"We affirm the sanctity of life and its importance in God's eternal plan," -Cynthia L. Hallen
The chapter that I read this week in Successful Marriages and Families was titled "Defending the Sanctity of Human Life." The phrase "sanctity of life" is used by people who have concerns about life-related issues such as abortion on demand, birth control, capital punishment, and euthanasia.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints declares the sanctity of human life, stating, "we deplore the practice of partial-birth abortion which destroys innocent life, and we condemn and oppose it as one of the most revolting and sinful practices of our day."
What is life? Why is life sacred? Why is life important in God's eternal plan? Life can be defined as a condition of sustained regenerative activity, energy, expression, or power that human beings and other animate creatures experience. One of the earliest meanings of the word "sacred" has to do with the consecration of the body and blood of Christ in the sacrament. Life is sacred because Jesus Christ is the ultimate source or fountain of life through His work in the Creation and through His sacrifice in the Atonement. Human life is sacred because human bodies are temples, and all flesh is in the Lord's hands.
The Proclamation states, "we call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family." The reading explains that church members have the right to speak out on moral issues such as abortion and to support public policy that coincides with moral beliefs.
I challenge all of you to speak up for what you believe in and be advocated of Christ!
Friday, November 30, 2018
Wholesome Family Recreation: Building Strong Families
My husband and I LOVE going to movies! In fact, we had a movie theater themed wedding. This chapter, titled "Wholesome Family Recreation: Building Strong Families," caught my attention because I have always been the type of person to love to do out and do fun things with my family and the ones that I love!
This chapter states, "successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities." Recreation is easy because we all have things that we love to do! Especially today, there is an infinite number of activities that us as individuals like to do in our free time. It becomes a problem when we are looking for instant satisfaction all the time. During this lifetime, it is not the goal to be constantly entertained. We sometimes have to do things that we do not want to do, so it is important that when we are entertaining ourselves, it is with wholesome activities.
Research shows that seeking more comfortable or pleasurable circumstances is likely to only bring temporary happiness. We seek pleasure or comfort, thinking it will make us happy, but soon become accustomed to the new pleasure or comfort and then continue to seek something more appealing.
Lastly, I would like to share a quote from the material that stood out to me the most:
"In truth, happiness is not all that it's cracked up to be, and most people don't really want to be happy all the time anyway. People often choose to go to movies or operas that are very unsettling- that terrify, sadden, disgust, or anger them. There is something about experiencing these emotions, whether in the safe and comfortable context of a theater or at a dangerous mountain pass in the Himalayas that is appealing to many people... the true meaning of being alive is not just to feel happy but to experience the full range of human emotions."
I know that doing things that we love is so healthy. I challenge all of you guys to find something that you love, and strive to do it at least once a week because it will help you become happier with other aspects of your life!
This chapter states, "successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities." Recreation is easy because we all have things that we love to do! Especially today, there is an infinite number of activities that us as individuals like to do in our free time. It becomes a problem when we are looking for instant satisfaction all the time. During this lifetime, it is not the goal to be constantly entertained. We sometimes have to do things that we do not want to do, so it is important that when we are entertaining ourselves, it is with wholesome activities.
Research shows that seeking more comfortable or pleasurable circumstances is likely to only bring temporary happiness. We seek pleasure or comfort, thinking it will make us happy, but soon become accustomed to the new pleasure or comfort and then continue to seek something more appealing.
Lastly, I would like to share a quote from the material that stood out to me the most:
"In truth, happiness is not all that it's cracked up to be, and most people don't really want to be happy all the time anyway. People often choose to go to movies or operas that are very unsettling- that terrify, sadden, disgust, or anger them. There is something about experiencing these emotions, whether in the safe and comfortable context of a theater or at a dangerous mountain pass in the Himalayas that is appealing to many people... the true meaning of being alive is not just to feel happy but to experience the full range of human emotions."
I know that doing things that we love is so healthy. I challenge all of you guys to find something that you love, and strive to do it at least once a week because it will help you become happier with other aspects of your life!
The Meanings and Blessings of Family Work
To start this off, I would like to share one of my favorite quotes by David O. McKay. He says, "let us realize that: the privilege to work is a gift, the power to work is a blessing, the love of work is a success!" This is something that we can all be better at!
The chapter that I read during this week in Successful Marriages and Families was titled, "The Meanings and Blessings of Family Work." It states, "successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of work." ALL family members are vital to family work.
Why does running a household, even with modern conveniences, take such inordinate chunks of time and displace other activities we consider important? If cooperating as a family is the ideal, why is it often easier to work along than to involve children or a spouse? Modern culture also encourages a dislike for characteristics of family work that may offer great possibilities for fostering growth and nurturing relationships. The book states, "unlike play, which often involves significant mental activity, sharing an everyday task can dissolve feelings of hierarchy, inviting lighthearted or intimate conversation that bonds us together."
