Marriage and Family

So, I started this blog post a long time ago (probably sometime in January) and a lot has happened since then regarding this important topic and so I think I better at least finish version one of my thoughts.  :)  Today seemed like a good day to look at this again because I just finished watching my cute niece and nephew and about 100 other kids from their ward sweetly teach that "Families Can Be Together Forever."

I believe in marriage!!  I believe marriage is ordained of God (see The Family: A Proclamation to the World - if you haven't read this document before or for a long time I HIGHLY recommend it!).  As such, I believe that it is a sacred commitment and God teaches us the requirements and how we can be successful.  It is an important purpose of our lives here on earth.  God wants us to be happy.  He wants us to become like Him.  I think that one of the most important ways we learn to love and progress and learn in life is through marriage and family relationships.

President Joseph Fielding Smith taught about the importance of strengthening and preserving the family.  He taught that "the family is the most important organization in time or in eternity."  No other organization or responsibility or relationship or job or time commitment in life is as important as family!  Family relationships can last eternally when we are sealed in temples by priesthood authority and when we live worthy of that covenant.

Earlier this year I was attending a very sweet family ward with unique demographics - the average age of the ward was probably at least 80, with a few newly weds scattered throughout.  I learned a lot attending church with these sweet people for a couple of years.  I learned about love and relationships, about enduring, about serving, and about what's most important.  Two images of love that I take from that ward are of all the cute newly married couples clinging to each other in sacrament meeting, but maybe even sweeter was the diligent 85-year-old brother that would faithfully bring his wife with dementia into Relief Society each Sunday and leaving her with a kiss.  One month he stood in sacrament meeting to bear her testimony for her.  :)  He talked about the privilege of being able to help her with things she can't do anymore, even sharing the beliefs that he knew she held as important.  It was very sweet and strengthened my faith in the importance of marriage and love and family.  Every week I was inspired by the love I saw.

I'm grateful for examples in my life of loving relationships, marriage, and family life.  I love my family!  I hope one day to have my own family, but until then I will still stand up for the importance of protecting and strengthening families and teach others the blessings and importance of family.  I believe that strong families and faith will save us and our country and communities.  Here are a few other resources that might be helpful places to start:

• The Divine Institution of Marriage
• Home and Family
• the beginning of a list of several General Conference talks to study 
• Eternal Marriage by Elder F. Burton Howard
• Enduring Love
• 3 Nephi 17:3

But, I think my highest recommendation right now is that you sing, listen to, play, enjoy, learn from this beautiful song, The Family Is of God (by Matthew Neeley, from the October 2008 Friend magazine):  :)

We are all a part of our Heavenly Father's family.  We are His children.  He loves us.  As we follow Him and His plan for our lives we will be happy.  I know an important part of that plan is eternal families!  For those of us still trying to figure out how to get there, I was inspired by these talks from President Benson:

• To the Single Adult Sisters of the Church
• To the Single Adult Brethren of the Church