This Unit is the last unit we had. It focuses on the 8th and 9th paragraphs of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World."
"We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or
offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable
before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon
individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern
prophets.
"We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote
those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of
society."
Elder Robert D. Hales in his talk "Christian Courage: The Price of Discipleship" he said: "Evil will always be with us in this world. Part of mortality's great test is to be in the world without becoming like the world.
Elder Robert D. Hales
Elder Quentin L. Cook said in his talk "Let There Be Light" : "The assault on moral principles and religious freedom has never been stronger. As Latter-day Saints, we need to do our best to preserve light and protect our families and communities from this assault on morality and religious freedom....be in the world but no of the world."
Elder Quentin L. Cook
Elder M. Russell Ballard in his talk "Let Our Voices Be Heard" said: "The family is at the heart of Heavenly Father's plan because we are all part of His family and because mortality is our opportunity to form our own families and to assume the role of parents....Father and mother are callings from which we will never be released..."
Elder M. Russell Ballard
He later continues: "Let me say again that the family is the main target of evil's attack and must therefore be the main point of our protection and must therefore be the main point of our protection defense...when you stop and think about it from a diabolically tactical point of view, fighting the family makes sense to Satan. When he wants to disrupt the work of the Lord, he doesn't poison the world's peanut butter supply, thus bringing the Church's missionary system to its collective knees. He doesn't send a plague of laryngitis to afflict the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He doesn't legislate against green Jell-O and casseroles. When evil wants to strike out and disrupt the essence of God's work, it attacks the family. I does so by attempting to disregard the law of chastity, to confuse gender, to desensitize violence, to make crude and blasphemous language the norm, and to make immoral and deviant behavior seem like the rule rather than the exception."
Elder Dallin H. Oaks in his talk, "Protect the Children" stated: "Children need the emotional and personal strength that come from being raised by two parents who are united in their marriage and their goals....I know firsthand that this cannot always be achieved, but it is the ideal to be sought whenever possible."
Elder Dallin H. Oaks
He also said: "Our church leaders have taught that looking 'upon marriage as a mere contract that may be entered into at pleasure...and severed at the first difficulty...is an evil meriting severe condemnation,' especially where 'children are made to suffer.' And children are impacted by divorces. Over half of the divorces in a recent year involved couples with minor children."
In this Unit, we focused on the 6th and 7th paragraph of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World."
"HUSBAND AND WIFE have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for
their children. "Children are an heritage of the Lord" (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty
to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs,
to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be
law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be
held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.
"THE FAMILY is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal
plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father
and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most
likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful
marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance,
forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine
design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to
provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible
for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are
obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may
necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed."
In some selective teachings from talks "To the Mothers in Zion" many Apostles and Prophets talked about important things women need to know.
Elder Quentin L. Cook stated: "Recent studies find there is deterioration in devotion to marriage, with a decrease in the number of adults being married. For some, marriage and family are becoming 'a menu choice rather than a principle of our society.'"
Elder Quentin L. Cook
President Gordon B. Hinckley stated: "The greatest job that any mother will ever do will be in nurturing, teaching, lifting, encouraging, and rearing her children in righteousness and truth. Non other can adequately take her place."
President Gordon B. Hinckley
President Ezra Taft Benson said: "Mothers who enjoy good health, have your children and have them early. And, husbands, always be considerate to your wives in the bearing of children." He later continues, "The deepest joys and blessings in life are associated with family, parenthood, and sacrifice." Later he states: "Mothers in Zion, your God-given roles are so vital to your own exaltation and to the salvation and exaltation of your family. A child needs a mother more than all the things money can buy. Spending time with your children is the greatest gift of all."
President Ezra Taft Benson
Now let's go to quote for the men. In President Ezra Taft Benson's talk "To the Fathers in Israel" he stated: "Fathers, yours is an eternal calling from which you are never released. Callings in the Church, as important as they re, by their very nature are only for a period of time, and then an appropriate release takes place. But a father's calling is eternal, and its importance transcends time. It is a calling for both time and eternity."
In Elder Dallin H. Oaks talk "Priesthood Authority in the Family and the Church" he said: " Chruch callings are always temporary, but family relationships are permanent."
