Student Choice Assignment

For this week, I did choice #2 and I think the reason why David was not allowed to build a temple was because the Lord did not feel it was the right time to do so. Heavenly Father has a plan and time for everything and I think He values order, therefore, things will be done according to His will and on His time. I have learned a lot through this because it's a good reminder to know that the Lord is in control of everything and that all things will come together when it is right. All we need to do is just have faith and continue to love and follow His commandments.

Student Choice Assignment

In the book of Judges it tells a story about a man named Samson and his life. Because Samson's parents were righteous and faithful to the Lord, He blessed them with a son who was destined for greatness. Samson was blessed with strength and leadership, but he had made some poor decisions that affected his life and those around him greatly. He was married, but lusted after another woman named Delilah, however she was deceitful and tricked Samson into liking her so he would confide in her and tell her the source of his strength. Of course, he believed her and told her that his hair was his strength and by doing so, she told the philistines who came after him, shaved off his hair, and captured him. Samson was so upset and disappointed in himself for how he had acted and treated his wife and for believing Delilah that he destroyed buildings, which resulted in his death and the death of many others. I think we are all blessed and sometimes we allow temptation, sin, and Satan to enter into our lives and he is able to get us when we least expect it. When we do make mistakes, sometimes we feel overwhelmed and lost, which can lead to bitter and angry feelings towards God. However, we must remember that we all have agency and we need to stay close to the Lord and faithful in His commandments because when we slip up, we become vulnerable to Satan. We can learn from the story of Samson in that we need to have a strong testimony and relationship with the Lord and stay away from those things in life that are misleading and unrighteous. If we love God and do all that we can to please Him, He will always be there to guide our lives.

Student Choice Assignment

For this week, I chose "Choose You This Day, Whom Ye Will Serve" That statement is really powerful and meaningful to me and I think it's important that we all choose who we will serve because when we do so, our decisions and lifestyles will be determined upon who we have personally chosen to lead and guide us in our lives. In the Joshua 24:15 it states, "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." I love this scripture and it applies perfectly to this lesson! To me, this verse is telling me to choose for myself. There are so many people in our lives who will influence us and there are times where we will make a decision based off of what they think, but it is clear that we need to choose for ourselves and stand strong and stay true to what we decide and what we believe. I choose the Lord's side and this is because of my personal relationship with Him and because of my testimony of the gospel. I know that God is the source of all truth and He has blessed my life in so many ways and because of this, I can't imagine serving anyone else. He brings happiness and eternal life and when I am on God's side, I feel I am doing what is right and I will continue to do follow in His ways.

Student Choice Assignment

Choice 1- In Deuteronomy 20:17 the nations listed are Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. The Lord commanded that Israel destroy these nations because they were wicked because they were serving other gods and their altars and pillars were not of the Lord. Heavenly Father saw them as being unrighteous. We can protect ourselves from sin today by following God's commandments and by only being in the service of Him and those around us. When we do good unto others, we are ultimately doing good unto the Lord and when we serve others, we serve Him. I think that today's society seems to get caught up in serving "gods" which symbolizes material things of the world. I see a lot of people who are not focused on striving to live more Christ-like and are allowing worldy posessions to come before the Lord. I have noticed this a lot with money, greed, and selfishness. So many people in this world are too concerned with how much money they have or what they can do to get ahead, instead of loving life and enjoying all of the blessings God has given us. When we put God and our Savior Jesus Christ above everything else, we truly have it all and will understand and see all the greatness and blessings in our lives.

Student Choice Assignment

For this week's assignment I chose choice number 1: Why is the book called "numbers?" After reading over some of the material, I learned that the book of Numbers does indeed number each tribe of Israel. At the beginning of the of the children of Israel's sojourn into the wilderness, the males twenty years of age and older were counted at 603,550. After the 40 years of wandering and bearing children in the wilderness, the ending count for males twenty years of age and older were counted at 601,730. It's interesting that there would be less than the original amount counted for at the beginning, but I think a reason for this could be that the Lord saw some of them being ungrateful of the wonderful blessings that would come from the promised land so, the ones that did not make it were those who were not worthy and did not show a great amount of faith. Being in the wilderness for 40 years would be a difficult and a trying time for anyone and with the people of Israel complaining toward Moses and God, it was hard for them to see and understand the blessings that the Lord was giving them. I think it is a good reminder that no matter what the situation or circumstance may be, or even how difficult it may seem, God always has a reason and purpose behind everything. Strive to look for the positives and try to be strengthened to grow closer to Heavenly Father and feel of his love, constant comfort, and guidance.

