Throughout the world it is hard to ignore Satan’s acute and blatant attacks on the family. It is being attacked in every conceivable way, from the breaking down of gender and gender roles, to the breaking down of traditional marriage between a man and a woman.
Those in the world that still believe in God and that he has a feeling about these things, have started to create for themselves a god that is all about tolerance and love, ignoring the fact that the one true God himself says, “For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:39). No matter how the world tries to distort the truth, it is still truth. No matter how the world tries to make good look evil and evil look good, God knows better. No matter the methods of Satan to deceive and lead astray, wickedness never will be happiness, and the philosophy that “he will justify in committing a little sin...if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God” (2 Ne 28:8) will NEVER be true.
When it comes to our views on marriage and the family, we must keep an eternal perspective. Marriage is essential to salvation in God’s eternal kingdom. It is not something defined by human minds, but it is quite literally ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is a way to sanctify God’s children. It is also the ideal setting for the bringing up and rearing children. Elder David A. Bednar says, “A home with a loving and loyal husband and wife is the supreme setting in which children can be reared in love and righteousness and in which the spiritual and physical needs of children can be met. Just as the unique characteristics of both males and females contribute to the completeness of a marriage relationship, so those same characteristics are vital to the rearing, nurturing, and teaching of children. ‘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.’ (The Family: A Proclamation to the World)” (Marriage is Essential to His Eternal Plan). This idea is often neglected when thinking of marriage. The world thinks of marriage only in selfish, and self fulfilling terms, never considering the effect on the children of society. This is simply wrong. We MUST consider these innocent charges, placed in our care. We must care for them more than ourselves.
We live in a world where the emphasis is on self and autonomy. This is completely contrary to the doctrines of the kingdom and what God requires of us. He commands us to, “putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord” (Mosiah 3:19). God wants us to live selflessly, to serve others, and to follow the example of Jesus Christ in all things. Jesus Christ was the perfect example of humility and long suffering, he was the perfect example of selflessness, even in the midst of His own suffering, He first thought of others. The Father also lives this way, as we learn when He teaches us that his, “work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). A completely selfless work for an all powerful God. If we are to inherit all He has, and become like Him, then we need to begin living NOW, as he does. By casting off the natural man, and not giving into the enticing of the adversary which appeal to our natural man, and by consuming our lives and marriages with the service and concern of others. This lifestyle will ultimately bring the most happiness, not autonomy and the pursuit of self fulfilling, and devilish ideals.