Elder Dallin H. Oaks
Dallin H. Oaks also quoted President Spencer W. Kimball: "When we speak of marriage as a partnership, let us speak of marriage as a full partnership. We do not want our LDS women to be silent partners or limited partners in the eternal assignment! Please be a contributing and full partner."
President Spencer W. Kimball
Elder Dallin H. Oaks in a different talk called "Keys and Authority of the Priesthood" he mentions a quote by President Joseph F. Smith about what the priesthood is: "...the power of God delegated to man by which man can act in the earth for the salvation of the human family."
Dallin H. Oaks said: "Whoever exercises priesthood authority should forget about their rights and concentrate on their responsibilities." He continues later: "The greatest power God has given to His sons cannot be exercised without the companionship of one of His daughters, because only to His daughters has God given the power 'to be a creator of bodies... so that God's design and the Great Plan might meet fruition.'"
He quotes President Reuben J. Clark's words: "This is the place of our wives and of our mothers in the Eternal Plan. They are not bearers of the Priesthood; they are not charged with carrying out the duties and functions of the Priesthood; nor are they laden with its responsibilities; they are builders and organizers under its power, and partakers of its blessings, possessing the complement of the Priesthood powers and possessing a function as divinely called, as eternally important in its place as the Priesthood itself."
President Reuben J. Clark
In the talk "Mothers Who Know" by Sister Julie B. Beck she stated: "The responsibility mothers have today has never required more vigilance. More than any time in the history of the world, we need mothers who know. Children are being born into a world where they 'wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places' (Ephesians 6:12). However, mothers need not fear. When mothers know who they are and who God is and have made covenants with Him, they will have great power and influence of good on their children."
Sister Julie B. Beck
She continues: "Mothers who know desire to bear children...Mothers who know honor sacred ordinances and covenants...Mothers who know are nurturers....Mothers who know are leaders. In equal partnership with their husbands, they lead a great and eternal organization..Mothers who know are always teachers...Mothers who know do less. They permit less of what will not bear good fruit eternally. They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home. Mothers who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world's goods in order to spend more time with their children - more time eating together, more time working together, more time reading together, more time talking, laughing, singing, and exemplifying."
In this Unit, we talked about the 4th and 5th paragraph of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World."
"The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for
parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God's commandment for His children
to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has
commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man
and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.
"We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm
the sanctity of life and of its importance in God's eternal plan."
Elder Jefferey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in his talk "Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments" said, "The topic of human intimacy is as sacred as any I know....Some may feel this is a topic we hear discussed too frequently, but given the world in which we live, we may not be hearing it enough....Unfortunately, the degree of unchaste behavior around us is likely to increase rather than decrease as the times become more secular, more sophisticated, and more self-indulgent."
Elder Jeffery R. Holland
Chastity is something that is needed more than ever in this world in which we live. Like Elder Holland mentioned, the world is becoming more selfish and more focused on ones self.
Elder Holland continues, "...But whoso committeth adultery with a woman [or man] lacketh understanding; he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away."
Elder Holland later quotes a scripture that states that adultery is one of the greatest sins except for killing or denying the Holy Ghost. That is pretty serious!
Elder Holland also said, "The purchase price for our fullness of joy-body and spirit eternally united - is the pure and innocent blood of the Savior of the world. We cannot then say in ignorance or defiance, 'Well, it's my life' or worse yet, 'It's my body.' It is not your life or your body. 'Ye are not your own,' Paul said. 'Ye are bought with a price.'"
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in his talk "We Believe in Being Chaste" stated, "The precise nature of the test of mortality, then, can be summarized in the following question: Will I respond to the inclinations of the natural man, or will I yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and put of f the natural man and become a saint through the Atonement of Christ the Lord?"
Elder David A. Bednar
He later continues: "Violating the law of chastity is a grievous sin and a misuse of our physical tabernacles. To those who know and understand the plan of salvation, defiling the body is an act of rebellion."
Elder Bednar: "One of the ultimate ironies of eternity is that the adversary, who is miserable precisely because he has not physical body, entices us to share in his misery through the improper use of our bodies. The very tool he does not have is thus the primary target of his attempts to lure us to spiritual destruction."
