On a recent trip to the temple, a newly called missionary and his parents sat a few rows ahead of me in the chapel. The young man slid over so his parents could sit next to each other and then waited reverently for the session to begin. As I sat by myself in an otherwise empty pew, I was surprised by the picture that came to my mind. My son would someday sit in that temple next to me. My son. The one who is addicted to pornography.
My son is a warrior so I must be a warrior’s mother. I am a Warrior Mother.
What, you might ask, is a Warrior Mother? She’s a mother like YOU, who loves her family, loves the Lord, and is seeking guidance for a child who is facing tremendous challenges. She is a mother who fights for her family.
Have you ever wondered if your son is battling an addiction to pornography and/or sexual compulsions? This is a scary thought and a very lonely one. You are worried that your son may have his mission delayed, or worse yet, be unable to serve a mission entirely. Looking a few years ahead, you—ten times more than his father or your bishop— know how much pain it will cause your son’s wife if he doesn’t overpower this addiction before he is married. Most of all, your heart aches for HIM.
What did you do wrong? NOTHING. What is wrong with your son? NOTHING!
Instead, think of it this way. Your son has been correctly identified by the adversary as a “noble and great one,” a future leader in the Kingdom of God. A battle with pornography is a sign of how big an army Satan is sending to thwart the Plan of Salvation in the last days. Why is he attacking your son? Because he is afraid of your son’s potential for good. Your son is a WARRIOR who is facing the battle of his life! YOU, his dear mother, are a Warrior Mother, a “Mother Who Knows.” You have taught your son about the redeeming love and mercy of Jesus Christ. All you want to know now is, “What can I do to help my son?”
Please know you are not alone. You are not the only mother who is worried, your son (or daughter) is not the only one struggling. I invite you to learn how you and your child can fight back…and win.
My son is enrolled in an online Sons of Helaman program through Life Changing Services. This service has been an answer to my prayers. My son’s heart is changing as he has learned tools and techniques that train him to fight back against temptation “as if with the strength of God” (Alma 56:56).
Picturing my son in the temple was surprising not because I could picture him there, but because in picturing him there, I wasn’t surprised.
There is hope. If you are looking for help for your son or daughter and don’t know what to do, start with one of the ten things I have been doing with my son. Perhaps you will find hope and healing through the programs offered by Life Changing Services just like we did.
Yours in the Fight,
A Warrior Mom
