~Answer by Michelle**

This is a great question. One of the things that I love about being Mormon is the focus on family. We receive guidance and counsel that I feel make a significant difference in our family life. I was thinking tonight about how grateful I am for what church teachings regarding family life have done for our family. It isn’t about a list of rules in my mind; it has become a way of life that enables us to feel God’s influence and power in our home and our lives, and helps keep us focused on keeping our family strong.

Following are some of the things Mormon families are encouraged to do regularly. At the end of the post, I include some links to content on our site where women talk about these different practices.

Usually on Monday nights, most Mormons have what we call Family Home Evening (or Family Night). We sing and pray and learn and play together, and usually eat treats, too! We try to be deliberate about not scheduling other things on Mondays whenever possible. We do a wide variety of things together. We enjoy discussing gospel principles and finding fun ways to teach them. This is a great opportunity to talk to our children about things that may be concerning them, or us. We’ll sometimes plan schedules, too. Our children love playing church music charades (a guessing game where you act out what the others try to guess — no talking allowed!). Another favorite activity is “doorbell ditching” — making a treat and then delivering to someone in our neighborhood by ringing the doorbell and running. (The goal, of course, is to not get caught!) We also have gone bowling, played basketball, played board games. Last week, we went to visit a widow from our former ward whom the children consider as another grandma. We love Family Night. Try it, you’ll like it — tailor it to whatever suits your family!

We are encouraged to have daily personal and family scripture study and prayer. Family Dinner is also encouraged (which usually includes a prayer as well). These rituals help us stay focused on bringing God into our daily lives and into our homes, and in learning more about the gospel of Jesus Christ together. I have felt a real impact in our home with the practices of reading the scriptures and praying together. I feel blessings of peace, love, understanding of truth, and eternal perspective as we do these things. I love hearing my children talk to Heavenly Father and discuss and ask questions about what we are learning as we read. In our home, we focus most of our reading on The Book of Mormon, although, of course, we like to learn and read from other books of scripture as well. We also try to read the most recent General Conference talks together to help keep the current counsel of living prophets and other Church leaders fresh in our minds. I shared some of the ways we try to make scripture reading memorable and enjoyable here.

I can’t say enough about family dinner, either. Again, if this isn’t something you do, I’d say give it a try. Research has shown its benefits (see links below, and see a video about this topic here).

Sunday is an important day for Mormons — a day focused on faith and family. The usual routine on Sundays includes our church meetings. How each family spends the rest of the day can vary somewhat. In our home, we love just being together, relaxing, playing games, watching inspirational videos made by the Church, talking, reading, writing in our journals, doing family history work. We also looooove going to Grandma and Grandpa’s! Our goal is to make Sundays different from the rest of the week. Except on rare occasions, Dad doesn’t do work. Mom isn’t running around doing errands or laundry. Sometimes Sundays will include additional church gatherings, meetings (if our callings require it) and service. We do our best to try to stop the usual routine and try to rejuvenate our spirits and our relationships so we can tackle another busy week. (We all tend to lament the end of Sunday. We love Sundays!)

We are also encouraged to have fun and to be creative in our families. In 1995, our leaders published what is called The Proclamation to the World on the Family. This document delineates many important teachings regarding family (a topic for another day). A simple phrase from that document reminds us that wholesome recreation is an important part of family life.  The Family Fridays posts we have are designed to explore the many facets of family life, including the things we do to laugh and play and enjoy life together, from birthday parties to family vacations, as well as the day-to-day moments. Family fun often involves extended family as well, such as with family parties, family reunions, and other activities. Every family also develops its own family traditions that can enrich family life.

Now, please don’t misunderstand — we Mormons have our family problems just like anyone else! But just like anyone else, we find that making time for fun family activities can be a really good thing…and also help give us opportunities to learn to work together and love each other.

A broader facet of LDS family life includes doing family history (genealogy). This not only helps us learn more about our ancestors, but is important to us because of our belief in eternal families — in family relationships being able to exist beyond “death do us part.” A central element of our faith includes doing vicarious ordinance work (like baptisms and eternal marriages) in our temples on behalf of our loved ones who have died. This work broadens our perspective on family, helps us face trials and the loss of loved ones, and brings a spiritual power into our lives.

I am so grateful for the family rituals we are counseled to have in our family life. I feel they have blessed my family in so many ways, some of them immeasurable but nevertheless tangible. Our family is far from perfect at doing these things, and we are far from perfect as people, but I feel that participating in these practices helps us be better and draw closer to God and to each other.

—

To hear more from Mormon women about the above topics, see the links below:

Family Home Evening:

Family Home Evening
Family Friday: Notable Quotables
Family Fridays: Family Home Evening

There is more information and some resources here on the Church’s official website.

