Broken homes, children, and the family

The second annual "Index of Family Belonging and Rejection" was released Thursday 17 November 2011 by the Family Research Council's Marriage and Religion Research Institute (MARRI).  The group which released the study says that family structure influences all aspects of a child's future.  Patrick Fagan, who is the director of MARRI, reports that only 45.8% of kids at age 17 are in intact married families.  The report shows Minnesota's percentage of 57%, along with Utah's 56.5%, being the two strongest States in the nation for percentage of intact married families.  Washington D.C. ranked lowest, at only 18.6%.*

If only the world hearkened more to the voice of the modern Prophets and Apostles the Lord has placed upon the earth.  The above findings are telling as to the dismal state of things.  Think-tanks like MARRI wonder how they can protect the future of the children of the United States of America, and The Mormon Eagle answers: hearken unto the word of the Lord as given by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and all the world's problems would be solved.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World states,  

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.   Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.  By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families.  Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.  In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.  Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation.  Extended families should lend support when needed.

I know the family is ordained of God, and that its nurture is ever so important if our future generations are to succeed.  I know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true Church, and if man would heed her doctrine, all ills would be wasted away.  I know this is true.  I pray that America will wake up to their awful situation and turn herself around.  If the people of this nation ask God for help in rearing families correctly and wisely, He will answer.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

*For a full review, please see "Broken homes harm the futures of children", Deseret News, Friday 18 November 2011, A1, A7.

The False Doctrine of "This Is the Way to Go"

Friday, the Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, made gay-marriage legal in New York.  Of this legalization, he said, "This vote today will send a message across the country. This is the way to go, the time to do it is now, and it is achievable; it's no longer a dream or an aspiration. I think you're going to see a rapid evolution, . . . We reached a new level of social justice" ("New York governor signs law approving gay marriage", Yahoo! News).  The statement of Cuomo that gay-marriage is the way to go is from the Devil, and is not correct.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the only true and living Church upon the earth, teaches, "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 essential to His eternal plan" ("The Family: A Proclamation to the World", General Relief Society Meeting, 23 September 1995, Salt Lake City, Utah).


Gay-marriage is wrong, and evil in the sight of God.  We read in Helaman 13:38 the words of Samuel the Lamanite, that "ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head."  The evils of homosexuality have been elucidated upon in past essays, and will not be spoken of here.  Something else must be addressed, however.

Temptations Overcomeable
All who come into this world have certain temptations they must face.  The Lord has said, "And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them" (Abraham 3:25).    President Joseph Smith illuminates upon this, in that "[God] never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed, and which will not end in the greatest amount of good and glory to those who become the recipients of His law and ordinances" (History of the Church 5:135).  President Smith also taught, "We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the Celestial Kingdom" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 181).


As stated above by the Lord Himself as well as by Joseph Smith the Prophet, we must present our bodies spotless before God in the Celestial Kingdom, and in order for us to do so, the Savior has given commandments for our benefit.  One of these commandments is that homosexual activity is wrong, but like all other vices and evils, can be overcome through a correct understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  The Redeemer through Moroni wrote, "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness.  I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them" (Ether 12:27).

I know that all weakness the world has, including the evils of homosexual relations, can be overcome through Jesus Christ.  I am not saying that the temptations will go away, but if one asks the Lord in faith to strengthen them with power to resist temptation and do what is right, God will extend His hand for the spiritual strengthening of the individual.  The Lord and His power is real, and the Devil and his satanic evil power is also real.  To whom will we look for deliverance?  Well did Joshua of old say, "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve. . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).  I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and is the only Church acknowledged by God to bear His Holy Priesthood, teach the fulness of His doctrine, and ensure that a man and a woman can be united together as husband and wife throughout the eternities.  The Book of Mormon and the Bible both testify to the truths I have taught, and I defy Earth and Hell to tell me otherwise.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.