Today in class we discussed same-sex attraction.  This is a touchy subject for most LDS members.  But I enjoy discussing it and hearing different peoples’ views on the topic.  The question was brought up “are people born gay?”  I personally do not agree with that statement.  Our teacher made a comment somewhere along the lines of “people say that God created gays that way, that God gave them that temptation.  But God does not give people temptation, Satan does.”  I truly agree with that comment!  We are all perfect and cannot be tempted before the age of accountability which is eight years old.  So we could not possibly be born with that kind of temptation because God will not allow Satan to tempt us at that age.  For people who develop those feelings of same sex attraction, I do believe that it can be overcome.  Any trial or sin we have committed can be overcome by the power of the atonement.  It is a promise that God will not tempt us above what we can handle. 

We should not judge others on what they do with their lives.  I love the saying that states: 

The truth is we all sin, just in different ways.  But we need to help each other out to become better, and not judge each other for what we are doing.  I love the scripture in Matthew 5:22 that says:

“But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment…….”

Love one another, three simple words that we can all live by to help the world be a better place to live in.  

This week in class we talked about how the world is being more tolerant of television shows, music, and media in general.  A girl in class gave an example of her and her roommates.  Her roommates watch the movie Modern Family.  There is a gay couple in the show.  She at first did not like the show and did not want to watch it.  Her roommates watched it, so she tolerated it and started watching it with them.  Next thing she knew she was enjoying the show with them.  This is an example of “first we abhor, then we tolerate, then we embrace.”  I know that statement to be true in the life of others and in my own life.  It is hard to stay strong sometimes when everyone around you are not living the way they should.  I love this quote;

"Be certain that every decision you make, whether temporal or spiritual, is conditioned on what the Savior would have you do. When He is the center of your home, there is peace and serenity. There is a spirit of assurance that pervades the home, and it is felt by all who dwell there."

"The fulfillment of this counsel does not rest upon parents alone, although it is their role to lead. Children can be responsible for improving the Christ-centered efforts in the home. It is important for parents to teach children to recognize how their actions affect each individual who lives in the home. Children who are made to feel accountable for their actions, whether righteous or otherwise, grow to become trustworthy citizens in the kingdom of God."

For Peace at Home

Elder Richard G. Scott

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

April 2013 General Conference

If we simply think about Christ in all of our decisions in life then we will be blessed, and we will always make the right decisions!  

In class this week we did a role play with a mother, father and daughter.  The daughter was suffering from asthma.  The mother was very stressed because her daughter had asthma.  The father was stressed because his wife was stressed.  It was a vicious circle.  We found out in class that if the parents take care of their problems first and work things out, usually the child's problem will usually get solved.  This reminds me of the parenting pyramid.

The Parenting Pyramid illustrated what steps need to be taken and in what order, in order to be better parents.  First you need to work on yourself and make sure that you are taking care of yourself.  Then you need to work on your relationship with your spouse.  Next work on your parent/child relationship.  Next you teach the child and if necessary correct them.  If one part of the pyramid is going wrong, you need to back up and complete the first part of the pyramid first in order for everything to work out right.

I love the parenting pyramid and I know it will be useful in my life when I get married and start a family.  And I hope that it will help all of you with anything that you need!

I learned something huge this week in class.  Our teacher taught us that family relationships are more important to adolescents than to adults.  I thought it was the other way around!  It seems that teenagers these days don't want anything to do with their parents or siblings.  They want to be free to live their own lives and they don't seem to care about their family relations.  But a study was done with adolescents and the majority agreed that their family relations are very important to them.  I'm really glad to know that the world and especially adolescents still value the family and know how important it really is.

"In family relationships, love is really spelled T.I.M.E.  We learn from each other, and we appreciate our differences as well as our commonalities."

-President Uchtdorf