Frequent Conference talks and Ensign articles warning against pornography are not an innovation of this generation. Here’s how the issue was framed almost 60 years ago, by the general superintendent of the Sunday School.

Mail-Order Obscenity vs. Decency

By George R. Hill

In these days of increasing juvenile delinquency, which not infrequently occurs in some of the best of families, we are led to ask ourselves if we can do something more to safeguard our children and to create greater Gospel testimony and spirituality in their hearts.

United States Postmaster General Arthur E. Summerfield in an address delivered in Detroit entitled, “Mail-order Obscenity vs. Decency – Our Responsibility to Our Children” said that over a period of just seven years, juvenile delinquency in the ages 10 to 17 rose by 115 per cent, compared with a population rise of 27 per cent. He also said that seven per cent of the total United States population under 21 years of age was arrested for crime last year, as compared with two per cent of adults over 21.

This condition he blames in large part to “mail-order obscenity.” This, despite the best efforts of postal authorities to prevent it, “… has become a racket of major proportions. There are no more dangerous, unprincipled criminals in existence than those seeking to exploit this racket,” says Mr. Summerfield.

He continues:

Our Inspection Service estimates that as many as one million children this year will receive pornographic filth in the family mail box. Some of this is lewd material that children have ordered and paid for. In the vastly larger percentage of cases, however, it has not been ordered at all. It arrives without the child’s advance knowledge nor consent.

It is sales solicitation material, which, in itself, is usually debauched and rankly obscene. It goes to children – boys AND girls – as young as 8 years. And it goes to them because their names land on a mailing list in the racketeer’s hands.

Sales volume of mail-order obscenity has doubled in the last five years – to half a billion dollars a year. Unless it is checked, it can double again over the next four years … we could expect one school-age child out of every 18 to be the target of this brutal business …

Depraved actions result from poisoned minds. And nothing can be more vicious in poisoning the young mind than a diet of pornographic filth … A perfectly health child, exposed continually to the depravities glorified in smutty material, can be turned into an immoral and distorted creature, if not an outright pervert …

The filth racketeers have learned that, among youngsters, they can develop addicts to obscene literature and pictures … Their objective is to get the child hooked, as they say of the dope addict, and keep him hooked …

Any experienced law enforcement officer can give you the grim information that virtually every sex criminal has a record of an affinity for obscene literature and photographs.

We are happy to learn from Mr. Summerfield that the 1958 law passed by Congress against the mailing of obscenity to children, has been strengthened by the House in a bill which passed with only one dissenting vote and is now up for Senate approval.

Our responsibility as parents and teachers is to be vigilant and continuously aware of the quality of books, pictures and advertisements that are coming to us or to our children through the mails or that are being obtained from other sources.

The book companions of our children play an important role in their character development. We must strive to see that our children are not only protected from this malicious assassination of character now rampant throughout the country, but are adequately provided with wholesome, character-building book companions. Good books and good pictures exert a powerful influence for good. Good character is the product of good thoughts. The mind, enriched by wholesome pictures and book companions, is the thing that will make our children, our world and our Church strong and great.