Family Scripture Study and Prayer

We Believe: Family Scripture Study
Portraits of Mormon Women: Rebecca
Family Fridays: Amen, Sister!

Family Dinner

Family Friday: Dinner Together

(As a sidenote, you might be interested in some research that has shown the tangible value of family dinner — for parents, for children, even for corporations! Read more here (article includes ideas for making family dinner happen in your home). This research, conducted by Brigham Young University professors in conjunction with IBM, has also been mentioned at The Wall Street Journal’s Front Lines, U.S. News and World Report, and Slate Magazine.)

Sunday Worship and Family Time

Ask a Mormon Woman: Why Do Mormons Go To Church For So Long?
Ask a Mormon Woman: What Do Mormons Do On Sundays?

Family Fun and Creativity

Family Fridays: Jane’s Family Fun
Family Fridays: Camping
First Person: How I Create as a Mom
Family Fridays: Hiking Together
More posts on family fun, traditions, etc. can be found here, here, and here.
(From a BYU Women’s Conference Sharing Station) Finding Fun in the Family Tree

Family History and Temple Work

Finding Family is Fun
First Person: Touching the Temple
We Believe: Perspective

– – – – – – –

**Please note: The answers in “Ask a Mormon Woman” reflect the thoughts, perspectives, and experiences of individuals. Although here at Mormon Women: Who We Are, we strive to have our content consistent with the Church’s doctrine and teachings, we do not speak officially for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For official information about or from the Church, please visit www.mormon.org or www.lds.org.

Have a question you would like to ask? Send an email to us at gmail, with username ‘mormonwoman’

The post Ask a Mormon Woman: What are some of the family traditions and rules of the Mormon religion? appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

About 5 years ago a good friend lost her dear baby just a few days after birth. Having recently moved across the country (USA), I could not be with her during those very difficult days. As I pondered over ways to possibly help from afar, I had the idea come that I could use my artistic talent to create healing and increased eternal perspective for their family.

The only pictures my friend had of her little baby were of her surrounded and covered by hospital equipment and tubes. My friend sent a favorite picture of her daughter and from that I painted a portrait so they could have a vision of their precious daughter without the incumbrences of medical treatment.

This was one of the most holy experiences I have had while creating. I felt that this was important to our Heavenly Father; He wanted comfort for my friend and an increased understanding about the true doctrine of eternal families. While I felt my abilities were beneath the importance of the goal, I knew that I was the only one available to do it and that the Lord would increase my talent for the best result.

The baby’s portrait was received with happiness and gratitude. When my friend’s family takes a picture they stand in front of the portrait, where it hangs in a place of honor in their home. I feel humbled and amazed to have been a part of the healing process for my friend and her family and I’m happy to know my talent could be a source of so much good. It might be the most God-like of service, to create unselfishly for another’s benefit.

The post First Person: Healing through Creative Service appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

(For the first article we posted on what the inside of a Mormon temple looks like, see here.)

Another temple will soon be dedicated in Utah, USA: the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. Perhaps you have not had a chance to see what the inside of a temple looks like. This link provides numerous pictures of the inside of the Oquirrh Mountain temple. The Church is currently holding an open house, giving people an opportunity to walk through the temple before it is dedicated in August of this year.

More photos of the inside of other LDS temples can be found in this article. You can also find pictures here at the MormonWiki.

Read more on Mormon Women about what temple worship means in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints below:

Articles on the topic of temples can be found here.
Frequently Asked Questions: What can you tell me about Mormon temples?
What the temple means to Mormons

More information about Mormon temple worship can be found on the sites below:
http://www.mormontemples.com/
http://www.familiesforever.com/mormon_temple
http://www.understandingmormonism.org/mormon_temples
http://www.mormonwiki.com/Mormon_temples
http://www.mormonwiki.com/Temple_endowment (the endowment is one of the ordinances received in the temple — the ordinance room that is seen in the media tour pictures is one of the rooms used for this ordinance, which involves receiving teachings about the gospel and the plan of salvation, and participating in the process of making covenants)

Or you can search on the topic at the Church’s website, lds.org or watch a video about one woman’s joy at discovering that, through temple ordinances, her marriage could last forever.

The post Ask a Mormon Woman: What does the inside of a Mormon Temple look like? (v. 2) appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

This past week I celebrated my 15th wedding anniversary. Fifteen years ago, I made my husband the happiest man on earth. With us both being devoted members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we decided to marry in a Mormon temple; the House of the Lord. With it came the promise that our continued devotion to each other and to living the gospel of Jesus Christ would bring the blessing of eternal companionship—a partnership, a marriage, a family– not just for the here and now and ‘til death do us part, but for, well, forever. I won’t say that I love him even more today than I did 15 years ago. I don’t even know what that means. I mean for me, if I love someone enough to commit to forever, how much more love can there be? But I will say I’ve never stopped.

