Lesson 11 began with questions about why God places us in families and what purpose being married, parented, and parenting have. There were also questions about what kind of family unit is endorsed by the Lord so He can best meet His children's many needs, how family patterns endorsed by the Lord make a difference, and also what the purpose of a family is. I also referenced 'The Family: A Proclamation to the World,' and said that God endorses it for our eternal safety.
Mom said that the Lord places us in families so that we can grow and also teach one another. She said that the biggest purpose that is accomplished through a family is to follow God's law and that parents teach their children and children should learn much from their parents. Mom also gave the advice that before you look for the bad in siblings and parents, look for the good things in them and focus on that even if the family situation isn't good. Mom says that there is bad in everyone, but the ability to focus on the good qualities within people defines who we are.
In terms of the familial pattern that the Lord endorses, Mom said that He endorses one man and one woman marrying and having children in whatever way they are able. She said that any other pattern doesn't allow the family to progress towards eternal life as God intends families to. Mom said that the purpose of the family is to form bonds and to help each other progress.
I then taught 1 Nephi 3:7 and how the Lord has commanded us to seek after that which is good, including making and maintaining families and the relationships within. If we strive to do what the Lord asks of us concerning families, He will assist us in following his commandments well.
Mom said that in her family, when things happened concerning choices her stepfather made, she and her siblings were not overly close for a lot of years. However, after her stepfather died, her relationships with her siblings improved because the negative factor was no longer dominating them.
I then shared two S.M.A.R.T. goals that I set in class and the first was to help Mom with housework and schoolwork so that she could focus on finishing school by the end of the month. The second goal was to phone or text my brother and tell him that I love him and also include him in a special dinner I plan to take Mom out to when she finishes her vocational course at the end of the month. I have a small family, so it's the little things I can do that truly matter.
Learning Report
The video that impacted me the most was “Blessings of the Priesthood in Every Home,” because I didn't grow up with a Priesthood holder in my home for the most part as both my dad and brother were baptized, confirmed, and given the Aaronic Priesthood, but became inactive in the Church very early on. However, I was fortunate to have access to friends in the ward and take families wherever my family lived so that we could benefit from the help the Priesthood could offer through the power and authority given them by God. There is a light from the Spirit from being faithful in all things. Moms can take care of their family as the head of the home if they need to and the Lord will bless them. Like Mary Fielding Smith, my mother was an incredible example of how a spirit of righteousness can be taught and shared even when not all choose to walk the path of the Lord.
The most important thing I want to remember from this lesson is my study of 'The Family: A Proclamation to the World' because I believe it to be true and sacred, so sacred that God gave it to us while the family unit as seen by the Lord was still considered sacred by the world. However, even in 1995, even though the world's values were still somewhat aligned with the values of the Lord, God knew that chasm would only grow as the world began to view God as more of a hindrance than a guidance to the progression of man. I am grateful that God set forth the definition of what a family is and has done all He can to show us how important it is to defend that sacred definition.
The most difficult thing from the last several lessons for me has been this lesson in particular, as it discusses family relationships and I don't really know what good family relationships can be because I didn't grow up being close to my family. I have been very fortunate, however, to have the privilege of watching other families who put God and Christ first and I see how they are closer as a family unit because they remember to include the Lord in all that they do as a family. I hope to someday lead my own family unit according to the Lord's teachings so we can live in harmony with God.
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