The devices of modern technology too often distract from "things as they really are," Elder David A. Bednar told a congregation of 18 to 30-year-olds during a Church Educational System Fireside on Sunday, May 3. It originated from BYU-Idaho's Hart Auditorium and was available around the world via satellite broadcast.
Citing Jacob 4:13, Elder Bednar focused his remarks on "things as they really are" as he reviewed "several key elements of our Heavenly Father's plan of happiness." Elder Bednar noted the primary importance of gaining a physical body in our eternal progression, stating, "Our physical bodies make possible a breadth, a depth, and an intensity of experience that simply could not be obtained in our pre-mortal existence. … There are lessons we must learn and experiences we must have, as the scriptures describe, 'according to the flesh' (1 Nephi 19:6)."
Because Lucifer has been denied a physical body, Elder Bednar said, "we should not be surprised that [he] seeks to frustrate our progression by tempting us to use our bodies improperly. …
"When any of Heavenly Father's children misuse their physical tabernacles by violating the law of chastity, by using drugs and addictive substances, by disfiguring or defacing themselves, or by worshiping the false idol of body image, whether their own or that of others, Satan is delighted."
Then he said, "Satan also strives to entice the sons and daughters of God to minimize the importance of their physical bodies" and often works through the marvels of modern technology to do so.
"Sadly," Elder Bednar continued, "some young men and women in the Church today ignore 'things as they really are' and neglect eternal relationships for digital distractions, diversions and detours that have no lasting value. My heart aches when a young couple — sealed together in the House of the Lord for time and for all eternity by the power of the Holy Priesthood — experiences marital difficulties because of the addicting effect of excessive video gaming or online socializing."
He acknowledged the value of technology, including replicating, augmenting, and creating virtual reality. Such value includes doctors simulating complicated surgeries, pilots simulating emergency landings, and architects and engineers simulating the construction of buildings resistant to natural disasters, all without endangering human life. Those simulations are made possible because of the high degree of fidelity between the simulation and reality, he said.
Visuals shown of renderings of the sealing room in the Newport Beach California Temple and a lobby area in the Copenhagen Denmark Temple alongside photos of the same areas in the completed temples, showed how high fidelity between virtual reality and reality help in "design and construction of a sacred and beautiful temple."
"However," Elder Bednar instructed, "a simulation or model can lead to spiritual impairment and danger if the fidelity is high and the purposes are bad; such as, experimenting with actions contrary to God's commandments or enticing us to think or do things we would not otherwise think or do 'because it is only a game.'
"Today I raise an apostolic voice of warning about the potentially stifling, suffocating, suppressing and constraining impact of some kinds of cyberspace interactions and experiences upon our souls. … I plead with you to beware of the sense-dulling and spiritually destructive influence of cyberspace technologies that are used to produce high fidelity and that promote degrading and evil purposes.
"If the adversary cannot entice us to misuse our physical bodies, then one of his most potent tactics is to beguile you and me as embodied spirits to disconnect gradually and physically from things as they really are. In essence, he encourages us to think and act as if we were in our pre-mortal, unembodied state. And, if we let him, he can cunningly employ some aspects of modern technology to accomplish his purposes.
"Please be careful of becoming so immersed and engrossed in pixels, texting, ear buds, twittering, online social networking and potentially addictive uses of media and the Internet that you fail to recognize the importance of your physical body and miss the richness of person-to-person communication. Beware of digital displays and data in many forms of computer-mediated interaction that can displace the full range of physical capacity and experience."
Referring again to young couples married in the temple who spend excessive time playing video games, chatting online or other digital activities, he said, "Important opportunities are missed for developing and improving interpersonal skills, for laughing and crying together, and for creating a rich and enduring bond of emotional intimacy. Progressively, seemingly innocent entertainment can become a form of pernicious enslavement.
"To feel the warmth of a tender hug from an eternal companion or to see the sincerity in the eyes of another person as testimony is shared — all of these things experienced as they really are through the instrument of our physical body — could be sacrificed for a high-fidelity fantasy that has no lasting value."
He warned against Satan's "alluring illusion of anonymity" saying, "Immoral thoughts, words and deeds always are immoral, even in cyberspace. Deceitful acts supposedly veiled in secrecy, such as illegally downloading music from the Internet or copying CDs or DVDs for distribution to friends and families are nonetheless deceitful."
Elder Bednar offered two questions for listeners to ponder:
"Does the use of various technologies and media invite or impede the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost in your life?
"Does the time you spend using various technologies and media enlarge or restrict your capacity to live, to love and to serve in meaningful ways?"
Then he said, "I promise you will receive answers, inspiration and instruction from the Holy Ghost suited to your individual circumstances and needs." He also emphasized the responsibilities that rest upon the young men and women of the Church. "Obedience is the principal weapon upon which the rising generation must rely in the latter-day battle between good and evil."
Elder Bednar concluded by bearing his testimony of the Savior and said, "To be 'encircled about eternally in the arms of his love' (2 Nephi 1:15) will be a real and not a virtual experience."