When I look back on my childhood, some of the best moments with my family is when we would clean up after Thanksgiving dinner. These chores brought us closer together because we would have nothing to do besides clean and talk! This led me to become closer to my grandmother. We would hand wash dishes (she has never had a dishwasher) and talk about school, life, and our future goals. For my husband, some of the best times with his father are when they were doing yard work together. He always felt close to his dad when they were not focused on electronics or had any distractions!
Lastly, one thing that I thought would be beneficial for families is that the books says, "parents do not need a perfect system for doing chores." It says, "family work is a lifelong opportunity, essential to the process of becoming like our heavenly parents. It was not meant to be consistently easy, convenient, or well-managed. We cannot describe any systems that guarantee meaningful experiences with family work. Individuals and families, with diligence and through inspiration, can discover better ways to solve their earthly challenges.
The chapter that I read during this week in Successful Marriages and Families was titled, "The Meanings and Blessings of Family Work." It states, "successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of work." ALL family members are vital to family work.
Why does running a household, even with modern conveniences, take such inordinate chunks of time and displace other activities we consider important? If cooperating as a family is the ideal, why is it often easier to work along than to involve children or a spouse? Modern culture also encourages a dislike for characteristics of family work that may offer great possibilities for fostering growth and nurturing relationships. The book states, "unlike play, which often involves significant mental activity, sharing an everyday task can dissolve feelings of hierarchy, inviting lighthearted or intimate conversation that bonds us together."
When I look back on my childhood, some of the best moments with my family is when we would clean up after Thanksgiving dinner. These chores brought us closer together because we would have nothing to do besides clean and talk! This led me to become closer to my grandmother. We would hand wash dishes (she has never had a dishwasher) and talk about school, life, and our future goals. For my husband, some of the best times with his father are when they were doing yard work together. He always felt close to his dad when they were not focused on electronics or had any distractions!
Lastly, one thing that I thought would be beneficial for families is that the books says, "parents do not need a perfect system for doing chores." It says, "family work is a lifelong opportunity, essential to the process of becoming like our heavenly parents. It was not meant to be consistently easy, convenient, or well-managed. We cannot describe any systems that guarantee meaningful experiences with family work. Individuals and families, with diligence and through inspiration, can discover better ways to solve their earthly challenges.
Strengthen Relationships in Good Times and Heal Relationships in Bad Times
The chapter that I studied this week was Strengthen Relationships in Good Times and Heal Relationships in Bad Times.
The reading begins by saying "successful marriages are established and maintained on principles of prayer." This is something that I feel very strongly about. When I got married, I always believed that it would be so important to pray together as husband and wife, because it draws us nearer together and draws us closer to God!
Elder Dallin H. Oaks says, "Conflict is a universal part of marriage. For many, unresolved contention eventually leads to the dissolution of the marriage. Prayer, however, can help protect couples from divorce by healing the relationship and restoring harmony to the marriage." The reading explains that prayer has a de-escelating affect on conflict. I challenge all of you to turn to prayer in times of conflict, to avoid saying things that are not meant and to ensure that you are in the right state of mind!
Studies show that partner-focused prayer transforms relationship goals and facilitates forgiveness! 3 Nephi 11:29 says, "Satan strives to stir up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another, to disrupt the holy union of marriage in a blatant attempt to make us miserable like unto himself."
My husband has always told me that Satan does enough to hurt individuals and that he is already causing us to feel bad about ourselves. He says, "Satan is already doing enough, why must we help him?" Because of this, my husband is not the type of person to cause conflict or to be involved in drama, because he knows that Satan already has an affect. I challenge everyone who reads this to be able to remember this as well, and focus on being positive, Christ-like, and an advocate of the gospel!
The reading begins by saying "successful marriages are established and maintained on principles of prayer." This is something that I feel very strongly about. When I got married, I always believed that it would be so important to pray together as husband and wife, because it draws us nearer together and draws us closer to God!
Elder Dallin H. Oaks says, "Conflict is a universal part of marriage. For many, unresolved contention eventually leads to the dissolution of the marriage. Prayer, however, can help protect couples from divorce by healing the relationship and restoring harmony to the marriage." The reading explains that prayer has a de-escelating affect on conflict. I challenge all of you to turn to prayer in times of conflict, to avoid saying things that are not meant and to ensure that you are in the right state of mind!
