Proclamation Statement #19: "Children are Entitled"

I don't think that children (or emerging adults) should get everything they think they are entitled to. But, there is at least one form of entitlement that I do believe in: 

"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."

How would the world change for the better if there were many more families that could (or would) follow that traditional formula: children raised by parents who love them and who truly love each other? Children deserve that. The world deserves that. Institutions are working very hard to help people improve their situations, but the need is too great. There are too many people who had a less-than-ideal home, and in so many cases it isn't their fault.

I do consider myself extremely fortunate to have the family that I do, and I am grateful for that. I believe that apart from finding opportunities to help the needy around me, one of the best things I can do in this life is to do my best in establishing a wonderful family of my own in the future.

Proclamation Statement #18: "Essential to His Eternal Plan."

"Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan."

I have heard many differing opinions about the institution of marriage in general. I've heard some say it's a bad institution, or it's simply a man-made institution. Some say governments shouldn't be involved in it, because it's only a private matter. Others say that people and governments should care about the institution of marriage and its effects on society at large.

I think marriage matters a lot. I believe God created the institution and that it can have far-reaching positive effects on individuals and society. I also believe that God intended for all of us to return home to Him--not alone, but in families. With billions upon billions of people, past, present, and future, how would we be organized in heaven? I believe we would be organized in families.

Marriage and the family have become divisive topics today, and they probably always have been. As I've said before, my intention is not to attack or contend with any particular stance. I only wish to share my beliefs and to express gratitude for the joy and peace they have added to my life.

Proclamation Statement #17: "The Family is Ordained of God."

We're more than halfway through The Family: A Proclamation to the World! I have personally been enjoying looking at each statement individually and recognizing why I'm thankful for the truths and principles taught therein. That being said, the next statement is very straightforward and repeats the ideas of previous statements rather succinctly: 

"The family is ordained of God."

Here, "ordained" can be interpreted as set apart, made holy, or made official. Again, I believe God meant for us to be raised in families. That is how we can become happy while on earth. Even those who grew up with less than ideal families can have better families of their own. I am grateful for the principle of the family and that God cares about families.

Proclamation Statement #16: "Held Accountable"

"Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations."

Great joy and responsibility accompanies a husband and a wife who decide to become a father and a mother, to increase their family of two. I don't know this personally, but I hope to. I am grateful to know that not only are fathers and mothers responsible to society for raising members of the next generation, they are responsible to God for raising some of His children on earth. The great challenge for my generation right now is that many of us are beginning to take on this responsibility. I am grateful for the obligation, and the joy that comes with fulfilling it (as far as I know, my parents are joyful in their roles as spouses and parents). :)

Proclamation Statement #15: "Parents Have A Sacred Duty..."

"Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live."

I am very grateful that my parents have been fulfilling this duty with regards to each of their children. I consider that a tremendous blessing. I believe that if more parents followed the principles in the statement above, many problems in modern society would dramatically decrease. This is why I believe in the power of the family in the strength of society.

Proclamation Statement #14: "Children are an heritage of the Lord"

"'Children are an heritage of the Lord' (Psalm 127:3)."

If all humans, past, present, and future, are children of God, then children born into a family are blessings from God. I believe that the most noble and important responsibility is for parents to love, care for, and teach their children. This affects the next generation, and it is wonderful that the Lord allows His children to have a hand in influencing the next generation.

Proclamation Statement #13: "Solemn Responsibility to Love and Care"

"Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children."

Though I don't know what it's like to raise children, but I've seen my parents do it for a couple of decades and somehow my parents have been successful with me and my siblings! I am grateful for this truth: That parents are responsible to love and care for the family. I also like how the above statement says "love and care for each other and for their children." I know being husband and wife isn't just about the kids, it is especially about the spouse.

Though I don't yet have these responsibilities, I really look forward to taking them on (hopefully in the near future). Besides, from what I've seen, the people who take the responsibility for self, spouse, and children tend to be the happiest and most joyful. Who knew adult responsibilities could bring such joy? I have seen that joy in my family, and I look forward to experiencing that in my future family.

Proclamation Statement #12: "We Affirm the Sanctity of Life"

"We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan."

The next statement in The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Life truly is precious. I believe it is a gift from God. We are all blessed with a life on earth, and we will all be blessed with a life beyond this earth. I agree that life can be hard, even very hard. We enter the world in hardship; we experience many trying challenges; we find it hard to leave this world and those we love. Is it all worth it? I believe it is. God cares about each of us. The goal is not perfect happiness on earth, but perfect happiness in the next life.