Student Choice Assignment

For this week's assignment I did Leviticus 11-14. There are two lists, one containing the clean animals that Israel could eat and one containing the animals they couldn't. The list of food they could eat were: cloven footed and cheweth the cud, fins and scales in the water, and locus, beetles, and grasshoppers. The unclean food they could not eat were: uncloven the foot and cheweth not the cud, hare, coney, things without scales and fins, camel, raven, owl, hawk, swan, pelican, stork, harron, lizard, snail, eagle, ossifrage, ospray, vulture, kite, cuckow, lapwing, bat, creeping fowls, weasel, mouse, tortoise, ferret, chameleon, and mole. I think the purpose and meaning of this was for the people of Israel to practice self-discipline and to follow direction and guidelines. Another list is for what God ordained for the use of man and what He has restricted. The list for those things ordained include: self-made pure wine, strong drinks for washing the body, wholesome herbs, tobacco for bruises and cattle, ripe fruits, beasts and fowls sparingly, grain, and mild drinks. The list for what he has restricted include: Drinking wine and strong drinks made by others, hot drinks, and tobacco for the body or belly. This applies to the Word of Wisdom and it is a guideline to help us avoid things that the Lord does not want us to partake, but also what is not good or beneficial for our minds or bodies. Heavenly Father wants us to be strong and healthy and to only partake and do things that will be nutritious and helpful to our physical and spiritual well being. I love the blessings that come from following the Word of Wisdom and also the words of the Lord and I feel like I work hard on my physical health, but I can do more to be spiritually healthy. I can be more diligent in my scripture study and to show more gratitude and appreciation for the wonderful people in my life and for the opportunities I have been given.

Student Choice Assignment- The Ten Commandments

In Exodus 20:3-17 a list of the Ten Commadments includes:
The two great commandments are to: Love God and Love your neighbor
This is a list of the commandments included with what commandment associates with it:
1. Love no other gods before me- Love God
2. Do not worship idols such as statues and monuments- Love God
3. Do not take the Lord's name in vein- Love God
4. Keep the sabbath day holy- Love God
5. Honour thy father and thy mother- Love God
6. Do not kill- Love our neighbor
7. Do not commit adultery- Love God/ Love your neighbor
8. Do not steal- Love your neighbor
9. Do not bear false witness- Love your neighbor
10. Do not covet- Love your neighbor
I think three of the commandments that are most neglected by the world today is- keeping the sabbath day holy, committing adultery, and coveting. I think if the the world today would keep these commandments and follow the words of our Heavenly Father then we would live in a peaceful, loving, honest, successful, and righteous world. How wonderful would it be to live in a place where we wouldn't have to worry about our safety or wonder if our posessions would still be around when we leave them unattended? If more people were honest and truly loved God and loved their neighbors, I think we would have more peace of mind and put more trust in those around us. There is so many blessings that come from following the commandments and it truly would benefit everyone to do as the Lord has asked.

Student Choice Assignment

In this week's reading, I learned about the children of Israel and how they were symbolically saved by water and fire. We learn that being born of water and of the Spirit, water meaning the cleansing and purifing while fire is being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. So, symbolically, the children of Israel were baptized, being completely cleansed, purified and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. We can all experience this wonderul opportunity because it is a blessing from the love and greatness of God. Baptism is of key importance to entering the kingdom of heaven and I am grateful for the testimony I have of its power of changing and replenshing lives.

