Day 4, random thoughts about it

Proclamation paragraph 7, sentences 1 & 2

"The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity."

The family is ordained of God. That is powerful. FAMILY is important to God.

I had to look up the definition of ordained in the dictionary because even though I understand the family being ordained of God, I'm not sure I could explain that to someone else....

ORDAINED:
To invest with ministerial or priestly authority; confer holy orders on.
To order by virtue of superior authority; decree or enact.
To prearrange unalterably; predestine:

...I still can't explain it to someone else. But, I can say that family is so crucial to our Heavenly Father's plan that He ordained it...for us. I do like the thought that family was prearranged unalterably. I believe that. We are meant to be where we are, with the children that were meant to be part of our family. It was predetermined. God knew/knows where each of His children are to be.

With that being said, it would make sense to me that when our Heavenly Father entrusts spouses and children, marriage and family into our care that it is not something that should be taken lightly. It is a SACRED honor and priviledge.

Children are entitled to parents who love one another and them.

I am constantly shocked at the way that parents in today's society raise their children. It's heartbreaking and unfair. Since Jared has worked with at risk youth he has listened and seen some of this firsthand. Parents who abuse their children, do drugs in front of them or encourage them to join in. Parents who are in jail so their children end up on the street, in gangs, or involved in things worse. Parents who don't properly care for themselves so caring for anyone else is impossible. I believe that most of this is from a cycle. Cycles are hard to break. But it goes both ways. Children that are loved and cherished grow up to love and cherish their children. Children that are taught correct principles grow up to teach correct principles in their home.