Family Is Essential

Demographic Winter 
For class this week we watched a video about declining populations across the world. They talked about the struggles we face because people choose to have smaller families, or no family at all. It's very interesting to see all the impacts of such personal decisions. For example, in America, as families get smaller, our children will have to work harder to support the retiring generations. And across the world, support systems are getting smaller and smaller. Many children don't have aunts and uncles, cousins, or siblings to support them. Once their parents are gone, they are completely alone in the world. Families are where people learn emotional intelligence. We become who we are based primarily on the interactions we have with our families.
As I watched it I thought about the proclamation on the Family the Church sent out to the world in 1995. Click here to read it. Throughout the confusion and turmoil of the world's confusion on population rates and fertility rates, we have a standard set before us. We have divine direct instruction for success in our families! Marriage and family are ordained of God. That means He provided it for our success and happiness in eternity. It means He will not leave us alone in our efforts. When we follow the guidelines set forth in the Proclamation we are endowed with power, patience, and peace in the process. You could also check out the following article written that explains the Proclamation further.
Henry B Eyring-'The Family'

Latter Day Saints and Certain Relations

     Maybe this is more of a journal entry than a public blog. If you're afraid of personal journal entries, I would skip this blog. I came up with an intriguing question in class this week. I don't necessarily need commentary, but I would like you and I to ponder this. My generation was born after the crazy times of the Women's Rights Movement, the Divorce Revolution, and Sexual Revolution. As Latter Day Saints we are instructed to preserve the sacred powers of procreation for marriage. The sexual revolution seemed to turn it into an act of recreation. Even as Mormons, I wonder if our perspective of intimacy has changed because we are inevitably immersed in worldly culture and opinions. Most of our opinions about sex came from our parents and peers.
     We are given Gospel instruction. We are encouraged to go through a certain structure of dating, courting, engagement and eventual marriage. Even then, I wonder how much our perspective of sex is influenced by the worldly perspective. And as our children grow up, how much will they be influenced by the World's changing opinions?

How many kids should we have?

I just watched a video for my Family Relations class about fertility rates and population growth. I wanted to do a little casual research myself among my friends and family. I would like to start a discussion on here about how many children families should have, if they should have any, etc. So post a comment with answers to the following:

1. How many siblings do you have?
2. Do you want to have kids? Why or Why not?
3. How many children do you want to have?

The Blessings of Keeping Covenants

      The family is the most important unit in time and eternity. We were part of a family before this life, during this life, and if we make and keep sacred covenants with God in the temple, we can be a part of a family in eternity. Eternal life is life with family forever. How do we keep these covenants? According to the articles of faith we are to do the following:

1. Have faith.
2. Trust God
3. Do right.
4. Be right.
5. Endure.

      I believe that if we follow these principles we will be acting true to God and to our eternal nature and covenants with Him. We must have faith in God, and trust in the power of the atonement. We must be baptized and confirmed, among the other ordinances of the gospel. We must be true to those covenants, and always remember Christ. Always remembering Him will help us to endure to the end. When we strive to not only know the gospel, but to live it, and apply it in our lives, we lose our desire to do evil.
     We need to do these things in marriage too. Our covenants with God and our spouses enable us to receive eternal life. Nothing is more important than that. No other interest or hobby should be put ahead of this eternal relationship with God, and man and wife. I love that. I want to have that and do my best in that relationship. We can strengthen this relationship, and our families through spending quality time together, praying together, and studying the gospel together.
     I know this is not the easiest thing to do. Marriage and family is a faith based work. It's not intended for us to go at it alone. I feel like that is a powerful tender mercy of the atonement. Whenever we are tempted to feel overwhelmed in the mountains of duties and tasks that lie before us, we can take up hope. For we were not meant to do this alone. And in marriage we have not only the help of Christ, but the help of an eternal companion standing forever by our side.





Works Cited
"Families in the Church", Handbook 2: Administering the Church
Julie Beck, "Teaching the Doctrine of the Family", (2009), Seminaries and Institutes of Religion Broadcast.

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An Amazing Quote

"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell."
C. S. Lewis