The real key for parents, then, lies in teaching children to recognize the Spirit of Christ and in strengthening them so they can have the courage it takes to respond to it. And the most powerful way to teach children is by example and by creating the kind of home environment that enhances spiritual sensitivity for the entire family.

For instance, it seems illogical to expect a youngster to feel uncomfortable about watching R-rated films on the sly if Mom and Dad bring R-rated videocassettes home for their private viewing. Justifications like “Well, it won an Oscar” or “There’s only one little scene (or word, or grotesque special effect) that gave it an R-rating” are just that: justifications, hollow excuses for going contrary to the Spirit of Christ. Never mind that Mom and Dad won’t allow the kids to watch the show with them. The only thing that particular limitation teaches is that it’s okay to assault your values with video violence, profanity, and sexuality, as long as you’re an adult.

No scriptural or doctrinal support exists for such double standards. There are only admonitions to “let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly” (D&C 121:45) and reminders such as the thirteenth article of faith that Latter-day Saints should seek after things “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.”

These are the standards we should hold to in our homes. Any film, television program, or video game, for that matter, that isn’t “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy” should not be allowed on our TV sets, regardless of the rating or critical acclaim. And when we watch a program and something unacceptable comes on, we ought to have the courage—then and there—to turn it off, perhaps taking advantage of the opportunity to point out why we are doing so to children who watch with us. A child who has grown up in a home where the Spirit of Christ shines unobstructed by parental hypocrisy would be more likely to recognize that spirit when it prompts him, even in a difficult social setting.