young and old, who have simply determined not to turn on the TV or surf the Internet anytime when they are alone.  Fathers, it is wise to keep computers and televisions in the family room or other high-traffic areas in your home--not in children's bedrooms.  I also know of fathers who while on business trips, wisely choose not to turn on the hotel television."  There are spiritual poisonous snakes out there and we need to wisely avoid them.  As a parent and grandparent I intend to be very open with my children about the subject.  I was especially taken with the article on "Technology and a House of Learning."  My husband and I discussed our roles of preside, provide, protect and nurture and their meaning in a modern world of poisonous snakes.  I also want to have a dialogue with my siblings  to sensitize and empower them on these issues.  I have already sent out an email to many of my family guiding them to several of the articles we read in class.  I also teach the 16-17 year old Sunday School class and plan on including some wise information in one of my lessons on this subject.  The URL for this article is found on lds.org.