Studies show that partner-focused prayer transforms relationship goals and facilitates forgiveness! 3 Nephi 11:29 says, "Satan strives to stir up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another, to disrupt the holy union of marriage in a blatant attempt to make us miserable like unto himself."
My husband has always told me that Satan does enough to hurt individuals and that he is already causing us to feel bad about ourselves. He says, "Satan is already doing enough, why must we help him?" Because of this, my husband is not the type of person to cause conflict or to be involved in drama, because he knows that Satan already has an affect. I challenge everyone who reads this to be able to remember this as well, and focus on being positive, Christ-like, and an advocate of the gospel!
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Faith in Family Life
The chapter that I studied this week in Successful Marriages and Families was called "Faith in Family Life. It starts out by saying that "successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith and prayer."
One thing that stood out to me the most during this reading was that prayer and faith are principles of action. If you want to see change, then you must take initiative yourself and make a change in order to receive a change.
The reading talks about three dimensions of strengthening family life. The first dimension is "Religious Community and Family." This dimension focuses on support, involvement, and relationships that are grounded in a congregation or less formal religious group. It explains that there is a higher life expectancy for individuals that attend a religious service more than once a week.Family structure is associated with the level of benefits families receive from the religious community when they are religiously involved. Unwed, divorced, and separated mothers tend to receive less social support from their faith communities than do widows.
The second dimension is "Religious Practices and Family." It says, "praying together as a family and reading the scriptures together is probably the best thing we do to pull us toward Heavenly Father and each other. It feels right. It feels good." They conclude that for Latter-Day Saint families relgious practice and family unity can be synergistically integrated in family prayer, family home evening, and family scripture study."
The third and final dimension is "Religious Beliefs and Family." Religious beliefs include personal, internal beliefs, framings, meanings, and perspectives, which can influence family life. The reading states, "over the past two decades, religious belief has received more rigorous, balanced, and comprehensive treatment in connection with family relationships than ever before." In conclusion, social science evidence suggests that shared faith appears to be a principle upon which successful marriages and families are established and maintained, even "during the storm."
One thing that stood out to me the most during this reading was that prayer and faith are principles of action. If you want to see change, then you must take initiative yourself and make a change in order to receive a change.
The reading talks about three dimensions of strengthening family life. The first dimension is "Religious Community and Family." This dimension focuses on support, involvement, and relationships that are grounded in a congregation or less formal religious group. It explains that there is a higher life expectancy for individuals that attend a religious service more than once a week.Family structure is associated with the level of benefits families receive from the religious community when they are religiously involved. Unwed, divorced, and separated mothers tend to receive less social support from their faith communities than do widows.
The second dimension is "Religious Practices and Family." It says, "praying together as a family and reading the scriptures together is probably the best thing we do to pull us toward Heavenly Father and each other. It feels right. It feels good." They conclude that for Latter-Day Saint families relgious practice and family unity can be synergistically integrated in family prayer, family home evening, and family scripture study."
The third and final dimension is "Religious Beliefs and Family." Religious beliefs include personal, internal beliefs, framings, meanings, and perspectives, which can influence family life. The reading states, "over the past two decades, religious belief has received more rigorous, balanced, and comprehensive treatment in connection with family relationships than ever before." In conclusion, social science evidence suggests that shared faith appears to be a principle upon which successful marriages and families are established and maintained, even "during the storm."
Honor Thy Father
The chapter that I read this week in Successful Marriages and Families was called "Honor Thy Father: Key Principles and Practices in Fathering."
Last week, I read about the importance of mothers, and this week I am now learning the importance of fathers. I love learning about the differences in gender roles, and how husband and wife can work together towards a greater goal. In the talk A Triangle, Three Pillars, and Your Eternal Happiness written by Elder David A. Bednar, he gives a diagram of a triangle with the Jesus Christ, Husband, and Wife on each corner. He says, "imagine a triangle with the savior at the apex and a man and woman at each of the other two corners. Notice what happens to their relationship as they both come unto Christ. At first glance, this may seem a little counter-intuitive. If someone wants to strengthen a relationship, shouldn't they focus on their partner and those interactions rather than a third party? Bringing the Savior and His atoning power into a relationship magnifies everything good in it and allows what is not good to be overcome and changed."
Successful Marriages and Families explains that fathers are directed to take upon themselves the responsibility of spiritual leadership in family life, as part of God's plan for the family function. A father also has the responsibility to preside and occupy the duties that rest upon men in family life, such as working and fixing things around the house. Men are called to exercise spiritual guidance among family members, which is done through love and the constant example of personal spiritual attentiveness that spiritual persuasion can be appropriately exercised.