Here are 15 things I love about my husband.

1.  Early on in our marriage he volunteered to be the designated fridge-cleaner-outer, and he’s still doing it.
2.  I can always count on him to make a corny joke.  And he loves it when I roll my eyes.
3.  He often can’t remember things I’ve told him 5 minutes before, but he recalls our courtship in vivid details even I had forgotten.
4.  He takes care of all the maintenance on my car and sometimes even makes a special trip to make sure the tank is full, not because he thinks I’m incapable or that it’s his manly/husbandly duty, but just so I won’t have to bother with it.
5.  I always know when I’ve “caught” him doing something because he has a guilty smile/chuckle that gives him away every time. He knows that I know, and he still smiles.
6.  He always compliments me and tells me I’m beautiful, even when I feel (and, let’s be honest, look) worked over.
7.  He’s very loyal. When I’m upset, he always takes my side—sometimes even when I’m upset with him.
8.  He still writes me love notes and makes me mix CDs, often pointing out the lyrics of special significance.
9.  He is careful with money (our finances are great), but he is not a tightwad, and if he’s ever been worried about my spending habits, he’s never let on to me. We have never had an argument over money.
10.  Whenever he needs to go out of town, our kids are very upset and make a BIG deal over his homecoming.  That says a lot about him as a father.
11.  He always asks my opinion.
12.  He sends me links and things that he thinks will make good blogging material.
13.  He would rather spend time with me than hang out with the guys, but doesn’t mind giving me a girl’s night out.  (Or at least he’s very good at pretending.)
14.  He is quick to reassure me when I doubt myself, quick to recognize my accomplishments (even if it’s just that I’ve managed to get the dishes done that day), and always without my feeling patronized our doubting his sincerity.
15.  He has a special appreciation for my particular flavor of crazy. He must, after all, he’s still here!
Happy anniversary, sweetheart!  I still love you!
One of our readers, L.B.S, has submitted the following in celebration of her 15th wedding anniversary:
This past week I celebrated my 15th wedding anniversary. Fifteen years ago, I made my husband the happiest man on earth. With us both being devoted members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we decided to marry in a Mormon temple; the House of the Lord. With it came the promise that our continued devotion to each other and to living the gospel of Jesus Christ would bring the blessing of eternal companionship—a partnership, a marriage, a family– not just for the here and now and ‘til death do us part, but for, well, forever. I won’t say that I love him even more today than I did 15 years ago. I don’t even know what that means. I mean for me, if I love someone enough to commit to forever, how much more love can there be? But I will say I’ve never stopped.
Here are 15 things I love about my husband.
1.   Early on in our marriage he volunteered to be the designated fridge-cleaner-outer, and he’s still doing it.
2.  I can always count on him to make a corny joke.  And he loves it when I roll my eyes.
3.  He often can’t remember things I’ve told him 5 minutes before, but he recalls our courtship in vivid details even I had forgotten.
4.  He takes care of all the maintenance on my car and sometimes even makes a special trip to make sure the tank is full, not because he thinks I’m incapable or that it’s his manly/husbandly duty, but just so I won’t have to bother with it.
5.  I always know when I’ve “caught” him doing something because he has a guilty smile/chuckle that gives him away every time. He knows that I know, and he still smiles.
6.  He always compliments me and tells me I’m beautiful, even when I feel (and, let’s be honest, look) worked over.
7.  He’s very loyal. When I’m upset, he always takes my side—sometimes even when I’m upset with him.
8.  He still writes me love notes and makes me mix CDs, often pointing out the lyrics of special significance.
9.  He is careful with money (our finances are great), but he is not a tightwad, and if he’s ever been worried about my spending habits, he’s never let on to me. We have never had an argument over money.
10.  Whenever he needs to go out of town, our kids are very upset and make a BIG deal over his homecoming.  That says a lot about him as a father.
11.  He always asks my opinion.
12.  He sends me links and things that he thinks will make good blogging material.
13.  He would rather spend time with me than hang out with the guys, but doesn’t mind giving me a girl’s night out.  (Or at least he’s very good at pretending.)
14.  He is quick to reassure me when I doubt myself, quick to recognize my accomplishments (even if it’s just that I’ve managed to get the dishes done that day), and always without my feeling patronized our doubting his sincerity.
15.  He has a special appreciation for my particular flavor of crazy. He must, after all, he’s still here!

Happy anniversary, sweetheart!  I still love you!

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