Know vs. know

Readings:

Elder David A. Bednar, We Believe in Being Chaste (General Conference, April 2013

Elder Richard G. Scott, Making the Right Choices (Ensign, November 1994)

Elder Boyd K. Packer, The Fountain of Life (BYU Fireside, 29 March 1992)

         This weeks readings were, yes, once again very prophetic. I learned many thing from these words.....some obviously stood out more than others but I still learned things that strengthened what I already knew as well. One such phrase/paragraph that stood out to me was from Elder Bednar's, We Believe in Being Chaste." He stated: "The power of procreation is spiritually significant. Misuse of this power subverts the purposes of the Father's plan and of our mortal existence. Our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son are creators and have entrusted each of us with a portion of Their creative power." It goes on but these few sentences are what made me stop and ponder more. I had never understood it in this way. This power of sexual intimacy and procreation brings a man and woman together to become one and even greater than that to become as God. We are blessed with His power her on earth. This is who we all want to be in the hereafter, we are striving to be as God and here on earth this is the one way we can experience that already. That's really cool! Yet we have to use it properly as well. He has given us commandments as to how to use such power and when we use it improperly we are required to repent. And as we learned in the Pod Casts "No true repentance comes without pain" and the pain is based on the wrongs we have done. 

Elder Bednar then quotes Elder Oaks, "The power to create mortal life is the most exalted power God has given his children. Its use was mandated in the first commandment, but another important commandment was given to forbid its misuse." I just really appreciate all of these readings because even when I'm stopped and given reason to contemplate and ponder things in the very first reading, I have a stronger urge to read everything else too. 

Elder Scott's question and answer was very interesting too. He was very specific in some of his questions and I appreciate that. We aren't blunt enough sometimes when we talk about these things and we really need to be especially the way the world is today. We need to make everyone aware of just how powerful satan can be when it comes to intimacy and sexual relations outside the holy bounds of marriage as ordained of and by God. Elder Scott, when talking about peer pressure made the following statement, "No one intends to make serious mistakes. They come when you compromise your standards to be more accepted by others. You be the strong one. You be the leader. Choose good friends and resist peer pressure together." Sometimes easier said than done but we should strive to have those who will influence and support us for good!

Parents Love

I've been giving a lot of thought into parents and their behavior towards their children. In particulat how parents have "favorites." They really do yet every parent infatically states that they don't. I believe the ONLY parent who doesn't is our loving Heavenly Father who loves each one of us the exact same! As for parents, on this earth, it really is only natural to like one child over others. Usually it's the one we can most relate to or the one who has the qualities we really like in ourselves so we can be more ourself with them. In my case I can honestly say that I don't play favorites, but that's because I only have one!! :-)

If one honestly thinks about it they can see the truth in the statement. Each one of you, who are parents, can look at their children and determine which one that is. It might not just be one, you might like several more than another. Maybe you have two, three, four, or even five  kids and one is just sooooo not like you and has had some experiences in their life that you just can't relate too so it's difficult to truly want to be around them a lot or you just find yourself calling the others more or something. I just wish we could be honest about this. It's okay because when that child becomes a parent they will have their favorite(s) too.

I guess in my experience it's hard to see, as a child, the favorites of my own parents. I know that I am the one who is and always has been so different from both my parents that I am far from their favorite. I'm okay, well not really, but I have learned to accept that, I just wish my parents weren't embarrassed to actually say this out loud. Instead they adimately disagree and won't even listen to the fact that there may be some truth to this. 

Now I'm not here to bash my parents but they are the ones whom I know best and am able to really see how this challenge affects others. I just wanted to get it out there, that ALL parents, unless they only have one child, have favorites! They relate better with some over others just as we all do in every relationship.

Take friendship, for example. Our friends are our friends because they get us and we get them. We understand one another. That doesn't mean that we are angry with everyone else because they aren't our friends or because they don't like us the way they like others. It's just the way it is and we accept that.  But when it comes to family members we aren't so accepting. Why?

If you look at it, and I'm sure you've realized this before but let me remind you, we tend to treat those around us the most more "normally" than we do others. We get it in our heads that those in our family are going to love us no matter what so it's okay to treat them a little, or a lot, less nicely than we do even total strangers. I'm not sure why that is but it is true. We may not want to and even try hard not to but for the most part we all do. If some how we can be reminded of this and be able to stop ourselves before we act or speak this way we would be much better off but that's not always easy.

We are not going through this alone, although it may feel this way at time. Also, we need to remember that this is our first time as a parent, with EACH of our children. They are all so different that we need to be reminded that this is our first time as a parent with this child and how should I really handle things? The biggest part of our life needs to be focused on what God would have us do. He has laid the groundwork for us. It's not always easy to remember and it's not always as clear but it's there. We need to listen to His words and the words He send through out prophets and other church leaders on earth today.

I some of the reading in class I found some very interesting words by our prophets. President Henry B. Eyring, at a BYU Address in November of 1995 stated, "Because our Father loves his children, he will not leave us to guess about what matters most in this life concerning where our attention could bring happiness or our indifference bring sadness. Sometimes he will tell us directly, by inspiration. But he will, in addition, tell us through his servants."

"We may have to pray with faith to know what we are todo, and we must pray with a determination to obey."

Powerful and very helpful words from a living prophet of God. We are not left alone on this journey of ours. Every day God is with us and has sent us tools to get us through. We can't go and talk with Him face to face whenever we want to but we can turn to Him in prayer and seek out the good words of prophets through scriptures and other means to learn how to get through each moment in life.

God's View on Marriage!