Student Choice Assignment

In the Old Testament, reading through Genesis chapters 24-50 we learn about the story of Jacob and his son Joseph, who received the "coat of many colors." Jacob had twelve sons, and they were named: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Isaachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. In the story of Joseph, he was a very humble and obedient man and his brothers became envious of him, I think because of his righteous doings and the example he set for all those around him. Joseph's brothers were so negative toward him, that they even sold him into Egypt because of their anger and jealousy toward him. Although Joseph faced many trials and was betrayed by his brothers, he stayed faithful and did not show resentment and still loved and forgave them for what they had done to him. Joseph resembles a lot of Christ-like attributes because he was so quick to forgive and his heart was always full of love and gratitude toward his family and his Heavenly Father. He was merciful and compassionate, especially during those times when he had every right to be upset and hold grudges toward his brothers, but he didn't. Joseph's challenges are a lot like the challenges that we face in the world today. We experience a lot of competition and are always comparing ourselves to others. When this happens, we are easy to find fault in others and in ourselves and hold bitter feelings and jealousy. It's important to remember the example and the story of Joseph because even though we experience trials and adversity, we can still find the strength to be forgiving, loving, and understanding of those around us, even family. Love others as we love ourselves and do good unto them, even at times when it's hard to. The Lord loves us all perfectly and we should strive to treat others this way and to follow in the footsteps of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Student Choice Assignment- Who Was Melchizedek?

Melchizedek was a king in the land of Salem and although this land was filled with people who were wicked and sinful, Melchizedek remained faithful and obedient. According to the Doctrine and Covenants and the LDS church, there are two priesthoods, one being the Aaronic and the other the Melchizedek. The Melchizedek is the first and highest because it came from such a great and respectable high priest. In Alma 13:18 it reads, "But Melchizedek having exercised mighty faith, and received the office of the high priesthood according to the holy order of God, did preach repentance unto his people. And behold, they did repent; and Melchizedek did establish peace in the land in his days; therefore he was called the prince of peace, for he was the king of Salem; and he did reign under his father." This is such a great passage because we learn so much about the life of Melchizedek, even in such a short verse. He was a very righteous man and set an example for all those around him. It mentioned a lot about how he preached repentance and this is so important for all of us to remember. Even though we are not perfect and will sin and make mistakes, God allows us the opportunity to repent and be truly forgiven of our transgressions. It's such a powerful and wonderful blessing and I am so grateful that my Father in Heaven loves me and all of His children enough that He would send His son, Jesus Christ, to atone for our sins so, that we may be forgiven in all that we do. It is also true that men in the LDS faith can receive the Melchizedek priesthood which is so significant with our church. We receieve so many blessings through our priesthood holders and it truly is a blessing from God that we have such a power on this earth today.

Student Choice Assignment- A Tower to Reach Heaven

For this week's assignment I chose to discuss the tower of Babel. The purpose of building the tower was for the people to reach heaven because they wanted an almost easy way out. This angered the Lord because they were trying to cheat His plan and this was not what the Lord wanted or intended of us. He decided to scatter the people by creating different languages so, that those who wanted to build the tower could not communicate with one another to do so.

An example of this to me would be when a student decides to cheat on a test or assignment. This is not what the teacher wanted from the student and has given clear directions and instructions not to do so. However, some individuals disregard what they have been taught and also what they have been told and choose to do what will benefit them, but only temporarily. In the long-term they are only cheating themselves and are disrespecting themselves, others (teacher, classmates) and also Heavenly Father. He wants us to reach our full potential and we can only do this if we are honest, obedient and work toward the ending goal righteously and correctly.

This relates to the tower of Babel and reaching heaven because even though their intentions might have been good, their actions and desires were not. Just like cheating, we have the motivation to want to do well and receive a good score, but that's not the way to do it. In today's world it seems people are becoming more greedy and selfish and want things right away, instead of patiently waiting or working hard toward goals. People are focusing too much on the name they make for themselves and not enough on what the Lord thinks of them or truly wants for them. We can take upon the name of the Lord by obediently following his commandments and loving him enough to want to always strive to make Him happy and pleased with what we do and how we live our lives.

Divorce and Remarriage

In class this week we discussed divorce and remarriage and the effects each has. One of the questions asked was "How are boys affected more (negatively) by divorce? Some of the answers were that sons miss out on the fatherhood role model and they act more aggressive. There was a study done that said kids ages 12-15 who had experienced their parents getting divorced had fathers who lived 400 miles away. Some of these possible reasons were because of work, a new relationship, and wanting a new start, which usually comes from the mother. It also said that 70% of males re-married 2 yrs after a divorce and 70% of Americans said that they could've and should've saved their marriages. This is a powerful statement and I think if couples remembered why they fell in love with each other and worked through problems effectively and with compassion and understanding, then they would be more forgiving of one another and be able to keep a happy, healthy marriage.