When I first read that last paragraph about Satan, I knew that but it just seemed so much clearer seeing it on paper. Isn't that crazy?! And unfortunately, Satan is cunning and lures us in when sometimes we don't realize it. And this is why the Prophets and Apostles quote the scriptures that say, "Pray always."
Here are just a few examples of scriptures (for there are many):
One from the Book of Mormon: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and prayalways, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him" (3 Nephi 18:5).
One from the Bible: "Watch ye therefore, and prayalways, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36).
One from the Doctrine and Covenants: "What I say unto one I say unto all; prayalwayslest that wicked one have power in you, and remove you out of your place" (Doctrine and Covenants 93:49).
Chastity is important. When we are chaste, we can love more deeply and enjoy family bonds more happily. Nobody is perfect. If you struggle in your marriage, know that God can help you. If you have God on your side and are trying your best, the Lord will certainly help you and make up for the things that you cannot do on your own.
I love the scripture found in Ether 12:27 - "And if men come unto me, I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."
Elder Richard G. Scott in his talk "Making the Right Choices" stated: "...true love elevates, protects, respects, and enriches another."
Elder Richard G. Scott
President Boyd K. Packer in his talk "The Fountain of Life" talked about Mature Love. Here is what he said: "Married couples are tried by temptation, misunderstandings, separation, financial problems, family crises, illness; and all the while LOVE GROWS STRONGER (emphasis added), the mature love enjoys a bliss not even imagined by newlyweds."
President Boyd K. Packer (former President of the Quorum of the Twelve. He died recently.)
I love this quote so much! Everyone struggles. Everyone has troubled times, but that doesn't mean giving up is the answer. Love grows.
I always heard from older couples before I got married that love grows. Some would say that they never thought they could love their spouse more than they did on their wedding day, but truly they love them even more. I can say, even though my husband and I have only been married a year, that love does grow as you face hard things together.
Super cute video about love
An example of this: One day, I was a little upset at my husband for something (I had been emotional that weekend and I didn't know quite why. I guess it is just women :) ). Anyway, I told him how I felt. I found out that what I was mad at him for was partly my fault. I didn't have him to blame. We both forgave each other for our shortcomings that day. From that experience, and this might sound weird, but I felt a deeper love for him. A love that comes from going through hard things together and accepting each other despite our weaknesses. Even though my husband hadn't really done anything wrong and I was just being emotional, we grew together as we understood each other and apologized for any hard feelings toward one another.
I love knowing that eternal things are not meant to be easy. Eternal things are meant to be worked at. For if there was no work or effort put forth into something, would we truly appreciate it? I know with me, when something is easy, I don't always appreciate it for what it is.
This Unit was focused on the third paragraph in "The Family: A Proclamation to the World."
The paragraph goes as follows: "In the Premortal Realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally." This section was about covenants and ordinances. Elder D. Todd Christofferson, in his talk, "Power of Covenants" he stated, "Our access to that power is through our covenants with Him. A covenant is an agreement between God and man, an accord whose terms are set by God. In these divine agreements, God binds Himself to sustain, sanctify, and exalt us in return for our commitment to serve Him and keep His commandments." He later continues, "His commandments requires a degree of faith, but as we honor our covenants, that faith expands." President Boyd K. Packer in his talk "Covenants and Ordinances" said, "No matter what citizenship or race, whether male or female, no matter what occupation, no matter your education, regardless of the generation in which one lives, life is a homeward journey for all of us, back to the presence of God in His celestial kingdom...to keep them thereafter is the challenge of mortality." As I have been married, I have come to appreciate covenants more and more. I have come to appreciate the commandments of God. I believe that Heavenly Father has given us commandments and covenants to keep us on the right track so that we can come back to Him. There are so many distractions in the world. There are so many that say "this is right" or "this is wrong." It is nice having a foundation on agreements and promises that will assure happiness if we keep them. I am glad that we have them for without them, I would probably fall into the world's views of family. Here is a little bit on covenant marriage. Elder Bruce C. Hafen said in his talk "Covenant Marriage," "When troubles come, the parties to a contractual marriage seek happiness by walking away. They marry to obtain benefits and will stay only as long as they're receiving what they bargained for. But when troubles come to a covenant marriage, the husband and wife work them through. They marry to give and to grow, bound by covenants to each other, to the community, and to God. Contract companions each give 50 percent; covenant companions each give 100 percent." What a wonderful thought! As an LDS youth, since 12 years old, I have learned the importance of becoming a mother and getting married in the temple. I looked forward to that day. I dreamed about it. Now that I am married, it is wonderful. It can be hard at times but it is wonderful! Just like Elder Bruce C. Hafen said, when I am giving my full I feel the Lord helping me to be the kind of wife I need to be to my husband so that one day I can be a good mother. In making covenants, we certainly have to do our part in order to receive the blessings that come from keeping covenants. But the wonderful thing is that we aren't alone in them. We can ask the Lord for strength. You committed and the Lord will help you as long as you put in effort. Have you ever heard of the triangle? Let me show you the triangle.
