What Happens when Tomorrow Comes?

In the year 1995 there was a General Relief Society Meeting, and in that meeting a very important proclamation was shared with the sisters all around the world. The Family: A proclamation to the World was shared by Gordon B. Hinckley. Some may think that he was the one that made it up, but it just isn’t true. He is a prophet of the Lord and he was fulfilling a duty to our world by sharing with us what the Lord told him.  At the time, the family wasn’t as corrupt as it seems to be now. At that time we were not bombarded in everything we see, touch, smell, and hear. So why was it given then and not now. 

Well I personally believe that it is because we were being told of future events. We were already starting along that path and we were ready for a major fall on the roller coaster we were riding. It has happened. No one wants a family any more. It is all about “me” now and “what can I get out of this.” I will be honest, if I didn’t have the unique perspective that I do have, then I would wonder why families are so important too.

 I would love to have the best job in the world that included fame and fortune. I would love to only have to worry about myself. I would love to only live in the here and now, and not have a single care in the world for tomorrow. 

But what happens when tomorrow does come? 

I will be honest. I had a rebellious stage that started right out of high school. I babysat all the time while in high school and even though I loved the kids, I still hated doing it. I wanted to be more than just a baby sitter. I had family that was in very bad relationships with their spouses, and kids who were so demanding. All I saw with families who had children was pain. I would ask them “is it worth it?” And they would look at me with this questioning look and basically tell me “what do you think?” Well I thought it wasn’t worth it. My thoughts on children were : you have a painful labor, to only be stuck with a baby that screams at you, then tells you no all the time, then grows up to be a snotty little teenage that thinks they are “god’s gift to the earth.” And then leaves you only to never come back. I saw a lot of work with no reward. 

I didn’t want it, it wasn’t for me. 

So I went out and sought out life the way that I wanted my life to be. I wanted to go into advertising, and design magazines in New York. I wanted to stay out partying all night and have a cushy job with lots of benefits. (Dreaming, I know) But while I was following this self made path, things happened along the way that started to change my perspective on life. I was in college and there were no kids around. I actually started to miss them. (What!!!!) I started feeling empty inside. I started to see that when I only focused on me, that I wasn’t happy, but when I started to focus on others I felt happy inside. (again, What!!! That makes no since at all) 

I started to change. I started letting the Lord take the reins of my life.  I started feeling happy. I was happy all along, but this was a different happy. This was a deeper happy. This was a lasting happy.

Soon I met my husband and we got pregnant right away. 

Well 3 months after we were married. To some that is right away, but to us we still had 3 months of just us! I knew then that it was worth it. My first little one was a struggle. I had to have a c-section, which I never in a million years wanted. And when he came into this world I was completely determined that I would nurse him. But he didn’t want to nurse. It was a two hour struggle (each time) with him screaming the entire time which would end with me crying and basically everyone was in a bad mood. 

But even then it was totally worth it. 

Anyone who has seen a baby knows and can feel how special they are. Babies have the ability to cheer up a room when they are little newborns. It was a complete life changing, messy hair, pj wearing bliss. Within 5 years of marriage we had 4 beautiful children. Nothing at all of what I thought my life would be like. 

But when I think about what my life would  have been if I had done what I wanted to do, would I be happy, would I have actually gotten what I wanted, would I be happy with what I ended up with? I personally don’t think I would have. I may have had the perfect job, and the perfect clothes, and the perfect hair, and I may have been completely content with my life. But I think I would be left wanting more. Nothing in this life can fulfill what is right in the sight of God. 

So what does this have to do with the Family Proclamation? I will let you figure that one out. And if you can’t find a correlation then we will keep moving forward until you do!!! 

Life is forever changing. We have been given a guidebook on how to live it to the best of our ability. This proclamation is a part of that guide book. It is special. It is unique. It is from the Lord. And I don’t know about you, but when I have a way to put on protectors while in a bull fight I want those protectors on. This is our way. I want my children to have those same protectors on, because all too soon they will be left to their own defenses.  

