Family Life

"The family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children...  IN THE PREMORTAL REALM,  spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped 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" (Th Family a Proclamation to The World). I am so grateful that we have eternal families. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we believe in the plan of happiness. This is the plan that Heavenly Father set forth for His children to return to live with Him again. Families have been around since the beginning. We all existed first as spirit sons or daughters to Heavenly parents.  I know that I can live with my family again. I know that because of the atonement of Jesus Christ I can be forgiven and made clean to enter into the presence of God. Presiden...

Mothers are truly remarkable. They do so much and expect nothing. The Family a Proclamation to The World says: "Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children." Mothers have a natural need to care and nurture children. Heavenly Father made woman loving, caring, patient, and so much more. These amazing qualities are what make mothers so great at what they do.  The country singer Luke Bryan wrote a song called "most people are good" in his song he says,  "And most mama's oughta qualify for sainthood" Isn't that the truth! Mothers are amazing. The first presidency statement in 1942 declared:  "Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angles." I don't know where I would be without my mother. She is always there for me when I need her. She listens to me and talks to me. I ca...

Coercion is defined as " the practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats". Parents sometimes use coercion as a method of parenting.  Coercion is compelling others to act or choose in a certain way. Coercive parenting is a very tempting way to raise and treat children. Parents often think that it creates expediency and efficiency… they get what they wanted immediately… it must have worked. It gives parents the sense that their child is obeying them, so they must be doing the right thing because their child is complying with them. But, I can tell you right now that this is only an image and is actually not working at all. Coercion creates only short term compliance. In return the child will retaliate and want to leave the environment, or they will counter coercion by doing the things they know they are not supposed to be doing to get even. I think the best way for parents to get past the temptation to coerce children is by understanding t...

I love the idea of turning towards one another. I think this is so important in every marriage. I have found comfort in knowing that I can turn to my husband anytime there is a trial or even when I'm just having a bad day. I find so much love and peace knowing I have someone who cares so much about me and wants the best for me.   D&C 64:33 "Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great." In the book "successful marriages and families" it talks about how important it is to stay connected in the little ways. These little ways can be as simple as picking up his shoes and putting them in his closet. I have found that when I do things for my husband I feel more love for him and find myself really caring for him. I want to know more about him so that I can do more of the things that he loves.   “Once your marriage gets set at a more positive level, it is hard t...

Marriage is essential to our Heavenly Father's eternal plan. The Family Proclamation says:  "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". It is our responsibility to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. Besides that we also are commanded to become unified as husband and wife.  "Our Heavenly Father wants our hearts to be knit together." This is a necessary part of marriage. When we facilitate oneness in marriage we are obeying the commandments of God. Intimacy in marriage is a gift given to us from our Father in Heaven. The sacred gift of creating life as he creates life. When we facilitate this we become closer as a couple, we become one. When we are unified as a couple we become closer to God.  Knowing and understand what is healthy and appropriate is between the two of you. It is something that requires commun...

As husbands and wives it is important for us to come together when it comes to making decisions. We may all come from different opinions and backgrounds but, that doesn't change the fact that a husband and wife should look to each other when it comes to making decisions.  I think this goes back to picking a spouse that has similar goals and opinions as you in the fir st place. It is so important for us to be equally yoked with our spouse and that stems from being one in purpose and having the same goals. Along with that we need to set these goals early on in marriage so that when the time comes to make decisions we already know how we are going to handle the situation. Although we all come from different backgrounds and opinions it is essential for husbands and wives to understand their roles and unity in marriage. We are meant to be equal partners. I think when a couple understand this they are able to come together and function the way God intended for a marriage to be. ...

Dating can be extremely tricky! In a world full of people how can you make sure you are marrying the right person? I have the answer... DATE! Going on dates is the key to finding someone you want to spend your life with. It is important for us to trust in the Lord and go on dates.  "The starting point for becoming ready for marriage is to develop faith in The Lord Jesus Christ and his divine plan for marriage and families."  Before my husband and I got marred I went on tons of dates with tons of different guys. This helped me to figure out the type of man I wanted to marry. When I met my husband we dated for an entire year before we got married. I can honestly say this was the best thing for us. In that year we really got to know each other and see each other in so many different situations. I felt like I truly knew who he was and loved him because of that.  So I talked about the importance of dating before marriage and how that helps you find your eternal ...