This is the wonderful triangle of marriage! As you can see, the most important thing in the marriage is that both spouses are working toward Heavenly Father. As each spouse gets closer, they get closer to each other.
This is also how covenants work. In the marriage covenant you make agreements with God and your spouse. I love the marriage triangle!
Elder Bruce C. Hafen also stated in the talk "Covenant Marriage" the following: "Covenant marriage requires a total leap of faith: they must keep their covenants without knowing what risks that may require of them. They must surrender unconditionally, obeying God and sacrificing for each other."
Addressing Divorce
Divorce is common which is sad. Elder Dallin H. Oaks in his talk "Divorce" said, "The kind of marriage required for exaltation - eternal in duration and godlike in quality - does not contemplate divorce. In the temples of the Lord, couples are married for all eternity. But some marriages do not progress toward that ideal. Because 'of the hardness of [our] hearts,' the Lord does not currently enforce the consequences of the celestial standard. He permits divorced persons to marry again without the stain of immorality specified in the higher law."
Dallin H. Oaks continues, "In a marriage relationship, festering is destructive; forgiving is divine." Later he talks about couples that were thinking about getting a divorce. They went to their Bishop and asked what they should do. Elder Oaks explains, "...the couples who followed the bishop's counsel and stayed together emerged with their marriages even stronger. That prospect began with their mutual commitment to keep the commandments, stay active in their Church attendance, scripture reading and prayer, and to work on their own shortcomings."
Divorce is not part of God's plan. Divorce pulls apart families. There are certain circumstances that are acceptable by God to initiate a divorce such as adultery. Some may be a personal matter - pray. God knows what is needed but remember, divorce was never a part of God's plan.
Elder Oaks explains what marriage is: "...marriage...means sacrifice, sharing, and even a reduction of some personal liberties. It means long, hard economizing. It means children who bring with them financial burdens, service burdens, care and worry burdens; but also it means the deepest and sweetest emotions of all."
Here are a couple of videos the Church has made about divorce. They are really good.
Life is tough, but with the Lord on our side, all things are possible. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). "...for when I am weak, then am I strong" (2 Corinthians 12:10).
In Unit 2 the second paragraph of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" was the focus. It goes as follows:
"All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose." This has made me more aware of my eternal identity as a woman. There are women (LDS or not) who get riled up that women don't hold the Priesthood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint faith. Through this unit, I learned more about who I am as a woman and my role as a woman in God's plan. It makes me sad that there are LDS women that are even fighting to have the Priesthood and be "equal" to men. The funny thing is is they don't get it. They don't understand that it isn't the Church calling the shots - it is God. A testimony of the gospel will change that. If they truly had a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and of the General Authorities, they wouldn't be like that. Videos about women and motherhood
I don't mean to bash on people. I don't like contention. But as Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, "Tolerance does not require abandoning one's standards or one's opinions on political or public policy choices. Tolerance is a way of reacting to diversity, not a command to insulate it from examination." I fell into this trap of thinking why women cannot hold the Priesthood. But I have a testimony of the Apostles and Prophet so I trust that they speak for God the Father. I had to rely upon this as I wondered why. This Unit in this class made me realize how divine the role of women and men are. We have different roles for a reason. Those differences make us a whole.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks
In another unit I will be speaking about the roles of both men and women according to the wonderful Family Proclamation. So I will leave that for that Unit. But I would like to touch a little bit on some talks that were read in this Unit. Elder D. Todd Christofferson in his talk "The Moral Force of Women" stated: "Women bring with them into the world a certain virtue, a divine gift that makes them adept at instilling such qualities as faith, courage, empathy, and refinement in relationships and in culture." He later continues, "As grandmothers, mothers, and role models, women have been the guardians of the wellspring of life, teaching each generation the importance of sexual purity - of chastity before marriage and fidelity within marriage."
