The Things I Write About

The first paragraph in the 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.”

First I would like to state, that those who believe differently than I do in how families are organized, I love you and respect your perspective. We may not believe the same things, but that in no way means that I disrespect or judge you in any way. I truly believe that even though core beliefs can be drastically different, we as a people move forward with compassion and understanding.

I do believe that marriage is to be employed between a man and woman. This is because the optimum setting for child rearing is in a home where parents who share differences work together for the benefit of their children. In 1995 while addressing the students at BYU President Henry B Eyring stated, “A little child would feel safe hearing the words that marriage between a man and woman is ordained of God. The child would know that the longing to have the love of both a father and a mother, distinct but somehow perfectly complimentary, exists because that is the eternal pattern, the pattern of happiness. The child would also feel safer knowing that God would help mother and father resolve differences and love each other, if only they ask for his help and try. 

For those who know us can see how different Doug and I really are. Doug is a spirit of the law kind of man, while I am a letter of the law woman. When we first got married, I was concerned by the differences we have. I wondered how could we work together? As we started having children, I got to see how our different perspectives benefit our children. Our differences compliment each other. In many instances, one of us will think of a solution to a problem that the other couldn’t think of. We haven’t always worked harmoniously, but because we both make the effort I think we do okay.

Even science holds to the truth that “opposites attract”. In chemistry, positively charged ions are attracted to negatively charged ions. When the negative ions bond with the positive ions, a strong bond is formed. It takes a significant amount of energy to break such bonds. If two people with significant differences bond together, it will be harder for things to break them apart.

I love the differences that Doug and I have. They can be fun too. One of my favorite date night games is “The Celestial Companions Game”. It is an LDS version of the newlywed game. Couples are asked question to see if their answers can be the same. Doug and I almost always loose that game. Not because we don’t know each other, but because we might not always understand what the other one is thinking. It is fun sharing our different answers, and get a little closer to better understanding of each other. It is fun being different. As our lives continue, I look forward to seeing the other differences we have as we progress through life together. We will face the challenges of the world hand in hand, side by side, but also with our own unique perspective.