Family Proclamation to the Family - Part 2

Back in May I posted about a new class that I was taking through BYU-I.  I am now finishing up my class and am a better person for it.  I have enjoyed my time being able to learn from modern-day prophets, apostles, and other church leaders.  My testimony of the family has been strengthened as I have read almost 50 articles that better help me understand the role of the family in God's eternal plan for us.

Here are several of my favorite quotes related to The Family:

A Proclamation to the World.

"Parents have the vital responsibility to help their children prepare to return to Heavenly Father. Parents fulfill this responsibility by teaching their children to follow Jesus Christ and live His gospel." LDS Church Handbook

"And the fullness of the gospel is found in the temples—in temple ordinances and covenants and their eternal role. That is the full gospel." Sister Julie B. Beck

"No instrumentality or organization can take the place of the home or perform its essential functions." Elder David A. Bednar

"The man and the woman contribute differently but equally to a oneness and a unity that can be achieved in no other way. The man completes and perfects the woman and the woman completes and perfects the man as they learn from and mutually strengthen and bless each other." 

Elder David A. Bednar

"Woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam: not of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be loved." Matthew Henry

"Same-sex marriage cannot be regarded simply as the granting of a new "right." It is a far-reaching redefinition of the very nature of marriage itself. It marks a fundamental change in the institution of marriage in ways that are contrary to God's purposes for His children and detrimental to the long-term interests of society." Newsroom.lds.org

"As Church members strive to protect marriage between a man and a woman, they should show respect, civility, and kindness toward others who have different points of view." Newsroom.lds.org

"Although it may not be a welcome insight, you will grow more rapidly through challenge and trail than from a life of ease and serenity with no disturbing elements." Elder Richard G. Scott

"A woman's moral influence is nowhere more powerfully felt or more beneficially employed than in the home." Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Former Young Women general president Margaret D. Nadauld taught: “The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity.”

"The most important of the Lord's work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home." Harold B. Lee

"True manhood is not always measured by the fruits of one's labors but by the labors themselves – by one's striving." Elder D. Todd Christofferson

"The woman, by her very nature, is also co-creator with God and the primary nurturer of the children. Virtues and attributes upon which perfection and exaltation depend come naturally to a woman and are refined through marriage and motherhood..." President Boyd K. Packer

"Obedience give us greater control over our lives, greater capacity to come and go, to work and create." Elder D. Todd Christofferson

"When we as Latter-day Saints talk about marriage, we are talking about a holy, celestial order. We are talking about a system out of which can grow the greatest love, joy, peace, happiness, and serenity known to humankind. We are talking about creating a family unit that has the potential of being everlasting and eternal, a family unit where a man and a wife can go on in that relationship to all eternity, and where mother and daughter and father and son are bound by eternal ties that will never be severed. We are talking about creating a unit more important than the Church, more important than any organization that exists on earth or in heaven, a unit out of which exaltation and eternal life grow; and when we talk about eternal life, we are talking about the kind of life that God our Heavenly Father lives." Elder Bruce R. McConkie

"Many people today marry as hirelings. And when the wolf comes, they flee. This idea is wrong. It courses the earth, turning parents' hearts away from their children and from each other." 

Elder Bruce C. Hafen

"He [Satan] exaggerates the need for having space, getting out, and being left alone. Some people believe him-and then they wonder why they feel alone." Elder Bruce C. Hafen

"There is a difference between church-attending, tithe-paying members who occasionally rush into the temple to go through a session and those members who faithfully and consistently worship in the temple." David A. Bednar

"I strongly urge you and those who advise you to face up to the reality that for most marriage problems, the remedy is not divorce but repentance. Often the cause is not incompatibility but selfishness. The first step is not separation but reformation." Elder Dallin H. Oaks

"A good marriage does not require a perfect man or a perfect woman. It only requires a man and a woman committed to strive together toward perfection." Elder Dallin H. Oaks

"If you have received temple ordinances but do not now visit the temple, even when there is one nearby, with all the tenderness of my heart I invite you to come back to the temple. There are many reasons. It is a place of peace, solitude, and inspiration. Regular attendance will enrich your life with greater purpose. It will permit you to provide deceased ancestors the exalting ordinances you have received. Go to the temple. You know it is the right thing to do. Do it now." Elder Richard G. Scott

"Clearly God's greatest concern regarding mortality are how one gets into this world and how one gets out of it." Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

"Human intimacy is a kind of sacrament, a very special symbol. For our purpose, a sacrament could be any one of a number of gestures or acts or ordinance that unit us with God and His limitless powers." Elder Jeffery R. Holland

"Guilt is to our spirit what pain is to our body." Elder David A. Bednar

"You can't please God without upsetting Satan.....individuals who do wrong want you to join them because they feel more comfortable in what they are doing when others do it also." 