Parenting

Our discussion this week was based on parenting and what their purposes are. We talked about refining parents so, that they can become more like God and come closer to divinity, and also that they are to protect and prepare children to survive and thrive in the world around them. I think it's also important to note that children need four things: courage, responsibility=respond to opportunities and challenges, choices and consequences, and cooperation and respect. I truly believe that parents and children learn and teach one another. It is important to create a family and a household where love, comfort, and respect are present. Where each member of the family feels open to communicate and has a sense of safety and most importantly, where the Spirit can be felt.

Fatherhood

This week we discussed the importance of fathers and their influence on our lives. In class we talked about "One for the Money" which is a book about finances and how important it is to stay out of financial debt. We should apply steps such as: Pay an honest tithe, learn to manage money, learn self-discipline and self-restraint, use a budget, teach family members the importance of working and earning, teach children to make money decisions, teach each family member to contribute to the total family welfare, make education a continuing process, work toward home ownership, involve yourself in an insurance program, and appropriately involve yourself in food storage. If we incorporate these into our lives, we can receive blessings and avoid financial and relationship problems. My dad has always been a good example of this because he has always taught me the value of working hard and managing money. I'm really grateful for his teachings and support.

Communication

Communication is extremely important when it comes to relationships with others and especially marriages. Challenges that are related to communication problems are misunderstandings, perceptions, and sacrasm. Sarcasm has been found to be one of the most difficult forms of communication. Therefore, we should do our best to avoid it. Also, we should watch for our verbal, non-verbal and tone when we are dealing with situations. Our body language, gestures and facial expressions can potray a lot of messages, some of which are unintentional, but can be perceived as something different. If we do our best to communicate and resolve small problems early on, then it could benefit for later on when problems seem to be more substantial. We need to develop and continually work on skills to better ourselves and our relationships.

Family Crisis

In class this week we talked about stress and coping in families. A crisis is a problem that puts the family system at risk. It's usually unexpected which means we are not as prepared, but we choose whether the crisis will define us or refine us. Instead of approaching a crisis negatively, we should look for ways to learn and grow from it! They are opportunities to strengthen relationships with others. Although everyone has their own experiences, some of us can have the same stressor or crisis, but walk away with completely different attitudes and feelings toward it based on the way we choose to think and feel about the situation. We choose what we take and learn from trials and adversity!

In class this week we talked about sexuality and the importance of being mindful of different thinking between males and females to avoid conflict in relationships and marriages. It was taught that safety, comfort, love, and confidenct are the key to successful sexual intimacy. It is also important to remember that every relationship requires sacrifice from both individuals. Great giving results to great receiving and if we are attentive to one another, then the relationship grows and love increases.

Marriage

Today's trends we find that there are fewer people marrying, more people cohabitating, and that marital trends seem to follow societal trends. We find that a relationship and a marriage requires work from both people. They must both feel comfortable enough to lean on the other. Working together and loving each other truly does bring out the best in the couple:) Although, marriage is fun and totally worth it, is not always easy. It takes effort and dedication to make the family and household run smoothly. Some adjustements couples have to go through are: adapting to living styles, learning effective ways to communicate, personality differences, financial budgets, decision making skills, schedules, handling in-laws, daily discoveries-how to handle and manage the little things, and budgeting time! These take work, but can be overcome! Everyone is different, but when two people are in love and willing to do anything for the other, happiness, acceptance, and true love and joy outweigh everything else!:)

Love

The defintion of love includes four greek terms, Storge(parent/child love), Philia(friendship love), Eros(man & woman love, also where the word erotic comes from), and Agape(love for someone's well being). Love is such a wonderful thing! Not only do we all want love, but we should do what we can to express how much we appreciate and love others. Before we jump into love though, we should follow the stages of dating, courtship, engagement, and then marriage. We should also choose to date rather than just "hang out." As girls, we shouldn't put so much pressure on the boys to do everything. It takes both to put in effort and commitment:) I really enjoyed this topic in class and it made me feel so blessed to have the gospel in my life and to have such an amazing husband, family, and friends!

