Yes For Marriage
Election day is coming quickly and I wanted to write a post about my feelings about Proposition 102 in Arizona and the divine institution of marriage. I believe that we are each children of God and that He has provided a way for each of us to find happiness and joy by knowing who we really are and having confidence in what we can become. I believe this is best understood within a family setting led by a mother and a father. In 1995, the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints published the Proclamation on the Family which begins by stating,
" We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children . . . The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is esse
ntial 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 central to our Heavenly Father or God's plan for us as His children. I have experienced this truth in my life through my parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and dear friends. I know that Heavenly Father loves each one of His children and has provided them the opportunity to choose. However, marriage is a sacred and divine institution because it is the way God has appointed for children to be born. Each child is entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony and to learn from a mother and a father.
To some these truths may seem like ideals that are difficult to aspire to in this day and age. Some may wonder why there are so many children born in less than ideal circumstances. I read a very helpful article that addresses these issues titled The Divine Institution of Marriage.
One section I found powerful in answering some of my questions said,
"High rates of divorce and out-of-wedlock births have resulted in an exceptionally large number of single parents in American society. Many of these single parents have raised exemplary children; nevertheless, extensive studies have shown that in general a husband and wife united in a loving, committed marriage provide the optimal environment for children to be protected, nurtured, and raised. This is not only because of the substantial personal resources that two parents can bring to bear on raising a child, but because of the differing strengths that a father and a mother, by virtue of their gender, bring to the task. As the prominent sociologist David Popenoe has said: The burden of social science evidence supports the idea that gender differentiated parenting is important for human development and that the contribution of fathers to childrearing is unique and irreplaceable. (David Popenoe, Life Without Father (New York: The Free Press, 1996) p. 146
Popenoe further explained that:
. . . The complementarity of male and female parenting styles is striking and of enormous importance to a child’s overall development. It is sometimes said that fathers express more concern for the child’s longer-term development, while mothers focus on the child’s immediate well-being (which, of course, in its own way has everything to do with a child’s long-term well-being). What is clear is that children have dual needs that must be met: one for independence and the other for relatedness, one for challenge and the other for support.
I believe American society has been founded upon timeless principles and ideals that protect morality, child rearing and development and the next generation's right to families led by a father and a mother as foundational units of society. The time is now to protect the sacred institution of marriage and continue to build an organized society that allows as much as possible for our children and their children and the generations to follow the joy and protection in life that comes from being raised by a father and a mother that honor sacred marital vows and that teach their children with love!
Visit the sites below for more information...
http://yesformarriage.blogspot.com/
" We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children . . . The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is esse
ntial 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 central to our Heavenly Father or God's plan for us as His children. I have experienced this truth in my life through my parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and dear friends. I know that Heavenly Father loves each one of His children and has provided them the opportunity to choose. However, marriage is a sacred and divine institution because it is the way God has appointed for children to be born. Each child is entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony and to learn from a mother and a father.
To some these truths may seem like ideals that are difficult to aspire to in this day and age. Some may wonder why there are so many children born in less than ideal circumstances. I read a very helpful article that addresses these issues titled The Divine Institution of Marriage.
One section I found powerful in answering some of my questions said,
"High rates of divorce and out-of-wedlock births have resulted in an exceptionally large number of single parents in American society. Many of these single parents have raised exemplary children; nevertheless, extensive studies have shown that in general a husband and wife united in a loving, committed marriage provide the optimal environment for children to be protected, nurtured, and raised. This is not only because of the substantial personal resources that two parents can bring to bear on raising a child, but because of the differing strengths that a father and a mother, by virtue of their gender, bring to the task. As the prominent sociologist David Popenoe has said: The burden of social science evidence supports the idea that gender differentiated parenting is important for human development and that the contribution of fathers to childrearing is unique and irreplaceable. (David Popenoe, Life Without Father (New York: The Free Press, 1996) p. 146
Popenoe further explained that:
. . . The complementarity of male and female parenting styles is striking and of enormous importance to a child’s overall development. It is sometimes said that fathers express more concern for the child’s longer-term development, while mothers focus on the child’s immediate well-being (which, of course, in its own way has everything to do with a child’s long-term well-being). What is clear is that children have dual needs that must be met: one for independence and the other for relatedness, one for challenge and the other for support.
I believe American society has been founded upon timeless principles and ideals that protect morality, child rearing and development and the next generation's right to families led by a father and a mother as foundational units of society. The time is now to protect the sacred institution of marriage and continue to build an organized society that allows as much as possible for our children and their children and the generations to follow the joy and protection in life that comes from being raised by a father and a mother that honor sacred marital vows and that teach their children with love!
Visit the sites below for more information...
http://yesformarriage.blogspot.com/
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