Temple Blessings

I came to more fully realize the blessings of the temple and how actively we need to teach those priesthood principles to our children. I loved the quote from Pres. Benson. “The temple is an ever present reminder that God intends the family to be eternal.” That’s why it’s so important to go often. It reminds us of the eternal picture so the everyday irritants in our marriages or family relationships don’t become the focal point. When I go to the temple my heart is turned to my husband and my family so it’s good to go often.

The Village Marriage

This is a painting called

The Village Wedding that shows how a marriage impacts everyone in a village and is not just an choice between two people. In our society we have been decieved into thinking that personal freedoms are more important than responsible connections. The 60's were the height of marital stability but the feminist movement opened the door for women to leave the home for work. The sexual revolution changed the need of marriage for sex and led the way to elevating individual "Rights". What "I need" became more important than what was good for society. When adults are divorced, they can move on to other things but for children it is the loss of their support system and they have no control over where they go or with whom. Divorce not only causes problems for families but for society. The proclamation to the family states that children are entitled to birth in a home with a mother and a father. Communities need to unite in support of traditional families. Marriage is worth the effort!

Marriage class notes

The classes I'm taking this term are Interpersonal Communication and Marriage so I will be sharing some things I'm learning with anyone who wants to read.

Week one reflective blog:

There were a couple of quotes this week that really impacted my thinking that I want to share and preserve. The first was by Pres. Kimball. “The time will come when only those who believe deeply and actively in the family will be able to preserve their families in the midst of the gathering evil around us.”

I have felt more and more lately, that people who believe in family really need to step it up and share with the world the concepts found in the Proclamation on the Family. It’s not going to be enough to just live it ourselves, we will need to actively teach it and share those ideas and vote for leaders who share those same values. We will need to be a light to the world and set the example. This quote just confirmed that feeling. I think especially those who work with Young Women can have a powerful influence of righteous womanhood and a positive example of honoring traditional roles of being happy in homes designed to nurture children. I was amazed at the statistics that showed more educated people marrying at a higher percentage, but that they were not having children. Somewhere in the education process they are getting the idea that children are not a blessing or that having children in not something of value.

The other quote that impressed me was about transitional characters. “God intervenes in some destructive lineages, assigning a valiant spirit to break the chain of destructiveness in such families. Although these children may suffer innocently as victims of violence, neglect or exploitation, through the grace of God some find the strength to “purge” the poison within themselves, refusing to pass it on to future generations. Before them were generations of destructive pain, after them, the line flows clean and pure. Their children and children’s children will call them blessed. Such person’s, in some degree becomes as, “Saviors on mount Zion” by helping to bring salvation to a lineage.”

I am so grateful for transitional characters. Our latter-day church is based on transitional characters. People who were brave enough and had the courage to break out of traditional religious beliefs because they found higher truth. Others are in dysfunctional family patterns and have the courage to break out of those patterns so they can make life better for themselves and the generations to come. My mom was a first generation member of the church and she decided that she wanted to be sealed in the temple. That decision hurt her family deeply because they couldn’t come, but I know our family has been blessed, and will be blessed for generations, because of the faith she exhibited.

I hope you all will think about these things and do what you can to strengthen your own families and be a light to the world.