Why Family Matters Most: A Family Proclamation

I wrote this post as a guest post for a friend celebrating the Proclamation to the World and decided I should share it here as well! It isn’t often I bear testimony to my beliefs, and today is the 20th anniversary for this amazing document!  One of the main messages we hope to convey more than any other is to accept the mother you are, meaning we all have our different mothering “styles” and YOU are the best Mother your children could ever ask for. You are THEIRS and there is a divine purpose why you came to this earth at this time to learn and grow and to be a Mother to YOUR children. So often as women I think we get wrapped up in what we think perfection looks like and why we are falling short of that expectation. With the presence of social media it makes it even harder than before, there is always a reason to feel like you aren’t good enough at something. We need to stop this! It is time that we look for the good in what we have to offer and embrace our shortcomings with our strengths in an effort to push forward in our journey and enjoy life.

It isn’t very often that I talk directly about Motherhood and its divine purpose, but it is precisely why I do what I do and what keeps me going on the day to day as well as actively engaging on my blog. I wish more than anything to express what a noble and enriching life one can have when engaging in the role as a mother. But there are HARD days aren’t there? Days that I am staring at the clock and left in despair that it isn’t bed time yet or days that I yell and wish that I could take back harsh words that I said to my little people.

Just yesterday I was talking with my husband about how hard/enriching family life can be. It is the closest I think we can ever get to having the slightest understanding of how our Heavenly Father feels about us and how He can love us no matter what, even if when we screw up again and again.

I am so thankful to the brethren for being so inspired 20 years ago to share the Proclamation of the Family. Here we are 20 years later and we need these words more than ever. A family is the center of pure joy and one that if it is founded on strong principles can carry us through the darkest of times. I know that Satan wants more than anything to cheapen its excellence, to break down the foundation of truth that lies within the happiness that can be found in a marriage between husband and wife. It seems like the belief of a Christ-centered home in the media is something that should be looked down on and every alternative lifestyle is what is “cool” or “hip.” I’ll admit that at times I have been afraid to share my voice and belief on social media for the fear of being seen as un-accepting or judgmental.

I have many people I love in my life that have lifestyles that are contrary to my beliefs, but that doesn’t mean that I should shrink at what I know to be my testimony of our gender, role, and mission being divine on this earth.

I love this quote by Richard G Scott,

“One of the greatest blessings we can offer to the world is the power of a Christ-centered home where the gospel is taught, covenants are kept, and love abounds.”

Family life is now portrayed as old fashioned, something to avoid, or an entrapment all together. I think one of the reasons that we are encouraged to marry and to become parents is so we have the opportunity to truly love someone outside of ourselves. I know that the moment I became a mother I changed forever. I now had a tiny spirit that depended on me for spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical well being and it is through serving these spirits that I have been changed.

God wants that change for us. He wants us to know what it feels like to have your heart burst with love for someone and fall to our knees in prayer for their well being. He wants us to know what its like to live through disappointment, frustration, anticipation, exhilaration, and heart ache. He wants us to know what it feels like to be willing to forgive someone because you love them and guiding them the best way you know how. He wants us to know LOVE.

One of my favorite passages out of the Proclamation of the family is this:

“Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. ”

There are so many truths in this proclamation that I certainly could not get to them all, but if you would like to read it through you can do so HERE.

I want to bear testimony that I KNOW that we were brought to this earth to be a part of a family. One that we can grow with and one that we can join in the eternities with in heaven. Every sacrifice is worth that ultimate prize of being together forever some day.