Proclamation Statement #11: "Divinely Appointed"

"We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed."

This statement explains that God gave us, His spirit children, the ability to have mortal children. Because this power is given to us from heaven, God cares about how His children enter the world. This is why many Christians, including myself, have such strong feelings about the conservative viewpoints about abortion and marriage. I believe that this procreative ability is given to us for two reasons: First, to bring children into the world and into families; Second, to strengthen and enhance the intimate marriage relationship. The things that matter most, love. family, children, parenthood, home, are the things that provide the most fulfilling happiness, and I am grateful for that.

Proclamation Statement #10: "We Further Declare..."

In continuing through the statements of The Family: A Proclamation to the World, I will share the next statement below, and follow it with my thoughts and feelings. I have approached this post with particular thought and prayer.

"We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife."

Now, some of you agree with this, and some of you don't. Many of you have questions, as do I. It is true that I believe that this is what God has declared regarding intimacy and marriage, through His servants, the prophets, and through holy writ.

That being said, I have many questions about how marriage should be handled in the American society and in American law. In a country that strives for equality, liberty, and justice for all people of all political and religious beliefs, can there really be no compromise between the liberal and the conservative views of marriage? I wish I had more answers, and I can't condemn anyone with my beliefs if others believe differently. I know what my religious beliefs are, but I struggle to determine my political beliefs, especially on the issue of the marriage institution in today's society.

If I appear to be too much of an apologist, that is because I am trying to convey my complex thoughts and feelings about marriage and family in the attitude of mutual respect, compassion, and understanding for all humans, all of God's children. I am always happy to engage in honest discussion. The LDS Church does a great job of this, as is evidenced by efforts such as mormonsandgays.org. I stand with the Church on the issue, and I stand with Christ in principles of kindness, consideration, and charity.

I am grateful for my beliefs in God and in Jesus Christ, which helps to center me in a complex world.

Proclamation Statement #9: "Remains in Force"

You could say that this statement is what encourages some Mormons to have large families:

"We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force."

All joking aside, this is evidence that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The world and its inhabitants change a lot, but God never does. He instructed Adam and Eve to have children and become a family, and I believe that is still an essential part of life today.

As I've said before, I am grateful for my mom and dad, for their decision to raise me and my siblings. Truly, the goodness that they are and the good they do has been multiplied and replenished on the earth through their children. :)

Proclamation Statement #8: "The First Commandment"

"The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife."

This is a good statement of truth for Father's Day (it would have been equally appropriate for Mother's Day as well). The "first commandment" mentioned here is the commandment given to mankind to "be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth" (Genesis 1:28).

This is further evidence that God wants His children to establish families and find happiness therein. I am grateful that my mom and dad decided to raise me and my siblings. Today, I am especially grateful for my dad, for his work, for his service, and for his love. It was good to talk with him today. I am grateful for the role that my father has in my life. I am also eternally grateful for all my Heavenly Father does for me.  

Proclamation Statement #7: Available in Holy Temples"

"Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally."

One of the special purposes of the temples built by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that temple marriages (also known as "sealings") are performed there. Mormons believe that when a couple is married in the temple, that marriage is meant "for time and for eternity," as long as they are both faithful to each other and to the Lord. Not only that, but people go to the temple with names from their family history and perform baptisms, sealings and other ordinances in behalf of ancestors (the ancestors on the other side can decide to accept this temple work or not).

I was able to go to the temple yesterday, and I'm glad I did. There is peace there, and it felt good to be of service to my own ancestors. I am grateful for temples. Above all, I am grateful that this eternal work is possible through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Proclamation Statement #6: "Family Relationships...Beyond the Grave."

"The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave."

I believe that God meant for our most cherished relationships to endure beyond our mortal life. My understanding of the life after death is that the only things that carry over are ourselves (our personalities and out mental and spiritual capacities), as well as our relationships. This is how I determine what really matters in life.

I am grateful to know what matters most: people. This includes myself and those I care about.

Proclamation Statement #5: "In the Premortal Realm..."

Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going?

"In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life."

This statement is a good summary of what I believe are the answers to the three questions above. We all lived with God before we came to earth. While we were with Him, it was like Father with children. We are His spirit children, but in order to grow up to be like Him we need a physical, mortal experience. This experience on earth, from birth to death, is the time we have to progress ourselves, to become the best humans we can be. Then, because of Jesus Christ's sacrifice, those of us who have chosen to follow goodness and truth will live with God again in heaven, which is eternal life.

