Week 3: Threats to Marriage

These last days there tends to be trials after trials for all people.  One thing is that we stand for marriage as husband and wife and that we are true and faithful.  Just as we do those things we are asked to do, we will be blessed.  Many times, people think we are asked a lot, which may be true.  But if we are doing the little things, those add up and they aren't so bad after all.

This summer, I was part of a medical conference that just happened to be in Salt Lake City. It was for a life-threatening birth defect my son was born with, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH).  I am the Arizona State Representative, and having my son born with this and having the conference where I have family, I couldn't pass it up. Two of the families there, were lesbian couples wo had a baby born with CDH.  I grew to love these families immensely, but it didn't take away from the fact that they have a family situation that we don't agree with.  Does that mean I need to vocally oppose them and not be friends with them? No. I was able to express our ideas on families, more in a subtle way and about who our family is, how we run our family.  What our roles are. How interesting it was, that it tied into our roles in the family having a child born with CDH.  I see these mothers, where one takes on the role of sole provider and is never home.

In the commencement speech by Elder Nelson at BYU in August 2014, he says, Male and female are created for what they can do and become, together. It takes a man and a woman to bring a child into the world. Mothers and fathers are not interchangeable. Men and women are distinct and complementary. Children deserve a chance to grow up with both a mom and a dad.  That is something that I just feel so bad about.  These mothers, are trying to interchange their roles, but these children are missing out on things.  That isn't to say these people are bad or don't offer great things to others, but there is just something about having a mother and father both in the home.

As our homework stated, Elder Nelson assured us that as we stand for marriage and as we remain true and faithful, the Lord will help us and protect us and will also bless our families. By continuing to stand fast in what we believe, and speaking kindly to others about our marriage and spouse, we will bless our families.  People have already commented to my husband and I that we have something different in our marriage. Our kids are blessed to have parents who love them and value traditional marriage.