The Family

I think I might have scared my Achievment Day Girls yesterday.



Usually our lesson/activity is something fun and light-hearted and a way to teach them without preaching to them. It isn't too often that I end up crying while this happens.

Our lesson/activity was on The Family: A Proclamation.

We started by talking about the resposibility we adults have to vote in the upcoming election to preserve our definition of marriage being only between one man and one woman. It was difficult for me to discuss with the girls how different people want to change that definition to suit their own lifestyles, especially as I thought about how in so doing it would restrict my choices as a parent for the things my own children are taught. Let alone the way it would affect our "right to worship as we see fit" knowing that there are those who would accuse us of various "Hate crimes" for standing up for what we believe to be moral.

We read through the entire thing and talked about several of the items that we are specifically taught in this one small document. We couldn't even talk about it all. We just didn't have enough time.

We talked about the fact that when this was read it was presented to the General Relief Society exactly 13 years ago, before any of these girls were even born. Why was it presented to the Relief Society? The girls said it was because the mothers are the ones who teach their families. I had such a strong impression of just how important this was for our families to know, for these girls to know.

The more I talked the more the spirit bore witness to me of the things I was saying. And that is ususally accompanied by my crying. I just looked at all those innocent girls, the oldest being 11 years old, and thought about how much Satan wanted to distract them and make them forget who they really are.

I told them that the world can be a difficult place, especially for girls, with so many things telling us who we should be or what we should look like. It can make us think we are not good enough, or pretty enough, or smart enough. All of these things are not nearly as important as what our Heavenly Father tells us about who we are and what we should look like. He created us, and to Him we are enough.

I tried to tell them just how special they are to their Heavenly Father, and that is why we have this document. It is to tell the world, and to remind us each individually, how much He loves us, and wants us to return to be with Him.

There are so many things in the world that can make me afraid for the future my children face, and the difficult things they will have to do and endure. But at the same time, I know that my Heavenly Father doesn't want me to live in fear but in faith. I have faith in Him and He will protect me. And He will protect my children.

Now I just have to do all that I can do to protect them as well.

mk

Read what we studied for this week's Institute class here.