This is what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches, and as I have studied and prayed about it, I have come to know and believe it myself. Again, this grand, eternal perspective makes life much more fulfilling for me, and reduces so much worry and concern. This is God's plan as I know and believe it, and I know He wants to help us return home.

Proclamation Statement #4: "Eternal Identity and Purpose"

"Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose."

What I love about that statement is the perspective it gives. We, so very often, talk about stereotypes. Sometimes it's funny; sometimes it's insulting. We talk about equality and safety between men and women. There are perhaps hundreds and thousands of different opinions, approaches, and definitions to gender and gender equality and so forth. The quoted statement above goes past all of that and focuses on the big picture: our identity and purpose in our premortal, mortal, and eternal existence.

I believe that this statement teaches us to look at our potential. What would it be like to see ourselves in the next life? What would it be like to see others the way God knows they can be, not necessarily how they are now? Men have eternal identity and purpose. Women have eternal identity and purpose. If we all looked beyond the here and now, and looked at each other in the what we could be, I think there would be much more respect and consideration for others.

I am grateful for the eternal perspective given by the fourth statement in The Family: A Proclamation to the World.

Proclamation Statement #3: "Divine Nature and Destiny"

This post will be similar to the previous one, because the next statement in the proclamation continues with the idea that we all come from God:

"Each [human being] is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny."

As I've said before, I truly believe, and know for myself, that God loves each of His children. Everything He does is to help us to return to live with Him again in heaven. I am grateful to know that God cares, and that we each have the same potential to be amazing.

Proclamation Statement #2: "All Human Beings..."

I have become more aware of recent events, and have consequently added an editor's note to yesterday's post.

That being said, I wish to continue to express gratitude for the principles in this proclamation with the second statement, which is as follows:

"All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God."

How very appropriate for a time when people all around the country are expressing love, compassion, and sympathy in light of recent tragedies. One of my fundamental beliefs is this: that every human being is a loved child of God. I believe that God is our loving Father in Heaven, who wishes for our ultimate happiness and well-being. He created us with the potential to become happy like He is.

That same God who created the universe is also very much aware of each of His children on earth. I am grateful to know that I matter to Him, and that every one else matters to Him. May we continue to see all other human beings the same way that I believe God does. 

Proclamation Statement #1: "We Solemly Proclaim..."

My greatest happiness comes from meaningful relationships, and no where on earth have I found more love, support, compassion, encouragement, and guidance than in my family. I believe that God has intended for each of His children to raised in family units, even though this ideal may not be a reality on some people's lives. I also believe that a nationwide, even a worldwide, commitment to the organization and preservation of families is the key to solving many of the issues we face in this world today. 

In 1995, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a document called, "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." It is meant to declare the Church's doctrine about the role of families in God's eternal plan. I care deeply about the statements in this document, and I've decided to dedicate one blog post to each sentence contained therein, and express why I'm grateful for that principle. The first statement of that proclamation is as follows:

"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."

I am grateful for the leadership of the LDS Church, which I believe teaches the truth about God's plan and purposes. I am grateful to know the importance of the family in our divine destiny. 

Editor's Note: June 13th, 2016
I have been made aware of the fact that, due to recent events in Orlando, this post may have been seen as insensitive to the LGBTQ community, particularly with the timing of this post being on the same day as the Orlando tragedy. Though I knew something happened in Orlando I was not aware at the time of writing this post that the shooting happened at a gay night club. I would like to make it clear that any perceived offense or contention was not intended.

Thank you, and make it a good day.

Made the Detour Bus!

The bus routes were detoured this morning because of a marathon going on in town. I was trying to catch a bus to get to the train station and I realized a bus wouldn't be coming to my stop. So, I decided to just walk to the train station and hope that I get a bus. I thought I would miss my train. But, thankfully, a bus came by and I was able to hop onto it. I made my train with a minute to spare! Everything was alright! I am grateful that I made a detour bus today. :)

Telestrations...or Whatever You Call It

Some call it Telestrations, others call it Telephone Pictionary, and there are other names for it too. Basically, everyone chooses a word and draws a picture of it on a piece of paper. They pass their papers to the next person and they have to write down, in words, what they think the drawing is. Then they fold the paper to cover all but their guess in words and pass it down. the next person draws the new word. This continues until each paper has alternating pictures and words. The fun part is when everyone shares what happened between the original word and the final guess. It's almost always hilarious!

