After studying the course materials for this week, I was struck by two things.
1. How laws are used to help people, but how quickly the world is beginning to use laws by hijacking them for their own use.
2. How essential modern day revelation is to align us with pure truth.
1. How laws are used to help people, but how quickly the world is beginning to use laws by hijacking them for their own use.
2. How essential modern day revelation is to align us with pure truth.
1. The laws of our country are used to alleviate pain, right injustices, and help take care of those who cannot take care of their own. Last weeks course materials that covered the affects of the no fault divorce law is a good example of this. One of the reasons the no fault divorce law was enacted so that severely abused spouses could get a divorce in a simpler way, removing them quicker from the abusive situation. However, it also made divorce itself easier and more economical for all parties. Now, a generation later we are just now beginning to see the research from the result of no fault divorce. One of the major fallouts has been how it has affect the children of those divorces.Jonathon Grubers research into how children were affected showed three major problems.
1. the children married earlier and were more likely to get divorces of their own.
2. They have an increase of poor behaviors like excessive lying, low achievement, and difficulty in school.
3. They have difficulty taking responsibility for their own behaviors. Divorce rates skyrocketed after 1970 when no fault divorces began. (1)
They since then have come down a little, but there are many other factors that have contributed to that. The ending point is that today our society is at another tipping point with same-sex marriage. Redefining traditional marriage has brought many people at odds. Jennifer Roback reiterates this in her address to the RI house Judiciary on Marriage when she said, "Redefining marriage redefines the way generations relate to each other. It will take 30 years to see the full impact of same sex marriage." (2) The unfortunate matter is that the consequences a generation from now, cannot be seen, nor the other laws that people will try to pass using the redefinition of marriage and the law passing same sex marriage as an example. We also do not understand the full impact it will have on other things of note like children and religious freedom
2. I'm so grateful for modern day prophets and apostles who receive revelation not just about our current day but about days in the future. I'm also grateful that they need current events and current research. Their scope is greater than my own, but God's is the greatest of them all. We may not know what will happen in 30 years because of the definition of marriage changing, but he does. He warns us through apostles and prophets and teaches us correct truths to help us make correct choices now before it hits 30 years. One of his modern apostles, Russell M Nelson, has said this about marriage. "Marriage and family is the greatest of all virtues." and this, "Male and Female have been created for what they can do together." and this " Mothers and Fathers are not interchangeable, they are distinct and complimentary" (3) Also, the Mormon Newsroom, the official media outlet for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints said this about the importance of marriage on society.
"Marriage is far more than a contract between individuals to ratify their affections and provide for mutual obligations. Rather, marriage is a vital institution for rearing children and teaching them to become responsible adults. Throughout the ages, governments of all types have recognized marriage as essential in preserving social stability and perpetuating life. Regardless of whether marriages were performed as a religious rite or a civil ceremony, in almost every culture marriage has been protected and endorsed by governments primarily to preserve and foster the institution most central to rearing children and teaching them the moral values that under gird civilization.
It is true that some couples who marry will not have children, either by choice or because of infertility. The special status granted marriage is nevertheless closely linked to the inherent powers and responsibilities of procreation and to the innate differences between the genders. By contrast, same-sex marriage is an institution no longer linked to gender—to the biological realities and complementary natures of male and female. Its effect is to decouple marriage from its central role in creating life, nurturing time-honored values, and fostering family bonds across generations." (4)
There is much more, and many more people willing to stand together and for marriage. It's not just the Mormons, it's Catholics, and Lutherans, other Christians, Jews, and others willing to stand up and fight for traditional family and marriage as the unit that protects society. In conclusion, I quote Elder Russell M Nelson again. "The days is gone when we can be a comfortable quiet Christian. Disciples of the Lord are defenders of marriage, we cannot yield. Society is not our Judge, God is. The future of marriage is dependent on us bearing testimony and living the Gospel" (3)
Our studies took us to both sides of the matter this week. Through prayer and study of all of the materials, I stand with traditional marriage, with quiet assurance from God that marriage is meant to be between a man and a woman, and they are to have children and raise them in goodness and faith to be strong and helpful members of society. I trust God, that he knows what is best, that he knows the consequences of what will happen in the future if the family unit continues to be broken down, and I am happy to stand with Him.
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