Protecting What's Important

It's been awhile since I've blogged, I'm sorry. Life has picked up again and Brad and I seem to always be busy with school, work, and church callings. A lot has happened lately that has me thinking about the future. 

 

Last weekend was General Conference. I absolutely LOVE conference weekends. I find it to be such a blessing that we have modern day prophets who receive revelation from God just for us. I personally think this was the best conference ever. A favorite for me was Marriage: Watch and Learn by Elder Clayton. As a newly wed I learned SO much from this talk. My favorite was at the end when he stated "Marriage is a gift from God to us; the quality of our marriages is a gift from us to Him." What a perspective to have on Marriage. Marriage is not always fun and games, it does have its ups and downs. After this talk Brad and I had a long and loving conversation about this talk. It was just what the two of us needed and we both learned so much. We decided that we need to make a more conscious effort to make sure that we are doing our very best to make sure that we are giving the best gift we can.  I know that just in this past week our home and relationship has been a lot happier and healthier.

 

After the bombings in Boston this Monday, the whole thing with the legalization of Gay Marriages, all the shootings, and the ordeal with the Boy Scouts, I can't help but cringe when I think of all the evils of the world. It makes me sad to see all these people suffering or thinking that they are finding "happiness" in their choices. It makes me sad to what society now finds acceptable. I often find myself contemplating not having kids because I don't want them to be raised in a society like we have now. I don't want to put one of God's children here and see them suffer. However, I know that it is all part of His plan. We are all sent here to be tested and we all have our agency (which I am not a big fan of, at all). Boyd K. Packer gave an excellent talk this past weekend at conference titled These Things I Know. In the talk he states " We will not always be safe from the adversary’s influence, even within our own homes. We need to protect our nestlings.

We live in a very dangerous world that threatens those things that are most spiritual. The family, the fundamental organization in time and eternity, is under attack from forces seen and unseen. The adversary is about. His objective is to cause injury. If he can weaken and destroy the family, he will have succeeded.

Latter-day Saints recognize the transcendent importance of the family and strive to live in such a way that the adversary cannot steal into our homes. We find safety and security for ourselves and our children in honoring the covenants we have made and living up to the ordinary acts of obedience required of the followers of Christ." This really spoke to me. It got me thinking am I doing all that I can to make sure my home is a safe haven? I took a look around my house. We have Ensigns on our table, Quotes from General Authorities on the fridge, pictures of the Temple, and we read our scriptures, but is that enough? As I was looking around I realized that I didn't have a picture of Christ in my home. I was shocked and to be honest, embarrassed. That is now top on my list of things to get. I was slapped in the face with another thing I need to make a conscious effort to do, not just when I have children but now when it's just Brad and I.

I am so blessed to be a member of The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and I'm so grateful that twice a year I have the opportunity to hear from modern day Prophets and Apostles.