Elder Richard G. Scott

"All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not. The devil has no power over us only as we permit him; the moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes Power.” Joseph Smith

"Homemaking is to make the environment necessary to nurture our children toward eternal life, which is our responsibility as parents. And that homemaking is as much for fathers as it is for mothers." Elder Dallin H. Oaks

President David O. McKay declared: “Motherhood is the greatest potential influence either for good or ill in human life. The mother’s image is the first that stamps itself on the unwritten page of the young child’s mind. It is her caress that first awakens a sense of security; her kiss, the first realization of affection; her sympathy and tenderness, the first assurance that there is love in the w o r l d . . . . Motherhood consists of three principal attributes or qualities: namely,

 (1) the power to bear, (2) the ability to rear, (3) the gift to love."

"In our theology and in our practice, the family and the Church have a mutually reinforcing relationship. The family is dependent upon the Church for doctrine, ordinances, and priesthood keys. The Church provides the teachings, authority, and ordinances necessary to perpetuate family relationships to the eternities." Elder Dallin H. Oaks

"They [Mothers] know that if they are not pointing their children to the temple, they are not pointing them toward desired eternal goals. These mothers have influence and power." Sister Julie B. Beck

"The love of God does not supersede His laws and His commandments, and the effect of God's love and commandments does not diminish the purpose and effect of His love. The same should be true of parental love and rules." Elder Dallin H. Oaks

"God does not intervene to forestall the consequences of some persons’ choices in order to protect the well-being of other persons—even when they kill, injure, or oppress one another—for this would destroy His plan for our eternal progress." Elder Dallin H. Oaks

"Sin, even if legalized by man, is still sin in the sight of God." Elder Nelson

"When we respond to our accusers as the Savior did, we not only become more Christlike, we invite others to feel His love and follow Him as well." Elder Robert D. Hales

"We need to teach our daughters to aim for the ideal but plan for contingencies." 

Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson

"We are all under the Savior's command to love and care for each other and especially for the weak and defenseless." Elder Dallin H. Oaks

Elder Robert D. Hales teaches 4 cornerstones of religious freedoms.

1. Freedom to Believe

2. Freedom to share our faith and our beliefs with others.

3. Freedom to form a religious organization, a church, to worship peacefully with others.

4. Freedom to live our faith.

He also talks about 3 ways to safeguard these sacred freedoms.

1. Become informed

2. Join with others who share our commitment.

3. Be a good example of what you believe – in word and deed.

"The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that show us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become." Elder Dallin H. Oaks

"When we face such situations in complex social issues in a democratic society, it can be very challenging and, to some, confusing. Young people may ask about this position taken or that policy made by the Church, saying: “Well, we don’t believe we should live or behave in such and such a way, but why do we have to make other people do the same? Don’t they have their free agency? Aren’t we being self-righteous and judgmental, forcing our beliefs on others, demanding that they act in a certain way?” In those situations you are going to have to explain sensitively why some principles are defended and some sins opposed wherever they are found because the issues and the laws involved are not just social or political but eternal in their consequence."

 Elder Jeffery R. Holland

This final quote has been something that has weighed heavy on my mind and heart.  I have prayerfully asked for the answer to the very question posed in this quote.  It was the last article that I read for this class, when the answer came.  I know that my Heavenly Father hears my prayers and more importantly answers them!

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

                  In August of 2015 I began the Pathway program with BYU-Idaho. The Pathway program is "designed to give students the confidence and skills needed to succeed in college, Pathway is a low-cost educational opportunity that combines online courses with local gatherings. Students earn college credit that is eligible for transfer to BYU-Idaho and other universities. The program takes three semesters, or one year, to complete and can lead to professional certificates and degrees."

                I am in my final semester which is exciting. One of my classes is all about the Eternal Family, where we get to study in great detail The Family: A Proclamation to the World.  As part of this class I have chosen to share some of the things that I am learning with my friends and family here on our family blog.