Gender Roles

In class we learned about the different gender roles men and women have. For example, women are naturally more nurturing, they're more expressive, verbal, emotional, and contain more white matter which is connective tissue in the brain to help memory etc. Men on the other hand, according to A Proclamation to the World states that they are to provide, preside, and protect the family. Men are also naturally more aggressive, they're more likely to supress their feelings, and they contain more gray matter which is more open space in the brain allowing them to be spatially oriented and retain more information. I believe in equality, but that does not mean men and women are or should be the exact same in all aspects. We all have been blessed with our strengths and weaknesses and I think we're supposed to be different to balance each other out. Whether male or female, we all matter and our roles are important!

Social Classes

Tonight in class we discussed social class and cultural diversity. Our society has defined three social classes: upper, middle, and lower. We expressed that classes are defined by how much money an individual has, or seems to have, their possessions, appearance and actions, education, employment, and associations. Our culture is defined as a way of life or our traditions and a similar set of values and principles related within a certain group. We all seem to fall somewhere between the three classes and I think it's important to understand that one is not better or more superior than another. It may seem this way, but working hard and understanding the importance and value of money is crucial in every class because it impacts not only our individual lives, but our current and future families, and our society as a whole.

All Blogs!

Annelise Bean http://familythroughtheeyesofannelise.blogspot.com

Cierra Beck
http://cierralifeisgrand.weebly.com

Halie Cook
http://12halie2011.blogspot.com

Hailee Coulson
http://haicoul.blogspot.com

Maddison Dillon
http://maddisondssweetdreams.blogspot.com

Marina Eliason
http://threeblissfulmonkeysandamomma.weebly.com

Laura Espinoza
http://espinozafamilyof7.blogspot.com

Shane Esplin
http://johnshanesblog.blogspot.com

Aubrey Forbis
http://aubreyforbisfr.blogspot.com

Kelly Furrows
http://mrandmrsfurrows.blogspot.com

Brittany Halstead
http://marriagethoughtsbybrittany.weebly.com

Hilary Hawkins
http://hhilarym.blogspot.com

Angela Hendrix
http://angiehendrix.wordpress.com

Kiera Hinkson
http://kieramachelle.weebly.com

Kim Kim
http://jihyunkim1972.blogspot.com

Susie McHan
http://susieqatbyu-i.weebly.com

Emily McIntyre
http://ablogtotheworld.blogspot.com

Josh Mitchell
http://mitchellfamilyrelations.blogspot.com

Aryan Moarefdoust
http://funandfam.blogspot.com

Eryn Nelson
http://sunnydaysatbyyu.blogspot.com

Emma Rodrigues
http://emmarodrigues.blogspot.com

Ashley Rupp
http://ashbobash88.blogspot.com


Susannah Scheuermann

http://happyfuturefamily.blogspot.com

Jamie Shelton
http://jamiepslifeisgood.blogspot.com

Grace Skidmore
http://graceskidmore.blogspot.com

Brian Tait
http://dafamilyman.weebly.com

David Walker
http://davesfamilyrules.weebly.com

Kamryn Watt
http://kamrynwatt.blogspot.com

Jacob Wilhite
http://jakewilhite.wordpress.com

Teralyn Young
http://teralynsmarriagefamilymusings.weebly.com

The Family System

In a family, everyone affects each other. Each individual plays a certain role and it is important to work with one another and to do what we can to make the home run smoothly and function as best as it can. Family system>individual parts!:)

Family is Key

Something I've learned recently is the importance of Family Trends. What we see happening in the world today is cohabitation, delaying marriage, birth rates decreasing, the amount of employed mothers are increasing, more unmarried births, and family sizes are significantly smaller. All of these are interrelated in the fact that choosing to do one, may lead to the other and eventually, they all start to snowball together. I believe families are key and the basic foundation for which we build upon. We should understand what it means to have family and how great of a blessing it is! Everyone deserves to be brought up in a stable and loving home so, we should strive to do what is best for not only ourselves, but for our children.

Purpose

So, I'm new to blogging, but the whole idea behind creating this is to discuss the meaning of family by expressing insights and observations relative to class and also personal experiences.