  I want them to know what is right and what is wrong. I want them to have deep down peace and happiness. That is why I have been teaching them this proclamation. I want them to know the truths in a world where bad is good and good is bad. I want them to see beyond the here and now and have an eternal perspective. I want them to see what they can have in this life and the next. I want them to be a rock when others are water and moving this way and that because of some unknown force. I want them to know what is going on. I want them to be armed and ready. 

So why not teach them when they are young. 

I love my family. I know you love your family. And whether you are a Latter Day Saint or not this proclamation can help you and your families grow together and become unstoppable. 

Families are important.

 If we look back at Russia during the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 they wanted to do away with marriage. They made it impossible to have a good functioning family. Can you guess what happened? It was devastating. Devastating not only for men and women, but for also children, and not only them but it was destroying their nation. But thankfully they woke up before the damage was too bad and in less than two decades they were able to change the laws once again, but this time in support of marriage and families.

 Is America falling into this trap? 

Is the world falling into this trap? 

Are we destroying marriage and families without seeing the real consequences of our actions?

Pope John Paul II said: “ As the family goes, so goes the nation, and so goes the whole world in which we live.”  He has a profound statement there. 

Why are we not listening to it? 

When I was just out of High School I wanted to be selfish. There are no excuses; selfish is the only word to describe my attitude.  Thankfully I was able to grow out of it. But now it is time for us all to grow out of it. We need to stop being selfish and start looking towards the future. We need to stop only caring about ourselves and start caring about the whole of society. It is time we rise up and take responsibility of or actions and raise an even stronger generation for our children. It is time for us to be the parents that our children need us to be. It is time for us to be faithful to the ones we chose to spend the rest of our lives with. It is time to start a healthy happy family. 

No more excuses!

And what better way to start then to learn and ponder and study the Family Proclamation…

Oh look, here is a copy of that right now! (no more excuses!)

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

The Family

---

A Proclamation to the World

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

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.

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

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

The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. 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.

We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). 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. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

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.

We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

To get the actual copy of this proclamation go to

https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation

What is all of this...

Now I made this for my family to use. I have 4 children 6 to 18 months. My children are young, so I geared these lessons towards them.  In my lessons I have prep material. They are amazing articles that pertain to the lessons. They are uplifting and inspiring. I hope they help you learn too while you are teaching your children. Some of them are longer than others. But go at your own pace. If you can only get half of the lesson in before someone started touching someone else and then started screaming because he touched her back…- then finish early and go back to it the next week. Make it fit your family. You know your family the best. You know the best ways to teach them. I have only created a guide for you to follow. I hope this helps you in your journey to strengthen families. I know this is out on the “world wide web”!! But I love you, I love that you are searching for ways to strengthen your own families. I love that you have a desire to be better than you currently are. I love that you care enough to go looking around for helps and guides to teach your family. I pray that you will be successful in your endeavors. I pray that your families will be strong and united no matter what denomination you are. Good luck, and stay strong. Being parents is hard work, but totally….

WORTH IT!!!!!

Lesson 1

Lesson one
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.

Before the lesson please read:

Marriage Is Essential to His Eternal Plan by Elder David A. Bednar
Oneness in Marriage by President Spencer W. Kimball
Teaching the Doctrine of the Family by Julie B. Beck

Song
 “A Happy Family” (Children’s Songbook, p. 198).
Lyrics
1. I love mother*; she loves me.
We love daddy*, yes sirree;
He loves us, and so you see,
We are a happy family.
2. I love sister*; she loves me.
We love brother*, yes sirree;
He loves us, and so you see,
We are a happy family.

Scripture
D&C 49:16–17: “They twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation; and that it might be filled with the measure of man, according to his creation before the world was made.”