                This past Sunday, which was Mother's Day, I was asked to speak and so of course since the family was on my mind I decided to talk about the entire family unit and it's divine and centeral role in God's plan verses just specifically mothers.  I thought that for my first post I would share with you my talk that I gave in Sacrament Meeting......  The purple text is the Proclamation and the black is what information I added.  Enjoy!

 Doctrine and Covenants 1:4

 And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days.

THE FAMILY A PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLD THE FIRST PRESIDENCY AND COUNCIL OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS WE, THE FIRST PRESIDENCY and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children. 

The creator’s plan, or the plan of happiness is a plan to save, redeem, and exalt humankind.

1. The Creation of the earth was the creation of an earth where a family could live.
2. The Fall provided a way for the family to grow. Through the leadership of Eve and Adam, they chose to have a mortal experience. The Fall made it possible for Adam and Eve to have a family, to have sons and daughters. They needed to grow in numbers and grow in experience. The Fall provided that for the family.
3. The Atonement allows for the family to be sealed together eternally. It allows for families to have eternal growth and perfection.

Elder David A. Bednar said, “Lucifer relentlessly assails and distorts the doctrines that matter most to us individually, to our families, and to the world. Where is the adversary focusing his most direct and diabolical attacks? Satan works unremittingly to confuse understanding about gender, to promote the premature and unrighteous use of procreative power, and to hinder righteous marriage precisely because marriage is ordained of God and the family is central to the plan of happiness. The adversary’s attacks upon eternal marriage will continue to increase in intensity, frequency, and sophistication.”

ALL HUMAN BEINGS—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

IN THE PREMORTAL REALM, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped 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. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. 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.

WE DECLARE the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

                                        40.7% of all 2012 births were out-of-wedlock.

The twelfth article of faith states our belief in being subject to civil authority and “in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.” But man’s laws cannot make moral what God has declared immoral.

HUSBAND AND WIFE have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations. 

We has husbands and wives must care for each other so that we can better care for our children.  This is a letter that Justin wrote to me the morning of my talk.  I am the luckiest girl in the world to be married to a man who loves me so much!

THE FAMILY is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. 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.

In The for strength of youth pamphlet it says this under the category of family. “Strong families require effort. Your family will be blessed as you do your part to strengthen it. Be cheerful, helpful, and considerate of family members. Many problems in the home come from family members speaking and acting selfishly or unkindly. Seek to be a peacemaker rather than to tease, fight, and quarrel. Show love for your family members each day. Share your testimony with your family through words and actions.”

Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

The church handbook better explains this principle. It teaches, “All members, even if they have never married or are without family in the Church, should strive for the ideal of living in an eternal family. This means preparing to become worthy spouses and loving fathers or mothers. In some cases these blessings will not be fulfilled until the next life, but the ultimate goal is the same for all. Faithful members whose circumstances do not allow them to receive the blessings of eternal marriage and parenthood in this life will receive all promised blessings in the eternities, provided they keep the covenants they have made with God.”

1 Nephi 3:7

 I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

President Eyring shares this thought in a talk entitled, The family …….. "As we read of what the proclamation tells us about the family, we can expect, in fact we must expect, impressions to come to our minds as to what we are to do, and we can be confident it is possible."

WE WARN that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

WE CALL UPON responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

Happy First Birthday James!

The Minivan

Tired of sharing one car in South Florida, once I (Justin) got my job in Jacksonville, we bought a minivan.  It's a 2012 Nissan Quest. We LOVE it.  It's very comfortable inside, runs smoothly, and all the seats fold flat down.

I had a sheet of plywood plus a bunch of 2x4's back here with no real problem.

Easter 2013

James first started crawling at Easter time in 2013.  Here he's managed to back himself under a couch.

You can fill in the blanks on this picture.

Hazel loves Easter Egg hunting as much as I (Justin) did.

I think Hazel did a great job decorating her eggs this year!

Nana and Grandpa

Our kids love their grandparents.  Hazel in particular goes crazy for Nana, Justin's mom.  She plays and plays with Hazel the whole time we are there.

James and Grandpa are inseparable.  James woke up at 4:00 in the morning and Grandpa came out and sat on the couch with us and held him while we tried to wind him down.  That was after James woke up around 10:00 p.m. at night and wouldn't go back to sleep.  We watched Jimmy Kimmel Live until we all fell asleep.

Grandmommie 2013

In early 2013, we visited Grandmommie's house.  James was just 3 months old, and he rolled over for the first time.

