Catching Up: September 17- October 3

So, this post is going to be a little jumbled and unorganized, just because I'm not doing it based on a specific topic for 2 class days worth of notes, but on several weeks of notes that I would like to fill you in on.

To start off, our first week or two of class was based on The Family: A Proclamation to the World (a link is provided for those of you who don't know about this document). We discussed the principles and messages of this document in great detail, but for the sake of space and the general audience I intend this blog for, I won't mention those specifically here.

The rest of this post will consist of some bullets that particularly stood out to me and I wanted to share with all of you:

• After about age 20, people's ideals no longer align more with their friends', but their parents' ideals.
• Under stress, we often subconsciously revert to what's familiar (what our parents did).

• How did society change marriage/family so drastically?
• definition of marriage changes over time
• God removed from marriage
• Publicizing through TV, movies, etc that things such as premarital sexual promiscuity, divorce, and homosexuality are okay, even though they're not
• People that want changes are more vocal than those that like things the way they are.
• Nothing about family has one, universal definition anymore.
• It was only right after gay marriage became officially illegal that the first gay marriage was performed.

• Wishing for someone else's life or figure (coveting things we don't have) is useless because everyone has struggles with what they have (life would not be better in somebody else's shoes.
• Don't underestimate the decisions you make! They have far-reaching consequences whether you realize it or not!

• Teaching the Doctrine of the Family" - Sister Beck
• Man and woman = 2 essential halves of a family
• Social skills are important to forming eternal families.
• This generation will be called upon to defend the doctrine of the family as never before.
• If they don't know it (the doctrine of the family), they can't defend it!

Well, those are just a few of my notes. i thought they were rather important and interesting and hopefully you agree!

An Introduction

So, I failed to mention in my previous post what the purpose of this blog is. The title, obviously, tells you that I will cover the general topic of the importance of family. But, what it doesn't tell you is that the information I am posting is from a class of mine called The Family (FAML 100). My plan, therefore, is to do a weekly post on the interesting and vital facts and concepts I glean from my readings and class discussions. By doing so, I hope to help whoever may be reading this learn more about why the family is vital to not only God's plan, but also life and society as we know it.

For those of you that are not religious, I will be mentioning Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and other things pertaining to the family from my religion, but I don't want this to scare you away! What I am learning and teaching is not just important to Mormon families, or Christian families in general, but is necessary for all families in order for societies and the human race to function and survive. My major is Marriage and Family Studies. This means that the things I learn from my class are important to know to help and council marriages and families. Everyone should try to learn and understand as much as they can about those two subjects if they are planning on being involved in them. If more people understood these concepts and principles, I truly believe the world would be a lot different, a lot better in many ways.

The topics I will be covering are similar to those I covered in my Family Relations (FAML 160) blog last year (http://rebap12.blogspot.com/). If you would like to learn more about these topics from a slightly different angle, I recommend reading that blog as well. Also, the textbook I am reading for FAML 100 class is Successful Marriages and Families: Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives, edited by Alan J. Hawkins, David C. Dollahite, and Thomas W. Draper. It's mostly intended for LDS readers, but I would recommend it for anyone who is interested in getting the facts and information first hand. The text for my FAML 160 class was Marriage & Family: The Quest for Intimacy, by Rober H. Lauer and Jeanette C. Lauer. It is not gospel oriented and has some really interesting facts, information, and readings as well.

Anywho, I hope you enjoy what I share as much as I enjoy learning and sharing it with you. Please comment! I would like to know that someone is reading my posts! Feel free to disagree, argue, concur, banter, anything you'd like! Thank you so much!

Welcome to my blog

Hello! My name is Rebecca Powell. This is my third semester at BYU-Idaho. I really enjoy my roommates, I love my apartment, and most of all I love the Spirit I feel all over campus and how gospel-oriented all of my classes are. So, just a little bit about me: I came up here to Idaho from Katy, Texas, though I call Idaho home because both of my parents grew up in Idaho, we visit almost every summer, and most of my family lives here. I have 6 people in my family, including me: my parents, a big brother, a younger sister, and a little brother.

My eldest brother is actually 3 years married with a little boy born last April.

I'm an aunt and I ADORE my happy little nephew!

I am majoring in Marriage and Family Studies with an emphasis in Home and Family. I absolutely LOVE horses (though, sadly, I'm very allergic to them) and have tried my hardest to learn as much as I can about them, even though I have never taken riding lessons or gotten anything close to owning one! I am going to try to take a horse production class eventually; I'm so excited! My favorite colors are pink and blue, I love to read, and I taught myself how to play the piano when I was 8 and have been slowly progressing in my reading and performing abilities ever since then. I also play the violin a little and love to sing. I love and am very grateful for my family, including my extended family, and wish I could spend time with them every day! Lastly, I am very grateful for my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and all of the blessings and guidance it has provided me throughout my life. I look forward to the things I will learn and the friends I will make throughout the rest of my years here in Rexburg, Idaho!