The Family and Religion

“There are obstacles all around us. We labor hard to reach our goals. Sometimes we see no signs of progress. We can become exhausted and discouraged. We may even lose sight of our destination. But we must not give up. If we could only see above our current circumstances and know our true location on the journey to eternal life, we would realize what great progress we are making.” Dallin H. Oaks

The LDS faith is a major emphasis in my life. I grew up in the faith and have applied many teachings from it. I’ve come to learn that the teachings are very family oriented. We care about the quality of family and how they are needed to get through the struggles of life. As mentioned by Dallin Oaks, there are obstacles around us. Today, we are given much advice as to strengthen the family. Intelligent people throughout history have given theories as to raise a family. But I learned that these teachings can be limited. Family is divine. It is a unit that existed before this mortal life. I have come to know that a being called the Holy Ghost is what brings direction to the family. The Holy Ghost communicates through our feelings, telling us what is right or wrong. It’s like a conscious. This is a God given gift to help us even when we cannot see beyond discouraging obstacles. This Spirit reveals, day by day, to every person who has faith, to things that are most beneficial to us. 

I’d like to use my sister for an example. She is married, with six children. She was reading from the Bible one day and had a spiritual moment. She received inspiration from God to implement family traditions or practices that are aligned with gospel teachings. She felt inclined to hold family meetings once a week and have everyone do little activities such as, building things, drawing, cooking, and etc. After these activities they would gather in prayer and discuss about what they learned. This bonded her family in a way where they feel united and happy. My Sister thanks God for the Bible, for giving her such an idea. This is a simple example of how spiritual things can unify a religion family.

We live in a world of low standards. Marriage today is looked on as an option, not a necessity. This perspective takes away the importance of matrimony. Dallin H. Oaks shared in a talk, “Unwed mothers give birth to 40 percent of all children now being born in the United states. Many people live together without marriage. The children born from those relationships do not have the security of parents committed to one another by the marriage God ordained for our first parents in the Garden of Eden.” I couldn’t agree more with this statement.

He continues, “Marriage is essential…In other nations, we must ask, what kind of marriage? There are formal authorized by law, and there are various customary or tribal marriages that can be entered into and discontinued without much formality.”

The issues of what we face in marriage today could go on. But, what I want to get across is that we can receive guidance and that can be managed through a spiritual perspective. A family can be successful through gospel teachings. Both parties got to be on the same page and be unified. Marriage is all about devoting oneself to each other. Parental alliance is important. Sacrifices will be made, but will be worth it.