Peer Pressure

I've never been a fan.  Usually when pressed upon to do something that I didn't want to do in the first place, or to do something I know is wrong, my desire to do it is that much less.  I'm not trying to brag to you, but I truly do hope that you grow up with a firm knowledge and belief that the church is true, and that with our obedience there comes a safety and freedom that nothing else can give.  Many in the world will try and convince you that the opposite is true...that our church is one of unnecessary restrictions and limitations.  My hope for you is that you not only stand strong, but that you gain a testimony of the happiness that comes when you choose to be different, to obey the commandments, to follow Christ.  Have the courage to not care what people think when you resist the pressure to give in, and when you don't want to try something "just once".

It was the summer after freshman year.  My friend and I were 15, and were trusted by our parents to go alone to the movies.  They knew that we were going in a group which included a boy that my friend had recently met, and they were ok with that.  The plan was to see the movie "The Perfect Storm".  We were really excited to buy our own tickets for a PG-13 movie...we felt so grown up and responsible.  We were waiting for the rest of the group to arrive and buy their tickets as well.  When the boy arrived that my friend was waiting for (accompanied by his 19-year-old brother) he clearly had different plans.  He said his brother could buy tickets and get us into "Scary Movie", which they both really wanted to see.  My friend didn't want to disappoint them, so she started to agree and go along with their idea.  I didn't want to upset her, but I really didn't care what these two guys I had never met thought of me, so I told her that I was still going to go to the movie that I had already bought tickets for because I didn't watch R-rated movies.

She took about five minutes to decide which movie she was going to.  She really wanted to hang out with this boy she liked.  He was not from our church, but she had let him know that she didn't watch R-rated movies before they had made plans to see one together.  He hadn't respected her values, and she almost gave in.  Just when I thought I would be seeing the movie alone, or calling my parents for a ride, she actually got a little angry and told those boys off.  She had made plans to see a specific movie, they knew that, and she was not going to go alone with two boys that she didn't know very well into a dark theater.  Her unofficial date was not happy about her choice, or my influence, and he quickly went inside with his brother to see "Scary Movie".  

By this point, our movie had already started.  We walked in and didn't know what was happening, so we decided to find the next appropriate movie and go into that instead.  If memory serves correct, we went to see Disney's "The Kid".  

I went home and mentioned nothing to my parents of the adventures of our movie theater trip.  My friend, however, told her parents everything.  They called my parents to let them know how thankful they were for their daughter to have an example like me, and how proud they were that I stood up for what I knew to be right.  She told her parents that she had wavered and was about to give in to peer pressure until I stood against it.  My parents came to me crying and happy to tell me what they had learned.  It was a little embarrassing, and a little gratifying at the same time.

So what do I want you to know?  

Know that the feeling I got when I made my parents proud FAR outweighed any inkling of the feelings of not being cool enough, or popular, or attractive enough to peers of the opposite sex.

Know that you may not impress some of your peers, but you might just impress someone enough to want to have strength, courage, and the will power that you do.

Know that every time you stand up for what you know to be right, the Savior stands with you.  The Holy Ghost is allowed to remain with you.  And me, as well as your Father in Heaven, are more proud of your valiance and virtue than you can even know.

Love, Mom