Parenting

Being a parent is one of the greatest gifts anyone could ask for. You are responsible for raising a beautiful child of God, and you grow to love them more and more with each day. 
“Affirming words from moms and dads are like light switches. Speak a word of affirmation at the right moment in a child’s life and it’s like lighting up a whole roomful of possibilities.”
- Gary Smalley

Communication

Communication is key. It is something that will hold a family together or tare them apart. Sara Paddison said, "Being vulnerable doesn't have to be threatening. Just have the courage to be sincere, open and honest. This opens the door to deeper communication all around. It creates self-empowerment and the kind of connections with others we all want in life. Speaking from the heart frees us from the secrets that burden us. These secrets are what make us sick or fearful. Speaking truth helps you get clarity on your real heart directives." 

Stress in the Family

All families have problems and they are all different. "Your family and your love must be cultivated like a garden. Time, effort, and imagination must be summoned constantly to keep any relationship flourishing and growing." --Jim Rohn. We need to work hard on our families, and work to grow together during tough times rather than the natural instinct to pull apart. If we do this, our families will more likely be successful.

Affair Prevention

Scott Gardner & Christian Greiner said, "Similar to most illnesses, infidelity is easier to prevent than to remedy. In addition to working to strengthen our marriages, we can prevent affairs by a) being on guard and b) being fiercely loyal." We know that Satan is constantly working on marriage and family, so we can never get lazy because he will win. We need to love our spouses and never let our eyes wonder. If we do this, we will never have to deal with the pain of infidelity. 

Transitions in Marriage

This week in class we learned a lot about how to start our marriage off to a good start, and how we can remain unified and completely in love and involved in our spouse's life. President Spencer W. Kimball taught: “Two people coming from different backgrounds learn soon after the ceremony is performed that stark reality must be faced. There is no longer a life of fantasy or of make-believe; we must come out of the clouds and put our feet firmly on the earth. Responsibility must be assumed and new duties must be accepted. Some personal freedoms must be relinquished, and many adjustments, unselfish adjustments, must be made” I think it is really important to learn early on that you and your spouse will see things differently, but that you need to allow them to express themselves, and take into account their ideas.

Mate Selection

Selecting a mate can be a difficult process. There are many different characteristics that people have to have in a spouse. It is important to date someone for at least 3 months before marrying them. Everyone shows their best characteristics when they are first dating, but you need to get to know what the person is really like in different situations.The trend nowadays is to just hang out, but when you do that you don't experience them in all aspects of their life. Jason Schwartzman said, "I don't know the first real thing about the dating game. I don't know how to talk to a specific person and connect. I just think you have to go to person by person and do the best you can with people in general." I agree with him. I don't know if there is a specific plan for success. People need to date many people, and when they get in a relationship with someone, the need to continue to date that person. It is so important for you to get to know someone before you marry them, so that there are no surprises after the wedding. 

Family Roles

The Proclamation clearly states the roles of mothers and fathers, and husbands and wives. We, as LDS people, know that if we are doing what the proclamation the Proclamation says, we are doing what Heavenly father wants. One of my favorite talks is "For Time and All Eternity" by Boyd K. Packer. I would like to share the parable he uses with you:

           Once a man received as his inheritance two keys. The first key, he was told, would open a vault which he must protect at all cost. The second key was to a safe within the vault which contained a priceless treasure. He was to open this safe and freely use the precious things which were stored therein. He was warned that many would seek to rob him of his inheritance. He was promised that if he used the treasure worthily, it would be replenished and never be diminished, not in all eternity. He would be tested. If he used it to benefit others, his own blessings and joy would increase.

In due time, there came a woman into the vault. She, too, held a key. It was noticeably different from the key he held. Her key fit the other lock. It humbled him to learn that he could not obtain his rightful inheritance without her.

           The man went alone to the vault. His first key opened the door. He tried to unlock the treasure with the other key, but he could not, for there were two locks on the safe. His key alone would not open it. No matter how he tried, he could not open it. He was puzzled. He had been given the keys. He knew the treasure was rightfully his. He had obeyed instructions, but he could not open the safe.

They made a covenant that together they would open the treasure and, as instructed, he would watch over the vault and protect it; she would watch over the treasure. She was not concerned that, as guardian of the vault, he held two keys, for his full purpose was to see that she was safe as she watched over that which was most precious to them both. Together they opened the safe and partook of their inheritance. They rejoiced for, as promised, it replenished itself.

With great joy they found that they could pass the treasure on to their children; each could receive a full measure, undiminished to the last generation.

Perhaps some few of their posterity would not find a companion who possessed the complementary key, or one worthy and willing to keep the covenants relating to the treasure. Nevertheless, if they kept the commandments, they would not be denied even the smallest blessing.

Because some tempted them to misuse their treasure, they were careful to teach their children about keys and covenants.

There came, in due time, among their posterity some few who were deceived or jealous or selfish because one was given two keys and another only one. “Why,” the selfish ones reasoned, “cannot the treasure be mine alone to use as I desire?”

Some tried to reshape the key they had been given to resemble the other key. Perhaps, they thought, it would then fit both locks. And so it was that the safe was closed to them. Their reshaped keys were useless, and their inheritance was lost.

Those who received the treasure with gratitude and obeyed the laws concerning it knew joy without bounds through time and all eternity.