Divorce

Divorce has become more and more prevalent in today’s society. If something isn’t going your way in the marriage then most people automatically decide that they aren’t compatible anymore and assume that they need to break up. Or if the love isn’t so prominent in the relationship this is also means for divorce in the world today. But the truth is, all couples face difficulties at some point in their life together. Granted, some are more severe than others… During these situations of disagreement, it is easy to let small things appear big, but oftentimes, it distorts the situation into something it's not. We must remember that when these times arise, we must council the Lord and ask Him to soften our hearts because it is usually us that needs the lesson in the conflict. Also, we must remember the things that are shared in a relationship and how they were built together, like a family and children, and how a divorce will more than likely tear them apart, instead of making things easier. Heavenly Father will not let a good thing that He has joined together be separated, if we will come to Him with a humble heart, he can help in times of great trial. 

Fathers

Fathers play an important role in families. Father help show their young boys how to be a Father and start making habits to be success. The best way of learning is through observation. A father provides for a family and he loves their mother and they deal with difficult situations together. A mother and a father both play equally important roles in family life.

Intimacy

Intimacy is a natural and necessary part of marriage.  If taken out of context or forced it will not be as fulfilling or unifying as it has the potential to be. That being said, every sexual relationship is different, just as every relationship is different. If you feel dissatisfied, talk to your partner. Communication is key. Just as when you are talking about difficult situations you shouldn't be pointing fingers or saying harmful things. Have a conversation and figure out a solution together.

Parenting

Parenting is something we will all be affected by in one way or another. We will either become parents or if that’s not the case then we all have had parents and have been parented by someone in our lives. Parenting is not just a matter of getting our children to comply with the rules we have, but is rather a process for us to act on the needs of children. The needs of children can be placed into 5 categories

1. The need for contact

2. The need of belonging

3. The need for protection

4. The need to withdraw

5. The need for challenge                      

                  

When a child acts out, there is usually an underlying cause for the outburst/misbehavior, and it usually falls into one of these five categories stated above. We do not teach kids to behave, rather we teach them how to build character. Character can be built as we address the apparent needs of the child. As we address those needs we won't need to chase around their behavior because as their needs are met they will naturally be happier and more willing to abide by rules of the house.

Same-sex Attraction

There is a difference from being gay and being attracted to the same sex. Many people group these two very different things together as the same thing, as one. When you are gay then you have decided to be in relationships with the same sex. Having an attraction with the same sex, on the other hand, does not mean you are now gay. This attraction, aside from what the masses would like to believe, doesn’t occur at birth. No one is born this way. With same-sex attraction, the individual can seek help to learn how to remove these temptations from his or her life. They must remember, though, not to act on these impulses, for the Lord clearly states that marriage is to be between a man and a woman.

Conflict

Conflict can be good. When you encounter conflict, if you have a humble heart and you want to learn from it and build a better relationship from solving it, then you can begin to see how conflict can actually benefit you and your relationship. By being humble, you realize that not everyone is perfect, including yourself. This step enables you to better understand where the other person is coming from and therefor you are less likely to become offended by something they say or do. Next, conflict can help because when you solve the conflict, or are in the process of solving it, you learn more about the other person than you originally did before, which can help you two to become closer.

Along with conflicts can come stress. According to the Marriage & Family textbook that we are using in my class, the top five most severe stress starting events in a family are:

1. Death of a Child

2. Death of a spouse or parent

3. Separation or divorce of a spouse or parent

4. Physical or Sexual abuse between family members

5. Family member becomes physically disabled or chronically ill

(6. I feel like financial problems can definitely be added to this list as well.)

All these stressor events can cause crisis in the family but any stress and crisis can be overcome if the family uses appropriate coping mechanisms. Coping is the family’s reaction to crisis which can be either good or bad, it all depends on the attitude the family has. Attitude is the difference between making a crisis better or worse.

Cultures and Traditions

Last Tuesday I got my plane ticket to go spend Christmas in Washington with my boyfriend, Taylor's, family. He and I got talking about how this is going to work and what traditions each of us do with our families. It got me thinking about how families in the gospel are so very similar because we obey the Lord's commandments and live the words of the prophets, but we can also be so very different when it comes to our cultures and traditions. AND THAT"S OKAY.

I've come to realize, traditions are great because they bring family together. They bring love into the home. They unite. They are meaningful. Cultures are great because they both unite and teach. They show people that there isn't one correct way to do good or to be good. Culture is something that can have a great influence on a person and as long as the practices of the culture are wholesome and uplifting and center around Christ, then everyone can benefit from the different cultures.

A podcast was given by Linda Burton and Jean Stevens and from it came a great quote:

Heavenly Father created people to be different and he created man to be able to learn. He also has commanded us to love our neighbors. With this being known, I think it is such a blessing that we are all different; that we come from different backgrounds and have different traditions. We have the opportunity to learn from those around us and can see how each person centers their lives around Christ is different ways.