I played that game today, and I just want to say that I am grateful for Telestrations. Yes, you could buy the board game, but it works just as well with pen and paper.

Reference

I am no stranger to asking for references in the job search. But, never before has someone chosen me to be a reference for them...until today. It was a pleasure to share my impressions of a friend. I am grateful that I can be, for the first time in my life, a reference for someone else.

An Escape and a Dragon

So, I was playing this game with some friends tonight (I seem to play a lot of games, don't I? Well, I guess that's how I like to unwind after a long day of work.). In the game, we--the players--were imprisoned as gladiators and we were trying to find a way to escape. After learning all we could, I started a riot and bashed through some iron gates. Someone else was able to sneak in some weapons. We all took the elevators out and fought over a dozen guards. Then, after roaming free for a while, fought a gargantuan dragon! That was intense, but we eventually defeated it. Man, it was epic.

Yes, the game was Dungeons & Dragons. Yes, we stayed up late playing. Yes, I have no regrets. I, along with my friends, accomplished great things when confronted with tough situations. I am grateful to have a hand in an epic escape, followed by a legendary dragon battle.

This probably makes me sound really nerdy but, whatever. One of my favorite ways to make and develop friendships is to play through some awesome board games.

Always Prepared, for the Bus Fare

I may not be an Eagle Scout, but I was a Star Scout, and I remember the motto: "Be Prepared." This morning, I suspected that my public transportation card may be short on funds, so I brought a bunch of quarters for the bus. I'm so glad I did! I barely made it to the bus, and I discovered my card had no funds on it! I paid my fare to work, then while in the office I put money back on my card.

I am grateful that I was prepared to pay another way to ride the bus this morning.

"Lunch Pad"

So, I love puns. My friends and family know this. Most people who know me know this. I made several puns today. But my day was made when I noticed, for the first time, a pun I had never seen before. It was a little sign marking the entrance to an office break room (keep in mind, this office building has a few other rooms with an outer space theme): "Lunch Pad."

There are so many wonderful things about that pun! I've never heard or seen it before (which is kind of remarkable); it's about space; it's about food; it's about a place where you eat food. It's so many things! All the things!!

For some reason, I became way more excited about that pun than perhaps I needed to. But I have no shame. I'm grateful for the "Lunch Pad." It made my day...because it's out of this world! (Sorry, I'm usually more of a down-to-earth kind of guy, but I had to get it out of my...system.)

21st-Century Pictionary

I really enjoy Pictionary, and never before have I used technology to play it. But today, a friend hooked up his tablet to a TV, and we used it to draw and display the Pictionary sketches and the team scores. This sort of technology is becoming the norm, but I am still impressed. We all had a great time, taking turns drawing on the touchscreen tablet and seeing everything on the TV screen. I am grateful for a fun time of 21st-century Pictionary.

Switching Sides in Board Games

I love board games, but sometimes it's more fun to play the games in unconventional ways. Today, I played Life and Sorry, but all of us who played decided we would switch sides every few minutes. This made the games, and their respective strategies, very different. This was literally a game changer, and it was a lot of fun. In the end, everyone contributed to the victory and the loss. I am grateful for unconventional ways to play board games.

The Difference Between Strangers and Friendly Acquaintances

I was playing some water basketball tonight with some friends, and some other people were nearby that wanted to join us. We introduced ourselves to each other, we learned each other's names, and we played for an hour or two. By the end, the strangers had become friendly acquaintances (the kind of people you would say hi to when you pass by). Amazing how that can happen so quickly. I am grateful for new acquaintances.

Two Songwriters

My roommate has dreams to write and publish music, as do I. We both look for opportunities to keep writing, and my roommate found one in a class. He has been writing a song for a religion class, and has worked on it for many hours this past week. He also asked me to help him, since I've taken a songwriting class. I am grateful that my current roommate and I are able to relate to a common hobby. I have become good friends with each of my college roommates (referring to "room roommates," or the one who shares a room with me in say, an apartment of six guys). I am very grateful for that too.

Artistic Video Games

I encountered a game that has no images, only sound. In The Blind Legend, you play the part of a blind knight, and you touch and swipe on the screen to slash and block opponents. I was impressed! It's really cool how clever people can be in designing games. Some games can even be seen as, arguably, works of art. I do like games, including video games, but I don't consider myself a "gamer" (I'm not into those first-person shooter or intense fantasy games). I simply appreciate the work that game designers do when they create a clever, even thought-provoking game. Other such games I've encountered include Journey, Flower, Flow, and Blindscape. I am grateful for artistic video games.