We All Have A Work to Do

The Plan of Salvation

            Each one of us was placed on this Earth to fulfill a different purpose. We all have distinct talents and qualities that make it possible to fulfill our purpose. “Part of the Plan of Salvation or the Plan of Happiness is to have the opportunity and responsibility to live in and perpetuate family relationships. Part of our work to do is fulfilling our roles as a son, daughter, sister, brother, husband, wife, mother, or father.” One of my favorite scriptures reads, “For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors” (Alma 34:30–32).

President Joseph F. Smith reminded us, “To do well those things which God ordained to be the common lot of all man-kind, is the truest greatness. To be a successful father or a successful mother is greater than to be a successful general or a successful statesman. One is universal and eternal greatness, the other is ephemeral.” What matters most lasts the longest.

We can fulfill our roles while on Earth in many different ways.

We can fulfill our roles through…

• ·         Our Agency and Accountability
• ·         Our Gratitude
• ·         Our Education
• ·         Our Family
• ·         Our Friends
• ·         Our Decision on How we use Entertainment and Media
• ·         Our Language
• ·         Our Honesty
• ·         Our Service to Others
• ·         Our Faith

As we fulfill our roles we fulfill our purpose on Earth. Within a marriage and within a family we are called to serve. Family members unselfishly serve each other. All relationships take work which leads to success. Work while on the Earth builds a strong family foundation. Work is a blessing from God. It is a principle of salvation.  

Light in the Darkness

The Family A Proclamation to the World

            Spiritual light can cut through the darkness. The Family Proclamation was created for the entire world, not just members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Our world is constantly changing through beliefs, values, politics, etc. The Family Proclamation can provide individuals and families with a guide and a standard to follow during these unstable times. I wanted to share The Family Proclamation with others in my blog because I feel it can bring personal strength to families and individuals. I believe it can bring clarity in a world of confusion, I believe it can encourage self-improvement through faith, patience, and love, and I believe we should refer to it as we encounter relevant issues within the world or within our own family.

“President Henry B. Eyring explained that the proclamation provides an eternal perspective to help us understand the value of family relations…Truly, understanding and internalizing the principles in the proclamation changes our perspective, our goals, and our entire approach to family life.” Happiness is centered on the family. Family is the fundamental unit of society. Eternal, to me, means something that lasts forever. We can have eternal marriages and eternal families! Romance, love, marriage, and parenthood are all eternal family anchors. They bring us happiness. The adversary disrupts these eternal family anchors. That is why I encourage you to read and understand the many principles found in The Family Proclamation, to protect and defend your family from the adversary.

One section of The Family Proclamation that my family memorized and has put into action is in the seventh paragraph. “Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.”

Faith: My family has faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have a testimony of the importance of putting our complete trust in God. We know that He will always be with us even through difficult times of trial.

Prayer: We have family prayer every morning and evening as a family. We pray for our family members, friends, and those in need during difficult times. Prayer is how we communicate with God.

Repentance: Everyone makes mistakes! Sometimes those we love, our family, can offend or hurt us. It is important that family members acknowledge their faults and correct any wrongdoings.

Forgiveness: If we want to be forgiven by others it is important that we also forgive. Our home has less contention and more friendship when we choose to forgive each other. In our home we teach about the importance of forgiving everyone.

Respect: Everyone was created differently for a specific and divine purpose. Differences are good and can even be complimentary. That is why we try to practice respect for differences within our family.

Love: Within our family we try to show our love for each other in many ways through our words, actions, and deeds.

Compassion: Compassion means having a kind heart towards others. As we are considerate to our family members we are able to better help them.

Work: As a family we enjoy working together. I want to teach my children of the importance, fulfillment, and success work can bring. I know I can only do this by working alongside them and my husband.

Wholesome Recreational Activities: My family really enjoys the outdoors. We enjoy camping, fishing, and hiking together. These activities help unite our family.

 

These principles have almost become our family “rules.”  We live by these principles and incorporate them into our daily lives. These principles make our family life better and help us focus on what matters most. While there is confusion, change, turmoil and darkness within the world today, let us all have light and happiness within our homes and families by following the principles and teachings of The Family Proclamation to the World. 

Attaining Peace in Our Lives

Forgiveness

There are many different things people do in this world that can cause us hurt. Individuals in our neighborhood, individuals we work with, go to school with, and beyond can all offend us and cause us hurt. Even family members can hurt us. Why do those we love sometimes hurt us the most? How do we regain peace in our lives after a serious offense? Elder Richard G. Scott concluded that, “The sure path to peace and healing is forgiveness.”

I would like to share a personal experience about forgiveness from within my family of origin. If we want to be forgiven it is important that we forgive others. Throughout my life I have struggled with forgiving my father for his actions towards my mother and my sister. My mother and father decided to get a divorce while I was young. However I was old enough to know of the hurt and see the betrayal in my parents’ marriage. As I have gotten older I feel as if I have developed a closer relationship with my Heavenly Father. Being raised in the gospel of Jesus Christ and understanding the importance of forgiveness and well as the Atonement has helped me to know that my responsibility is to forgive. I have forgiven my father and I pray that he will have the desire to repent if he has not already done so. I know that my father must have guilt associated with his actions and if I ever see him again while on Earth I want him to have the peace of knowing that I have forgiven him. I also try to remember the many mistakes I have made in my life and how God and others have forgiven me of my sins. This helps me remember that I need to forgive others and let go of resentments.

