I have been pondering lately about what I will need to do to be sure I am truly prepared for the family I will have someday. One of the things that came to mind, as I have been making the effort to do so more regularly, was studying the scripture singularly and with my family. Additionally gracing my thoughts, Family Home Evening, family prayer, and what and how I will really need teach my family to help us to remain together and strong.
One of the scripture verses I read today is as follows:
"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." --Helaman 5:12 in the Book of Mormon.
We need to be strong and know where we stand individually as well as with the Lord. We need to know that life is hard and do all that we can to be ready to fight the battles we will face.
The next thought which was impressed upon me was after reading the story of a man who was suddenly killed leaving behind a wife and seven children, the youngest a mere 5 years of age. Do we as parents, teachers, or associates regularly express those beliefs which are important to us and our salvation? Would those we love and care about know what we stood for long into the rest of their lives, should something so tragic happen to us? I have always heard that you must build good habits in your family while your children are still young so that they will internalize the truths which you have to share, but I have never thought of it in such a manner which has impacted me the way this story has. Yes, you want your children to hear good things when they're little, but what happens if somehow you are suddenly taken away? It doesn't work to say, "I was going to wait until they got older, could understand better.." You must take the time now or it may not be there when you think they're ready. We need to set a proper example of doing what's right while our families are young (FHE, prayer, scripture study...) so they will remember, in times of need, our words of wisdom and to whom they may turn for strength.
Is it too much to ask for a little bit of integrity? If it is one thing I can say for sure it is that my family and extended family are honest people who try to do what is right. We may not be perfect. We may get angry sometimes. We may be sloppy sometimes. We may make too much noise sometimes. However, we try to have integrity and follow laws, rules, and policies. We work in fields where we understand that there are generally reasons regulations are put into place, whether we understand their purposes or not. It is this general attitude that makes it possible for me to support my family in the decisions they make and with the things that they say. It makes me SO ANGRY when people lie about the actions or intentions of my family. I know the people that are part of my family and I know they try their best to do more than just be nice. They do more than just try to do what they think is right. They seek out what is right so that they know they are acting as they should. Why must dishonest people have a scapegoat? Why do they feel the need to lie about stupid things? If it is something you may have misunderstood about a policy that can be worked out, don't blame your actions on someone else! Just try to have your own integrity and things will generally work out okay! When you are a good person and you make a mistake and every knows that you are a good person, it is more likely others will work with you to simply make sure things are right and that you know the correct way to act in the future. It's not like you're going to get sent to jail or get fired over making a mistake that didn't affect the safety of others or threaten anyone's life. Just tell the truth! Don't slander the names of the people who try to make your life better by doing their job or doing what is right!