Elder D. Todd Christofferson
Elder D. Todd Christofferson quotes Margaret D. Nadauld: "The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity." Women have so much influence in their children's lives. And isn't that what life is about? Teaching and learning? I am taking a Parenting class this semester. I didn't think I would have to take one but I thought it sounded fun. I always thought parenting was love and discipline and that was it. My Parenting Class has made all the difference. We don't have kids yet, so I am excited to be somewhat prepared for when we do have kids. It was funny, because one day I told my husband that I am so glad I took this Parenting Class. It is great because it implements secular learning and gospel learning. He told me that he is glad too so that I can teach him. I told him that though the husband does help out in parenting, they are usually gone at work all day and if I didn't know how to parent, I would be in big trouble! Women have such an influence on their children. Let's move on to the men. There was a time that I wondered, "Why do women always get the flowery 'you are all so good' while the men get the chastisement from the General Authorities?" I thought to myself, "I don't know about other women, but I need chastisement sometimes too." I am not telling this story to compare men and women. I am telling it to say that we all need to improve. No one is exempt from trying to be a little better than we already are. Videos about Men and Fatherhood
In the talk "Brethren We Have a Work to Do," Elder D. Todd Christofferson states the following: "Prepare to be a good husband and father; prepare to be a good and productive citizen; prepare to serve the Lord, whose priesthood you hold." Take special note of the of the last part "whose priesthood you hold." The priesthood is not something a man is born with. The priesthood is a gift given from God (it is God's power) to those men who are worthy to bless the lives of OTHERS. I sometimes feel bad that my husband can't get blessings right in the home because he cannot bless himself with his priesthood authority but he can bless me and it has been so wonderful having a husband who holds such a powerful gift. For I have needed blessings in my life often. I would like to quote what Elder Christofferson noted in his talk to say to the men. He said, "Yes, brethren, we have work to do. Thank you for the sacrifices you make and the good you do. Keep going, and the Lord will help you." I would like to second what Elder Chirstofferson said. I don't think the men get the thanks enough for what they do or at least try to do. Our identities are important to the Lord. President Boyd K. Packer said in his talk "For Time and All Eternity" the following: "There is nothing in the revelations which suggests that to be a man rather than a woman is preferred in the sight of God, or that He places higher value on sons than on daughters. All virtues listed in the scriptures - love, joy, peace, faith, godliness, charity - are shared by both men and women, and the highest priesthood ordinance in mortality is given only to the man and woman together."
This part is about same-gender marriage. In "The Divine Institution of Marriage" it states: "The all-important question of public policy must be: what environment is best for the child and for the rising generation? While some same-sex couples will obtain guardianship over children, traditional marriage provides the most solid and well-established social identity for children. It increases the likelihood that they will be able to form a clear gender identity, with sexuality closely linked to both love and procreation. By contrast, the legal recognition of same-sex marriage may, over time, erode the social identity, gender development, and moral character of children. No dialogue on this issue can be complete without taking into account the long-term consequences for children."
In my Family Foundations class, it is based off of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." This document was given in September 1995 by President Gordon B. Hinckley of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is what the document looks like:
With the way the world is redefining the traditional family unit, this document has become even more critical. This is a document that answers what God's standards are regarding the family.
