Like many girls, when Diony George was a child she imagined a storybook future: a loving husband, beautiful children and a happy home. Every wish was granted in turn. The man of her dreams was a handsome LDS returned missionary with whom she shared a magical courtship. And so, with blue skies overhead, they began their story in the Salt Lake LDS Temple, just as she had hoped.

Little did she know, the idyllic scene was not to last. In fact, it was cracked from the start. Her husband had brought with him a pornography addiction that began in his teens. His addiction brought about destructive and earth-shattering events that ultimately left Diony's heart and family broken. Diony felt compelled to write her memoirs in a book, Torn Apart, to expose the dangers of pornography and to help others.

"My main reason for writing the book is to help someone else not go through what I went through," Diony says. "It was a very hard thing to write ... it's very personal, it's very emotional. But I just feel like if you don't bring it out in the light ... how are people going to realize how serious (pornography) is and what the effects of it really are?"

Early in her marriage, Diony began to notice odd things in her husband's behavior. At times he was warm and affectionate; other times he was cold and distant, refusing to talk or share intimacy. This stark contradiction would last throughout their marriage.

Bits and pieces from his past surfaced. Letters from women Diony didn't know came to their house addressed to him. For every story that didn't add up, his casual explanations temporarily alleviated Diony's concerns.

Diony notes that pornography causes its users to lose touch with reality. "When you're dealing with pornography, nothing really satisfies you," she says. "(Addicts) have to start getting into harder things to get that same chemical reaction. And they're alwa s looking for that perfect woman or perfect fantasy out there."

The culminating incident was the painful and shocking truth that her husband had hired a prostitute. Even then, she didn't want to believe what was happening. By then she had invested more than 14 years in the marriage and had four wonderful sons. But things had gone out of control and Diony realized she needed to file for divorce.

"I was so committed to marriage. I believe in the whole principle of marriage," says Diony. "But because of what the pornography did to him and our family, I couldn't stay with him."

The pain of everything Diony had gone through was almost too much to bear, but she firmly believes that hope and healing can come for those who may be going through similar trials.

"There were some days that I could only make it through one hour at a time because the pain was so intense," Diony says. "What got me through was my faith in God and turning to Him and with support from my family and friends."

According to Diony, pornography is everyone's problem: "It can happen to anybody. Everybody I've talked to either has someone in their family or a close friend where it has affected their life."

It's also important to discuss pornography with children. The average age of first Internet exposure to pornography is 11 years old. Diony remarks, "I had someone tell me about their 9-year-old son who was addicted to pornography. Nine years old – how can that even happen? But with the Internet they can run into it playing games or doing homework."

Fighting pornography through community involvement is Diony's new mission, though going up against a billion-dollar industry is no simple task. "We know (pornography) is not going away, but if we can at least turn the tide so that people are more aware of it, they can start to shun it and realize how serious it is."

Diony explains that everyone can make a difference. "There are many ways to get involved: look up local organizations, donate money, volunteer your time, report things you see. It's a matter of opening your mouth and not being afraid to speak out."

She feels blessed to have found happiness again in life and in a new marriage. A miraculous story in itself, she met a wonderful man, Daryl George. With painful divorces behind both of them, they were ready to start a new chapter. They were married in April 1999 in the Bountiful LDS Temple. Combined, they have seven children and live in Salt Lake County.

"You can find joy again. You can have a good life again," Diony says with a genuine smile. "You just have to get through the bad stuff and not give up. It's amazing how you can find the strength to do difficult things in life. I wouldn't have been able to gain that kind of strength if I hadn't gone through what I did."

For help:
Follow these links and resources for help and more information.

• Diony George's Web site: www.tornapartbyporn.com
• UCAP — The Utah Coalition Against Pornography: www.utahcoalition.org
• National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families: www.nationalcoalition.org
• Promoting a Decent Society through Law: www.moralityinmedia.org
• The Lighted Candle Society: www.lightedcandle.org