            Forgiveness is not a term only used by Latter Day Saints. The word forgiveness and its meaning have become increasingly prominent in professional literature. “Mental health experts acknowledge that it is impossible to address emotional and physical well-being without considering the relevance of forgiveness.” Just as mental health experts suggest, forgiveness can improve damaged family relationships and bring about better emotional and physical health. I know that using my own agency and choosing to forgive my father improved my emotional state of being. Holding onto negative feelings only made me depressed and emotionally worn-out. My negative feelings not only affected me emotionally but they also impacted my physical health decisions. I had no desire to become better until I chose to forgive my father.

It takes time and effort to forgive another individual, especially for serious offences. It is never easy, in fact it can be really hard, but it benefits not only the individual you are choosing to forgive but it also brings peace into your life. I would like to leave you with a video that has inspired me and taught me that I can forgive others for any wrongdoing. I hope this Mormon Message video gives you hope and helps to bring you peace!

Family Practices Do Strengthen the Family Bond

Family Practices

My family participates in family rules, family traditions, religious practices and family time. These are just a few family practices that have strengthened our family’s unity. The religious practices that my family chooses to participate in have been the biggest source of help in creating a cohesive family unit. “Religious practices are outward, observable, expressions of faith.”

Prayer has been and will continue to be a religious family practice in my home. My husband and I pray together and we pray for each other. This strengthens our family bond because our validation for each other is often expressed. Prayer has helped my husband and I find solutions to our problems or disagreements. I often experience humility when I pray, and I believe that when you are humble you become teachable and can receive knowledge.
I believe both secular and spiritual knowledge is needed to understand how to strengthen our families. In Elder Richard G. Scott’s talk titled, Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge he explains, “The treasures of both secular and spiritual knowledge are hidden ones—but hidden from those who do not properly search and strive to find them. … Spiritual knowledge is not available merely for the asking; even prayers are not enough. It takes persistence and dedication of one’s life. …”  

            I also feel that spending time together as a family greatly strengthens our family’s bond. My husband and I try to plan a family activity weekly. This past week we decided to go on a family hike! During this meaningful time spent together we communicated with each other. We maintained and created a better friendship. This allowed us to feel close to each other which strengthened our bond. I feel that spending time together as a family can have many positive outcomes. Family time can promote acceptance, de-escalate negative emotions or interactions, reduce feelings of hostility, enhance emotional relationship behavior, and help to solve problems.

Family practices can include a wide range of activities! The best part is that you can create family practices that will have a lasting impact on your family. Memories and traditions are created through family practices. Every individual and family is different, and family practices are one way to highlight your differences and grow together as a family. 

Draw Others Back to You through Your Love

I wish to express the importance of showing love, being hopeful, expressing validation and being forgiving of those who stray from our families. I think many families have parents, children, friends, etc. who become wayward. There are members of my family who have made mistakes and suffered from abuse and addictions. What human being has not made a mistake? During difficult challenges it is helpful to have supportive family members.

Anger

            Anger is a secondary emotion. Anger destroys families within the walls of their own homes. Most people get angry when their expectations about what others should do are not being met. I know I have allowed myself to be angry towards others for their actions, but this is not an effective way to help those we love. Anger is actually a choice. We have a stimulus or something that makes us angry, and then we have our agency, and can choose our response. It is important to make our homes and relationships safe heavens.

 

Dealing with Differences

            Unrealistic expectations are a problem facing many individuals and families. There are many ways that we can communicate our expectations, show love, and express validation for those we love. One technique I use to do this within my own family is called the Speaker-Listener Technique. This is a technique involving two people. One person is the speaker and the other is the listener. The speaker uses “I” statements to communicate what they think and feel. The listener paraphrases what the speaker is communicating, with the hopes of better understanding the speaker so that a resolution can be reached. Google is actually a great resource to find more information about the Speaker Listener Technique.

 Temple Covenants

            As mentioned before I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I would like to share a quote from President Boyd K. Packer about the binding power of the sealing ordinance made in the temple. “Now sometimes there are those who are lost. We have the promise of the prophets that they are not permanently lost, that if they are sealed in the temple ordinances, and if the covenants are kept (by the parents), in due time, after all the corrections that’s necessary to be given, that they will not be lost.” I believe that natural consequences follow everyone’s actions and choices. I believe that it is important to not judge others for their mistakes or trials. “It is important to love family members, let them make their own decisions, and separate the sin from the sinner.”

The Importance of Multiplying and Replenishing the Earth while Receiving the Blessing of Children

A Decision to Have Children

            Today husband and wife, men and women are choosing to have fewer children or no children at all. Families who do choose to have many children are thought to be either irresponsible or just crazy! I believe that parenthood allows husband and wife to care for and nurture children and to teach children to love, to be charitable, to be knowledgeable, to be virtuous, to be patient, and to be diligent. The future depends upon the children of the world today. What an important duty and responsibility parents have! The Earth needs to be replenished for production.

I am a member if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and I believe that the decision to replenish the population and have children, when to have children, and how many children to have should be between the husband, the wife, and God. “The God Triangle” or otherwise known as “The Marriage Triangle” teaches that when a husband and wife include God in their decisions, either big or small, they grow closer together to each other and also to God.

The Blessings of Children and Investing in the Next Generation

         I know I have thought about the potential risks to families, individuals, the nation, and the world when we choose not to multiply and replenish the Earth. Having children creates a more stable society. Article 16.3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and state.” “A global society consists of nations of communities of families. Citizens who are parents are more invested in the well-being of their community.” President James E. Faust noted that, “while few human challenges are greater than that of being good parents, few opportunities offer greater potential for joy.” I know that being a mother will be full of sacrifices but I could not imagine a more accomplishing role.