The reading states, "both boys and girls who have positively involved fathers show higher social competence and experience fewer problems in school. Fathers' generative engagement with children accounts for a significant portion of their education and occupational attainment in young adulthood." Fathers teach their children to be involved positively and actively in spiritual work and ethical work.
"Generative spirituality meaningfully binds a father to his child and inspires him to meet his child's needs through responsible and responsive involvement. Generativity assumes a moral commitment to nurture and guide the next generation and transmit lasting values. Thus, it is linked with presiding in family life and blessing family members through love, warmth, and guidance."
Last week, I read about the importance of mothers, and this week I am now learning the importance of fathers. I love learning about the differences in gender roles, and how husband and wife can work together towards a greater goal. In the talk A Triangle, Three Pillars, and Your Eternal Happiness written by Elder David A. Bednar, he gives a diagram of a triangle with the Jesus Christ, Husband, and Wife on each corner. He says, "imagine a triangle with the savior at the apex and a man and woman at each of the other two corners. Notice what happens to their relationship as they both come unto Christ. At first glance, this may seem a little counter-intuitive. If someone wants to strengthen a relationship, shouldn't they focus on their partner and those interactions rather than a third party? Bringing the Savior and His atoning power into a relationship magnifies everything good in it and allows what is not good to be overcome and changed."
Successful Marriages and Families explains that fathers are directed to take upon themselves the responsibility of spiritual leadership in family life, as part of God's plan for the family function. A father also has the responsibility to preside and occupy the duties that rest upon men in family life, such as working and fixing things around the house. Men are called to exercise spiritual guidance among family members, which is done through love and the constant example of personal spiritual attentiveness that spiritual persuasion can be appropriately exercised.
The reading states, "both boys and girls who have positively involved fathers show higher social competence and experience fewer problems in school. Fathers' generative engagement with children accounts for a significant portion of their education and occupational attainment in young adulthood." Fathers teach their children to be involved positively and actively in spiritual work and ethical work.
"Generative spirituality meaningfully binds a father to his child and inspires him to meet his child's needs through responsible and responsive involvement. Generativity assumes a moral commitment to nurture and guide the next generation and transmit lasting values. Thus, it is linked with presiding in family life and blessing family members through love, warmth, and guidance."
Mothers as Nurturers
This week, I learned about the importance of mothers in the home and how they nurture their children. Janet J. Erickson says in Successful Marriages and Families that "mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children."
The relationship formed through a mother's attentive love provides the foundation for all of the other major tasks of parenthood. Many mothers feel that society does not value the kind of self-sacrificing work motherhood requires. Because of this, it causes a lot of women to invest their energy into a work place where they feel like their work is most valued, which is very sad. The reading states, "for most of our history, the word motherhood meant honor, endearment, and sacrifice... Yet this spirit of self-sacrifice has become a contentious issue in recent years, making contentious the very idea of motherhood." For those of you that do not know, contentious basically means controversial or argued about.
Motherhood in the home used to be less controversial. It was very traditional where the husband would work away from the home to support the family, while the women would stay home, keep up with the household chores and cooking, and take care of the children. As society has shifted, we see more than ever mothers working outside of the home and becoming more reliant on receiving pleasure from their jobs rather than their personal life.
In The Family: A Proclamation to the World, it states that "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." Motherhood is important because it is filled with responsibilities different than that of a father, and they fit together like a puzzle piece.
Successful Marriages and Families talks about how mothers have a sacred role because they are partners with God, as well as with their husbands, because they first give birth to the Lord's children, and then they rear those children so they will serve the Lord and keep His commandments.
The relationship formed through a mother's attentive love provides the foundation for all of the other major tasks of parenthood. Many mothers feel that society does not value the kind of self-sacrificing work motherhood requires. Because of this, it causes a lot of women to invest their energy into a work place where they feel like their work is most valued, which is very sad. The reading states, "for most of our history, the word motherhood meant honor, endearment, and sacrifice... Yet this spirit of self-sacrifice has become a contentious issue in recent years, making contentious the very idea of motherhood." For those of you that do not know, contentious basically means controversial or argued about.
Motherhood in the home used to be less controversial. It was very traditional where the husband would work away from the home to support the family, while the women would stay home, keep up with the household chores and cooking, and take care of the children. As society has shifted, we see more than ever mothers working outside of the home and becoming more reliant on receiving pleasure from their jobs rather than their personal life.
In The Family: A Proclamation to the World, it states that "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." Motherhood is important because it is filled with responsibilities different than that of a father, and they fit together like a puzzle piece.
Successful Marriages and Families talks about how mothers have a sacred role because they are partners with God, as well as with their husbands, because they first give birth to the Lord's children, and then they rear those children so they will serve the Lord and keep His commandments.
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