I hear LDS people say things like "I can't watch rated-"R" movies," and then leave the reason to be that the "church" doesn't let us. Or, I've had non-member friends comment in a similar manner. I'd just like first, to correct this misnomer. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints doesn't BAN anything. The whole concept of being a LDS revolves around being given good and sound counsel and then CHOOSING what to do with that counsel. The actual advice as given by the leadership of the Church is "Do not attend, view, or participate in entertainment that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way. Do not participate in entertainment that in any way presents immorality or violent behavior as acceptable." (For the Strength of Youth)
I think over the course of my lifetime, it has become easier to classify what is acceptable and what is not as an adult. However, I have found that there are movies that I thought were okay and later found that my memory of that movie appears greatly different from the perspective as "mother". So, I am currently sorting and classifying our "G" and "PG" films so I can teach my children by example that there are things that are not suitable to watch even when the rating appears "appropriate".
There are websites out there to assist parents in this discussion, such as Common Sense Media. However, I think that simply borrowing someone else's views and opinions can be just as damaging as relying solely on the ratings marked on the box. I encourage parents to view and come to their own conclusions before allowing their children to watch movies. Children are such sponges!
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