Lesson
First go over the Family Proclamation to the World. Let each child hold it and look at it. Then explain to them what it is. Hold up another sign showing the First Presidency. Explain to them that Jesus spoke to the first Presidency and gave them this proclamation to share with the world.
Then ask them what they think a family is. Help them out if they need it.
Show a picture of your wedding day and then explain to them how and why you got married.
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “Two compelling doctrinal reasons help us to understand why eternal marriage is essential to the Father’s plan.
“Reason 1: The natures of male and female spirits complete and perfect each other, and therefore men and women are intended to progress together toward exaltation. …
“Reason 2: By divine design, both a man and a woman are needed to bring children into mortality and to provide the best setting for the rearing and nurturing of children. …
Ask them why they think marriage is so important
Once they answer share with them that the family is central to God's plan of Happiness and because he wants us to be happy we need to follow his plan and have a family of our own someday. 
Hold up a picture of a family reunion whether it is yours or another family while saying
President Kimball gave a talk on marriage and he said  “Honorable, happy, and successful marriage is surely the principal goal of every normal person. Marriage is perhaps the most vital of all the decisions and has the most far-reaching effects, for it has to do not only with immediate happiness, but also with eternal joys. It affects not only the two people involved, but also their families and particularly their children and their children’s children down through the many generations.
In selecting a companion for life and for eternity, certainly the most careful planning and thinking and praying and fasting should be done to be sure that of all the decisions, this one must not be wrong. In true marriage there must be a union of minds as well as of hearts. Emotions must not wholly determine decisions, but the mind and the heart, strengthened by fasting and prayer and serious consideration, will give one a maximum chance of marital happiness. It brings with it sacrifice, sharing, and a demand for great selflessness.
If they didn’t understand explain to them that families are very important and it is very important for us to make sure that we marry someone that will help us be the best that we can be. Use personal stories to help.
End with your testimony of families and how wonderful and important they are.

Game
Choose an activity that best fits your family
1.    Make a family poster filled with pictures of the family members dreams, joys fears, likes, dislikes, frustrations, and worries. Basically make a poster of all the inns and outs of the family. Ask questions on what each person is putting on and why they chose that picture. This is a great way to get to know each other better.
2.    Play the what would you do game. Create a list of “problems” that someone might have and put them all in a cup. Then have a family member draw out one and answer the question. Help if needed.   An example of a card may be : Someone comes home and says he/she has had a rotten day. What should you do?
3.    Have each member paint a family picture, or a picture of what their wedding day will look like.

Treat

Make sugar cookies in the shape of a boy and a girl. Then have the kids decorate them.

Follow up through the week

Elder Robert L. Simpson said “ Every couple, whether in the first or the twenty-first year of marriage, should discover the value of pillow talk time at the end of the day- the perfect time to take inventory, to talk about tomorrow. And best of all, it’s a time when love and appreciation for one another can be reconfirmed.”

Take time to talk with each member of the family one on one.

Lesson 2

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

Before the Lesson Please read:

D&C 101:16, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19-20, Genesis1:26-27

Strengthening the Family:Created in the Image of God, Male and Female

Song

“I’m Thankful To Be Me” Children’s Song Book p. 11

1. At night, when I'm alone in bed,

I close my eyes and see

The many things I'm thankful for

That God has given me.

I see my friends and teachers, too,

And others who love me.

These many blessings make me feel

So thankful to be me.

Scripture

1 Corinthians

6:19-20

 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Lesson

Go over the proclamation part that we are learning today. Let them ask any questions that they might have about it.

Show them a picture of the Joseph Smiths first vision. Point out that the Jesus and Heavenly Father look like us. Share with them that they were the ones that created our bodies. Then talk about gender. Point out the girls in the family and then point out the boys. Tell them that Heavenly Father created our bodies for specific purposes. Explain to them how much mom and dad love them, and that if they love them so much how much do you think Heavenly Father loves them. And because he loves us he had to send us to Earth so that we could grow and learn to become more like him. We were created in Heaven just like we are now. Point out the boys and tell them that they were boys in Heaven as well, do the same for the girls.

Elder  Russell M. Nelson explained that life is a gift. He said “As sons and daughters for God, we cherish life as a gift from him…Life comes from life It is a gift from our Heavenly Father. It is eternal, as he is eternal. Innocent life is not sent by him to be destroyed! This doctrine is not of me, but is that of the living God and of his divine Son.”

Because our bodies are a gift from Heavenly Father we need to treat it with respect. We need to make sure that we are doing the right things all the time.

List off some of the cool things boys can do to make sure they are doing the right thing

 Examples are : Keeping our bodies healthy and strong, helping others with our strong arms, blessing the sacrament when we are older…

Now list off some things girls can do to make sure they are doing the right things

  Examples are : Wearing modest clothing, wearing pretty dresses, learning how to cook to help others feel better…

End with a testimony of the sacredness of our bodies, and that Heavenly Father created us for a purpose and it is up to us to fulfill that purpose. 