Readings:

Elder David A. Bednar, Honorably Hold a Name and a Standing (Ensign, May 2009)

Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Celestial Marriage (New Era, June 1978)

Elder Bruce C. Hafen, Covenant Marriage, General Conference, October 1996)

         The thing that hit me most after going through the readings is how similar each was yet they were each from different eras. They weren't just a few years apart either, they were literally different eras and generations. It's rather interesting to see how over the years things like this are repeated for our benefit and the benefit of a new generation who may not have heard these things a million times yet. 

Elder Hafen said that, "Marriage is by nature a covenant, not just a private contract one may cancel at will." I love this because in the world we live in so many people don't see it this way. They think they can try one person out for a while as if they were married  but not legally doing so that way if they don't like it in a few months or even years they can walk away as if it had never happened, and move on to someone else. But I know marriage is a sacred covenant that is to be protected and strengthened. Sure there are times when I get frustrated and maybe even wonder what it would be like to not be married but then I think of all the years we have been and our beautiful son whom we both love completely and realize I can do this with the Lords help and by talking to the man I love and married! We are in this together and with the Lords help it always works out.

I also loved Elder Hafen's analogy of the three wolves: natural adversity, own imperfections, and excessive individualism. My favorite line of his: "When we observe the covenants we make at the alter of sacrifice, we discover hidden reservoirs of strength." 

Elder Bednar's statement: "We as faithful Saints have been strengthened by adversity and are the recipients of the Lord's tender mercies." This struck me because of the truthfulness in it. I don't always see my trials as blessings but they truly are when they are done and then throughout as I learn from them. But the blessing is knowing that God's hand was there every step of the way.

Random Thoughts (February 8th)

I've been giving a lot of thought into parents and their behavior towards their children. In particular how parents have "favorites." They really do yet every parent emphatically states that they don't. I believe the ONLY parent who doesn't is our loving Heavenly Father who loves each one of us the exact same! As for parents, on this earth, it really is only natural to like one child over others. Usually it's the one we can most relate to or the one who has the qualities we really like in ourselves so we can be more our self with them. In my case I can honestly say that I don't play favorites, but that's because I only have one!! :-) 

If one honestly thinks about it they can see the truth in the statement. Each one of you, who are parents, can look at their children and determine which one that is. It might not just be one, you might like several more than another. Maybe you have two, three, four, or even five  kids and one is just sooooo not like you and has had some experiences in their life that you just can't relate too so it's difficult to truly want to be around them a lot or you just find yourself calling the others more or something. I just wish we could be honest about this. It's okay because when that child becomes a parent they will have their favorite(s) too.

I guess in my experience it's hard to see, as a child, the favorites of my own parents. I know that I am the one who is and always has been so different from both my parents that I am far from their favorite. I'm okay, well not really, but I have learned to accept that, I just wish my parents weren't embarrassed to actually say this out loud. Instead they admittedly disagree and won't even listen to the fact that there may be some truth to this. 

Now I'm not here to bash my parents but they are the ones whom I know best and am able to really see how this challenge affects others. I just wanted to get it out there, that ALL parents, unless they only have one child, have favorites! They relate better with some over others just as we all do in every relationship. 

Take friendship, for example. Our friends are our friends because they get us and we get them. We understand one another. That doesn't mean that we are angry with everyone else because they aren't our friends or because they don't like us the way they like others. It's just the way it is and we accept that.  But when it comes to family members we aren't so accepting.

What does the Lord teach that it means to be a man or a woman?

Readings:

Elder Richard G. Scott, Finding Happiness (exerpts) (BYU Campus Education Wee, 19 August 1997)

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, The Moral Force of Women (General Conference, October 2013

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Brethren We Have A Work To Do & Let Us Be Men (excerpts) (General Conference, October 2006 & 2012)

What does the Lord teach that it means to be a man/woman?

I appreciated the comments made by Elder Scott and Elder Christofferson. I found the distinction between men and women. Each of us brings certain aspects to a marriage and family.

According to these readings men are to be providers and strong priesthood holders and when are to be nurturers and teachers of the children. The things I gathered most here were that each husband and wife is different. We have our strengths and our weaknesses but we are to come and work together to create a unified oneness. We need to help each other by building up each others strengthens and not focusing so much on each others weaknesses. Each man and each woman has great things to bring to a marriage and we need to appreciate those things no matter what they are not try to be as the world wants us to be. Each competing with one another to see who can have more power or control within the marriage or family unit!

I appreciated Elder Scott sharing his dream. That was a very personal thing that happened to him and yet he prayerfully considered the impact it might have in teaching others of the concept of how satan works on each of us. I haven’t had such an experience and I think it would affect each of us differently but reading it I can feel the despair that is in everything Satan has to offer. We need to not give in to those thoughts and feelings because we already KNOW the falsehood to those things. All that brings sadness and frustration and anger is of him who is satan. But all that is happy and good and joyful is of Christ, our Savior, as well as of our Heavenly Father. That’s all it takes for me to know what I need to do. If I get depressed I know satan can work more easily on me and I have to do all I can to change that mood/feeling.

Elder Christofferson helped show the distinct differences between men and woman. One thing he stated was, “A woman’s moral influence is nowhere more powerfully felt or more beneficially employed than in the home.” I loved that because it helps me, as a stay-at-home mother know that I am where I need to be. But that’s how I feel in my situation. I don’t think this belittles other woman who are mothers and yet work outside the home. I feel this is just helping mothers understand the importance of the work inside the home as well. As he also pointed out that in the world many are influencing woman to not worry about and be as concerned with the home and family. The world emphasizes the role of a woman in the workplace as being more important than that of a mother. That’s where we need to be careful. Some may chose to work outside the home because of skills and education received but that should not diminish the responsibilities in the home, especially if you are blessed to have a family.