Hazel wound up getting a fever, so Grandmommie took good care of her just like she took care of me.

Cute Kids

There's no real theme to this post, other than to say we love our kids and think they are wonderful.

We had a wedding night one night.  Nancy put on her wedding dress and I put on the suit, we gave Hazel a basket with flowers, and I put on the Wedding March song.  Afterwards, Hazel got to play dress up in the dress.

Here's James at model of our house just being a doggie.

They have so much fun together. Today, James took hold of a rope and Hazel led him all around the house pretending he was either a fish or a dog.

Pinewood Derby

I (Justin) was the Cubmaster in South Florida, and was asked to be the Cubmaster again once we moved to Jacksonville.  I loved it.  I wanted to make sure the boys had a pinewood derby experience because the rain gutter regatta in South Florida was so much fun.

Nancy, Hazel and I all made cars.

Hazel named her own car.  She was a little bit disappointed that I used baby food lids for her wheels that didn't really spin. I regret that now, because she was so sad that her car didn't get to race in the derby.  I'll do that differently next time.

The entire ward participated in "Cubscouts versus the Ward."  We had so many cars that I couldn't race my own car in the race because the tournament slots were all filled.

We love the Scouting program and have so much fun with it.

Cracker Barrel

Cracker Barrel's are ubiquitous.  I (Justin) had written them off as out-of-date and none-too-tasty.  The other day, we decided to take the kids to the mall so Hazel could see a real candy store and play on the playground.  Once we got there, we realized that the candy store had closed down and the playground had been ripped out for construction.

Still wanting to give Hazel the candy store experience, the next best thought was Cracker Barrel.  We had a really good time looking through the shop and playing checkers.  Dinner was amazingly good and really affordable.  Afterwards, Hazel sat in a rocking chair with her big ol' lollypop.  James' good looks made him a new girlfriend in the waitress.

Weekend with the Giles

This weekend we spent the weekend with Justin's cousin Karen, Matt, Isabella, and Benjamin.  It was a Blast!  First, we went to the zoo and hit the kids splash park before it got to crowded and hot.  James is like a fish.  He loves to play in the water!

What is a trip to the zoo without a ride on the train (or trolly, as Hazel would call it)? Hazel and Benjamin rode in a seat all by themselves.  She was so proud of herself, and Justin and I were pretty proud of her too.

They also had this great crab trap that the kids could pull up.  Hazel really used her muscles to get it out of the water.

                                   

Guess who's having lobster tonight???

One of the last stops at the zoo was the aviary.  Hazel didn't want to feed them the food that they had so I ended up with the little cup of necter.  I am cool to feed them but freaked out when they started jumping on me.  I managed to play it cool for one picture, but man oh man I was ready to get out of there.

After the zoo we headed back to the house to chill and get cleaned up.  We went to church, had a pizza party on the back porch and then Justin went on a bike ride with the cousins.  Hazel and James were toast after a long and fun day so they stayed home with me to get baths and ready for bed.

Sunday morning we had a big breakfast then headed to the pool.  We witnessed lots of races, and water fights.  We ended our trip with a delicious lunch at River Docks, which was right on the Indian River.

Merry Christmas 2012!

We had a really nice Christmas in South Florida with baby James and Hazel.  We put up a Christmas tree, put out our Christmas houses, and hung our Advent calendar.  Everyone pitched in.

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This house has an amazing setup of lights.  Special thanks to our friends Jeremy and Lauren for showing it to us.

Hazel was really into dance around Christmas time.  We bought tickets to see the Nutcracker.  It was so much fun!

During intermission, we went to the back of the theater.  Hazel showed off her moves.

Nancy was a quick learner, too.

James, on the other hand, was just exhausted from all the festivities.

Hazel also got to play Mary in a nativity.  Here she is calling Hotels.com for better lodgings.

Hazel was a very good Santa Claus, giving James the present she bought for him at the Dollar Store (AKA Toy Store).

Grandmom gave Hazel lots of nice things for her dollhouse.  The dollhouse came from an incredibly generous family we befriended in South Florida.  Every time we tried to do something nice for them, like bring them Christmas presents, they wound up doing something nicer in return (like giving us bigger, better presents).  You can see that Hazel put her new doll to sleep on a tomato, then covered her up in her blanket.

And finally, for Christmas, I made Nancy this bench from leftover pallet that came with our tiles.  This alligator was cut out of plywood removed from our kitchen soffit during renovations.