Unit 2: Gender and Eternal Identity

The second unit focuses on the second paragraph:

ALL HUMAN BEINGS—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

Readings:

• Elder David A. Bednar, “Marriage is Essential to His Eternal Plan”
• LDS Church, “The Divine Institution of Marriage”
• Elder Richard G. Scott “Finding Happiness”
• Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “The Moral Force of Women”
• Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “Brethren We Have a Work to Do” & “Let Us Be Men”
• Elder Boyd K Packer “For Time and All Eternity”
• Elder Oaks & Elder Wickman, “Same Gender Attraction”
• Becoming Like God

Additional Resources:

• Gender Is an Essential Characteristic of Eternal Identity and Purpose
• LDS.org Topics: Same-gender attraction
• Women's Unique Roles Are Equal, Valued, Needed
• Women’s Divine Roles Include Nurturing Others
• Understanding Our Divine Nature
• Boyd K. Packer - A Tribute to Women
• Mormon.org - The Importance of Loving Yourself 

Unit 1 - Eternal Truths

This section focuses on the first paragraph of the proclamation:

WE, THE FIRST PRESIDENCY and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

The Family is of God

“Man’s laws cannot make moral what God has declared immoral.”—Elder Dallin H. Oaks

Edited:  July 10, 2015:  As I have been pondering this, in light of the recent Supreme Court decision regarding same-sex marriage, a thought occurred to me.  Prior to this change in law, all legal marriages had, at least, the potential to become eternal marriages.  However, now, marriages are being formed that have zero chance of becoming eternal. 

Knowing that marriage is ordained of God, and that, as N. Eldon Tanner taught: "as we can learn from the scriptures, that God is eternal, that His creations are eternal, and that His truths are eternal. Therefore, when He gave Eve to Adam in marriage, that union would be eternal. Marriage as ordained of God and performed in His holy temples is eternal—not just until death."  Understanding God's intention that marriage, as ordained by Him, is intended to be eternal, how heartbreaking must it be to Him that some of His children are choosing a path that can never be as it is intended?

Readings:

• Dieter F. Uchtdorf - What Is Truth?
• Henry B. Eyring - The Family
• Robert D. Hales - The Eternal Family
• Tad R. Callister - Ou Identity and Destiny
• Dallin H. Oaks - No Other Gods
• Dallin H. Oaks - As He Thinketh in His Heart

Additional Resources:

• N. Eldon Tanner - Eternal Nature of Marriage
• Upholding the Doctrine of Marriage
• Russell M. Nelson - Decisions for Eternity
• Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson - Chap. 14: Marriage is Ordained of God
• Truth Eternal
• L. Tom Perry - Why Marriage and Family Matter—Everywhere in the World

Introduction: Capstone Proposal

This semester at BYU-I, my husband and I are taking the Family Foundations religion class together.  In this class, we are studying the Proclamation on the Family in great depth and detail, with accompanying related readings.  We are also required to complete a semester-long "Capstone" project.  

My proposal for this project is:

I will prepare a Marriage and Family Blog to share and discuss truths I have learned from this class.  I will primarily be using this almost like an electronic “Binder Resource” whee I can link to the weekly readings and well as to other resource materials on the six Units as we study.  I think this will be a great resource for me to study from and deepen my testimony of the doctrines taught in the Proclamation on the Family.  I will be especially seeking out resources that help to provide me with answers to help me endure my trials faithfully and how I can strengthen my family both as it now exists and as it may come to grow in the future.  Linking these materials, including the readings from our manual will provide me a way to keep a an easy resource to the materials from any computer, as well as being able to share these resources with my friends and family.

I will be spending at least one hour each week for the remaining weeks in the semester.  This way I can make sure to not only stay on top of the project and keep it a course-long project, but also this will help me to keep almost an electronic journal of my thoughts throughout the class as the teachings and impressions are still fresh.

~ Rebecca