On June 5 1996, I was born in walnut creek California. My parents being a young married couple, tried their best in raising me. Although I can't remember a lot of the many sacrifices they did to raise me, I do remember the many times they would care for me and correct me in order to become what I am now today. Although my family was not perfect and we had our ups and downs, it was still successful in helping me come to the knowledge of right from wrong, good and bad, and in making wise choices over other ones although of course I was not a perfect child.
But what makes families so important? Why even have one? What is a perfect family? These questions are asked frequently in today's world. We can see how visions and aspects of a family have change, for example, modern family, two and a half men, Malcom in the middle, all of these are examples of what the world says what a family is like. But in most of these shows the family is disfunctional, either by the parents or the kids or influences they both get. So how do we as an individual have a wholesome family of our own?
There are three steps we can use, now these steps alone will not make a perfect family, but it is a hard rock base we could all use. Having a wholesome family, takes time, patience and being willing to learn new ways to apply to our lives.
The first step is to realized that families are necessary
Can you imagine a world without families? Without role models, teachers and guides? This is why families are necessary in the world today just like they have been in the past. Most of us in at least in one point of our lives as children saw our fathers and mothers as role models or superheroes! Of course there is an opposition to this. But parents have a huge role in what their child is gonna become, wether is positive or negative. However the greatest family history work that we will do will be within our own teachings and our own home. But what should those teaching be? As a young child, my parents would give me life advice in stories they would makeup or from their lives and share them with me. Other stories they would also tell me from the Bible or Book of Mormon. Small steps like that made a huge impact on me. I still remember the stories and actually makes me want to share them with my future kids one day. When you think about it, what if all children where taught good principles and would have good virtues as role models? Honestly our society would be better, that doesn't mean every child will grow up to a responsible adult but at least the majority will have that solid rock base we want our children to have. Since Adam and Eve left the garden of Eden God commanded them to multiply and replenish the earth! What could we love more than a child that came from our own blood? Some of you might say "well families are to much work" and it's true they are, it's one of the hardest priorities out there. But what is more precious than preparing our own children to become what we could not? It will help you become a better individual yourself that is a promise I will leave you.
The next step is to be a loving Mother and Father.
What is a child's best interest? Many of you might think differently, but how would you think if you where a child and your parents where not loving or maybe different than everybody else. Children have a mind of their own they think, feel and act differently. Having a father that comes home drugged or drunk, is not being a loving father, and a mother that anger quickly sparks out and all the time spends ignoring her child and feeding her bad habits is not being a loving mother. When I was a child even toward my teenage years, I would see the example my parents would use around me. My mother would make me food and teach me good manners she would also follow. My father after a long day of work, would spend time talking to my mother and me, witch made me feel loved. Even as I grew up I knew not what I would become but I knew I wanted to be like my father. Of course there where bad days where yelling, anger and sadness would be in our house, but that is not what I focused on at my home. Some of you might be divorce or raising a child on their own, for example I have a companion who I am serving with right now, that only his mother raised him. For him, his mother was the role model and hard worker to maintain his family strong. If we are in a situation like that being a single father or mother. Let us not give up! Be of good courage and strive to become the best example he can love. Others might suffer from same gender attraction or suffering from depression or anxiety, witch makes you feel that having a family would be impossible for you to accomplish. I would like to share a scripture in 1Nephi 3:7 in the Book of Mormon, this is a story of how a young man needed to go back to Jerusalem to bring forth a precious brass plates containing the law of Moses and his genealogy, after his father told him what God wanted him to do and how the survival chance would be small, he wrote saying "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for 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." To multiply and replenish the world is a commandment and God gives no commandments without preparing us a way to accomplish it. Of course there are those who can't bare children, but still let us not give up, adoption will always be an option for children looking for those loving role models they could look up to. Of course a mother and father is the key to be that role model. You might say you can change roles, but why change our selfs from what we really are? Mothers and fathers are the start of reaching good values and why is that?
The next step is about the gospel of Jesus Christ
This should be the center of our home not in the backround. But why? What about other values and teachings we could use? The reason why I want to focus on the gospel of Jesus Christ is because of the many attributes that parents and children could gain. I am not gonna focus so much on the doctrine of Jesus Christ (faith,baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end) witch could be a topic for another blog. But the gospel itself is critical in the role of a family. There is a scripture in the Book of Mormon that I always look back at whenever I think of families "Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed." 3Nephi 18:21
The teachings of Jesus Christ have been on the earth for over 2000 years! It was such a big impact that his teachings are being tought today. "Judge not, that ye be not judged" Mathew 7, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." John 13:34, the parable of the Good Samaritan. These are all great teaching virtues and stories we could all use for our families! The world changes its virtues and ideas of what's right from wrong. 20 years from now what's morally straight might change and go and different way. The gospel of Jesus Christ does not change neither will it ever change, and will always remain popular in society depending where you live. Ever since his death it helped change society and made it possible for many virtues and values to come alive that we have today. And of course you could add other virtues or ideas, but what could bring a family closer than the gospel of Jesus Christ? Children will grow up to be kind, responsible and loving, parents will learn for them selfs, expectations will be made, and their impact on society will be known by man and if not, then by God himself.
As a child my parents tried their best in teaching me and taking care of me, even when I did not come out perfect I know it is because of their effort I managed to make wise decisions in my life. From being a loving Mother and Father, to teaching me the importance of having my own family and the gospel of Jesus Christ I know and testify that if all the families would just use these 3 simple steps, the world would be a brighter place. I thank my family for all the teachings and sacrifices they made for me, in helping me grow up in this world that i live in.
