A Discussion on families today

There are so many opinions today about what "family" does and does not mean! I was part of a discussion this week about research that has been conducted on the family unit and learned some remarkable things. Much of what I personally view about family comes from my belief in God and membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. However, as I have been doing some of my own reading about this research I have seen how much the world's view of the family is affected by what studies are released, even when those studies were not completely true. Although much of the world today sees the "traditional family" as outdated, I want to share why that family unit is so important to me.

I have grown up in a relatively small town and have been blessed with an amazing family. I know that not everyone has had such experiences growing up, and my heart aches for those who have been abused or had other damaging experiences in the home. As I have gotten older I have seen that views of what a family is are changing rapidly. Many people do not think that to have a family you must be married as husband and wife. In fact, I have even seen that this is oftentimes discouraged. It is considered a normal thing nowadays to live together without being married, and this week I have learned that this belief is caused at least in part by statements made that if you live together prior to being married you are less likely to get divorced. This is not what I have found as I have done my own reading on this topic. I'm personally not a huge fan of doing research, but what I have seen has taught me the importance of marriage and striving to have a healthy and supportive home environment. One website in particular had some remarkable studies about different types of families and outcomes for their children (Family structure studies)

To me, family is everything. I would not be where I am today without my family's love and support. 

I have seen in my own life the importance of having my mother and father play such a huge role in my life, and I admire the love and respect that they have for each other. Families are never perfect, but when they are united there is a strength that comes from it. Sadly, I see that situations like this are becoming more rare than common. As for my own belief, families are not a man made invention. God has blessed us with the opportunities to live in families and this is another reason why my family matters so much to me.

Despite growing up in a relatively unique situation, I am not ignorant to the struggles that families face around the world. I had an opportunity to live in another country for a couple of years as a volunteer and it pained me to see the trials that people went through, and I was even in a first world country. Yet still, I saw people struggling with abuse, addiction, and many other harmful situations, more than I ever did at home. I grew to love these people and wanted to help them however I could. It is hard to live a good, healthy life when you never experienced that as a child, and it takes hard work to build a strong home and family, but I have seen the effects of that effort and it is priceless.

In a world where values are declining I see that one of the best ways to fight the struggles of life is to hold fast to traditional family values. When children grow up in a home with a loving mom and dad they see their example and are more likely to follow in their footsteps. I have seen lives change and families grow closer together as they put their loved ones first and I know that everyone can have the chance for a new beginning, no matter how hard of a family experience you may have. I believe that coming together as families will help unite individuals, loved ones, communities, and even nations.