Power Relations and Children W12


                A strong marriage is important for children to be raised by. If a couple with children continue to work on their marriage and keep it growing, then the children will recognize it and follow the example of their parents. It can be extremely difficult to put a marriage first when there are kids in the picture. I remember growing up, my parents were extremely busy with my three siblings and I. We were all close in age and we took a lot of their time and attention. My dad worked full time and my mom worked part time so I’m sure that it was hard to find time for them to spend together and to put time towards their marriage. However, as busy as they were, one thing I remember from my childhood was that they went on dates often. They made time to go out with some of their good friends or just going to dinner or to the temple together. Although they are now divorced, that always stood out to me. That is one thing from their marriage that I want to apply to my own marriage.
                I saw how their date nights affected and influenced their marriage and our family. They were more united in their efforts to parent. They always agreed with each other and backed each other up in everything they did with us children even if it was as simple as allowing us to play with a friend. They never turned each other’s backs on one another, and I greatly admired that. Elder Henry B. Eyring talks about two warnings that come with the promises we make by taking the sacrament each week in his talk “That We May Be One.” One was that we must stay pure and clean in order to have the Holy Ghost’s companionship. The other was to “beware of pride.”
He said, “A unity which comes to a family or to a people softened by the Spirit will bring great power. With that power will come recognition from the world. Whether that recognition brings praise or envy, it could lead us to pride. That would offend the Spirit. There is a protection against pride, that sure source of disunity. It is to see the bounties which God pours upon us not only as a mark of His favor but their similarities to understand each other and their differences to complement each other in serving one another and those around them. In the same way, we can unite with those who do not accept our doctrine but share our desire to bless the children of our Heavenly Father.”
To become united as a family, each of its members must show meekness and humility, not pride. The Spirit must abide in a home to make it the best it can be, and pride drives the Spirit away from us. Parents should love their children in a way that we know Heavenly Father loves us, as His children. They should be loving and kind to their children. It is important that we teach children to love and serve those around them. Those things are best taught through our everyday example to them. Parents are to be equal partners even though they have different assigned responsibilities. They are to help each other with those and listen to each other’s opinions and perspectives when it comes to parenting.
I love a quote from the book “Counseling with Our Councils” (Chapter 2) by M. Russell Ballard. He says, “Our Father in Heaven loves all of His children equally, perfectly, and infinitely. His love is no different for His daughters than for His sons. Our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, also loves men and women equally. His Atonement and His gospel are for all of God’s children. During His earthly ministry Jesus served men and women alike: He healed both men and women, and He taught both men and women. The gospel of Jesus Christ sanctifies both men and women in the same way and by identical principles. For example, the principles of faith and repentance, the ordinance of baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost apply equally to all of God’s children, regardless of gender… He loves us all equally, and His greatest gift, the gift of eternal life, is available to all.”
Heavenly Father loves all His children equally. None of His children has more power over another. We are all to work together and grow together to become like Him. That is our purpose in our mortal life. One of the ways we can grow is to have children. This gives us a perspective of how much our Heavenly Father loves His children. Parents can be strengthened through their children and to become better people through that experience. It must be taken seriously because He has trusted us to raise and teach His sons and daughters.

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