In our first unit, we talked about the first paragraph of this document. It goes like this: "We, the First Presidencyand the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children." As a member of the LDS faith, I have learned so much. Covenants (promises made with God) are important part of God's plan. And I thank the Lord that covenants are a part of family life especially as the world is going down hill to the point of immorality - adultery, fornication, gay marriage, and more. In Handbook 2: Administering the Church with the section on "Families in the Church" it states: "Eternal life is God's greatest gift to His children" (D&C 14:7). This is one of the reason of covenants and commandments. Another part in this book states, "The nature of male and female spirits is such that they complete each other. Men and women are intended to progress toward exaltation." God has instructed as in 2 Nephi 1 to be "one in heart" and "one in mind." Another quote from Handbook 2 states, "Being one in marriage requires a full partnership. For example, Adam and Eve worked together, prayed and worshiped together, sacrificed together, taught their children the gospel together, and mourned over wayward children together. They were united with each other and God. Just look how many times it says TOGETHER. How important that must be!
Sister Julie B. Beck
Sister Julie B. Beck, former Relief Society General President said in her talk "Teaching the Doctrine of the Family" : "The Creation of the earth was the creation of an earth where a family could live. It was a creation of a man and a woman who were the two essential halves of a family. It was not about a creation of a man and a woman who happened to have a family. It was intentional all along that Adam and Eve form an eternal family It was part of the plan that these two be sealed and form an eternal family unit. That was the plan of happiness." She later states, "Without the family, there is no plan; there is no reason for it." Another part of Julie B. Beck's talk says, "...if it's anti family, it's anti-Christ. An anti-Christ is anti family."
Elder Bruce C. Hafen
Elder Bruce C. Hafen in his talk "How We Lost the Plot" stated: "...some extremist critics went far beyond this much-needed movements, using 'rights' language to challenge many laws and customs that had long supported traditional family relationships." He later continues: "...a noted advocate of individual rights said in 1978 that he feared any kind of 'domination' by one person over another. So he argued that American law should liberate 'the child - and the adult - from the shackles of ... family' commitments. In that way, 'individual rights' attitudes began to challenge one spouse's right to keep a marriage together and parents' right to raise children as they thought best, claiming the traditional family ties interfered with the individual's right to be 'free' from the demands or needs of other people, even in the family. To these advocates, the right to be free was simply more important than the right to be together, because being expected to stay together seemed to them like bondage." Bruce C. Hafen, in the same talk as above mentions, "When one believes that starting or ending a marriage is just a personal choice, one is less likely to think of one's own marriage as a serious social or moral obligation. Without even realizing why they assume and expect what they do, some people therefore feel less committed to making their marriages work and more willing to walk away when they're not getting what they want." Bruce C. Hafen also talked about gay marriage. "Same-gender marriage also alters society's judgment about preserving the best home environment for raising children. Once a couple of the same gender is entitled to a legal marriage, a family court would have more difficulty denying them the right to raise children. Until now, we collectively believed that, whenever possible, children should be raised by both a father and mother. As recently as 2004, for example, a twelve-judge federal appeals court upheld the constitutionality of a 1977 Florida law that forbids homosexual parents from adopting a child. The law was based on the state legislatures' finding that children are better off in homes that have a mother and father." In conclusion to this part of the blog, I quote another thing Bruce C. Hafen stated. "Marriage, like religious faith, is no more satisfying than we are willing - striving - to make it." In order to keep families together and the traditional family at that, striving to keep it together is what will make the family a happy family.
For a class, I am to do a 6 hour project. The 6 hour project I decided to do is to write a blog about the importance of family and what I have learned from my class Family Foundations. So let's get started! Family, what does it mean? With the world redefining the family unit, this class has been even more critical. Dictionary.com describes families as the following: "abasicsocialunitconsistingofparentsandtheirchildren, consideredasagroup,whetherdwellingtogetherornot" OR "allthosepersonsconsideredasdescendantsofacommonprogenitor."
WHEN I THINK OF FAMILIES.... I think of people who love each other. I think of people who serve each other. I think of people who may fight sometimes, but always have each others' backs. I think of joy. I think of happiness. I think of laughter. I think of learning and teaching. I think of a group of people who have fun together. I think of those I can count on. I think of eternity.
THIS IS MY FAMILY WITH IN-LAWS AND ALL :)
My Husband and I
I don't know what I would do without my family. Families face the hard together without giving up. They know that tough things will come but they keep in mind that the love they have for each other is stronger than any force that could try and pull them apart.
I love my family! It is so great knowing that wherever I am, I have a bunch of people who love me. :)