Games:

Choose an activity that will best suite your family

1.      Create a book all about what they are going to do when they grow up.

2.      Make a silhouette of each member of the family and find a place in the home to hang them up where everyone can see them

3.      Play house with everyone doing a role in the family that they don’t normally do.

4.      Trace the kids bodies out on butcher paper and have them color themselves in

Treats:

Make giant sugar cookies, and let them decorate them with candy to make their faces.

Follow up throughout the week:

Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has taught that our creation as male and female children of God “was done spiritually in your premortal existence when you lived in the presence of your Father in Heaven. Your gender existed before you came to earth.”

Take each child and do something with them that will help them in their path to understanding who they are as children of God.

Lesson 3

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.

Read before the lesson

The Origin of Man by the First Presidency of theChurch

“Ye Are the Templeof God”  by President Boyd K. Packer

 Song

I am a Child of God p.2

Lyrics

1. 1. I am a child of God,

And he has sent me here,

Has given me an earthly home

With parents kind and dear.

2. 2. I am a child of God,

And so my needs are great;

Help me to understand his words

Before it grows too late.

3. 3. I am a child of God.

Rich blessings are in store;

If I but learn to do his will,

I'll live with him once more.

4. 4. I am a child of God.

His promises are sure;

Celestial glory shall be mine

If I can but endure.

5. Chorus

Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,

Help me find the way.

Teach me all that I must do

To live with him someday.

Scripture

Moses 3:7

“And I, the Lord God, formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul, the first flesh upon the earth, the first man also; nevertheless, all things were before created; but spiritually were they created and made according to my word”

Lesson

Draw out an outline of a body on white tissue paper (make sure you can see through it) Tell the kids that before they came to this life they did not have bodies, they only had spirits. Once they grasp that lay a normal white piece of paper down under the spirit one and make sure it has details to it. Ask them if they know how they gained a body. If they can’t answer help them out. Explain briefly what happened in the pre-mortal world and share with them that not everyone was able to get a body due to the choices that they made.

Explain to them that Heavenly Father gave them a body so that we could all become more like him. Have them give some examples of ways they can become more like Heavenly Father and Jesus. And ask them what they hope to become, or what Heavenly Father wants them to become.

Have each of the children stand in front of a mirror and have them look at themselves. Ask them what they see. Tell them what you see, children with limitless potential. Ask them what they think Heavenly Father sees. If they cannot come up with a good answer help them out.

Tell them that they can be whoever they want to be. And that they can do whatever they want to, but it is up to us to seek the Lords help if we want to be the best that we can be.

The scholar C.S.Lewis said in Mere Christianity “The command Be Ye perfect is not idealistic gas. Nor is it a command to do the impossible. He is going to make us into creatures that can obey that command.  He said (in the Bible) that we were “gods” and He is going to make good His words. If we let Him- for we can prevent Him, if we choose- He will make the feeblest and filthiest of us into a god or goddess, a dazzling, radiant, immortal creature, pulsating all through with such energy and joy and wisdom and love as we can not now imagine, a bright stainless mirror which reflects back to God perfectly (though, of course on a smaller scale) His own boundless power and delight and goodness. The process will be long and in parts very painful, but that is what we are in for. Nothing less. He meant what He said.”

End with your testimony on our Heavenly Parents and how we can get back to them.

Game

Choose an activity that will best suite your family

1.      Play Simon Says

2.      Have each child figure out what they want to do when they grow up and have them act it out, have the other kids try and guess what they want to be.

3.      Draw pictures of what you think it looked like before we came to earth, or after we are resurrected.

Treats

Cookie Ice cream sandwiches  - take 2 chocolate chip cookies (or your favorite kind) and put some vanilla ice cream in the middle of them to make a sandwich.  Explain to them that the ice cream is the spirit that our bodies are holding.

Follow up throughout the week

Think about who your Heavenly Father wants you to become. Go throughout the week being that person. Treat your children with the same attitude. See them as your Heavenly Father sees them, and treat them the way he would treat them.