Surrounded by Voices

"Our children today are growing up surrounded by voices urging them to abandon that which is right and to pursue, instead, the pleasures of the world. Unless they have a firm foundation in the gospel of Jesus Christ, a testimony of the truth, and a determination to live righteously, they are susceptible to these influences. It is our responsibility to fortify and protect them."—Thomas S. Monson, "Three Goals to Guide You"

 There are so many voices in the world around us.  I was just talking to my younger daughters about the days when "everyone" did not have television in their homes.  When there was no cable TV.  Only the channels that you could get on one single turn around dial.  We talked about when TV would turn off at midnight and the station would play the National Anthem and show the flag.  It would not come back on until 6:00AM.  If you turned it on, we only saw the grey screen of death.  
We played outside and did not watch TV after school.  We spent time with our families.  Divorce was uncommon even though it did happen now and then.  Girls did not play sports with Boys.  We had to compete separately.  
I am not saying that everything was better.  I know that I really wanted to do some of the things that the boys got to do.  But I also know that we were no surrounded by so many voices urging us in the wrong directions.  It scares me to know what my children face today.  It scares me to see the things that surround them.  I am older.  My testimony is stronger.  Yet there are things out there that I know would weaken me if I let them.  I know to stay away.  The youth of today still have to learn to be more like Joseph in the Old Testament.  When Potipher's Wife tried to tempt him, he left his coat and ran away.  
There are things in this world today that we need to not investigate.  That the best thing for us to do is to run away.  We must teach our children to make choices that put them on firm ground and not shakily in the air.  
There is a reason that the great and spacious building that Nephi speaks about was up in the air.  It did not have a foundation on the ground.  It's foundation was not real.  
Today, there are so many things that sound good, but they aren't.  They sound right, but they aren't.  They demand our attention to be away from those things which matter most.  There is so much noise in the would we live in that it makes it so much harder to hear the still small voice that is ever willing to help us through.  We have to listen harder.  We have to pay more attention.  We have to be willing to put the world away.  We have to be standing on firm ground.