There is eternal influence and power in motherhood

Today while visiting teaching an interesting subject came up. There are not many people who are married and have a child at my age, or at the young ages of many people in my neighborhood. I just graduated with my undergraduate degree, and my husband is about to graduate with his undergraduate degree. Considering that we are not financially established, and do we even have solid future plans, why are we already married with a child?

It was NOT a mistake that we were married 2 years ago, and NOT a mistake that we now have a baby.

Part of it goes to our beliefs as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We are not afraid of marriage. In fact, we believe 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: A Proclamation to the world) And "we believe in having children." (Julie B. Beck, General Relief Society President "What Latter-Day Saint Women do Best")

Being single is great fun and is an awesome time to learn and grow. However (not to make any single person feel sad), there is a much higher ground. God created Eve to be a help meet for Adam. This was a blessing to both of them, not a curse for either of them. And just like God's commandments to Adam and Eve still apply to us today, God's blessings for Adam and Eve are also blessings for us. (ie: the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth, the blessings of children and Eternal Life through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.)

My sister said a wise thing to me while I was on my mission. She said that she had to work hard to have a good marriage. So yes, a good marriage requires work. Fireproof is a GREAT Christian movie that illustrates this vividly.

My husband is the greatest blessing ever. Since marrying him I understand now how much I desire to have Eternal Life, or, living as an eternal family in the presence of God forevermore. If everyone could understand this then the baptismal fonts would be full, the temples would be full, the church buildings would be overflowing, missionaries would not have to knock doors, there would be no children conceived out of wedlock, divorce courts would be shut down (and perhaps turned into meeting houses), 95% of the content on TV would be discontinued, "R" rated movies would not make a cent, pornography would be extinct, poverty would diminish, and so many more improvements.

Sure, it can be scary to have a family. Everywhere you can see examples difficult children and broken families. But, "We have faith that with the Lord’s help we can be successful in rearing and teaching children." (Beck) The VT messages and Relief Society lessons are always have a family themed overtone. I really feel like these messages have helped me to realize how much God wants me to be a wife and mother - more than anything else. Even though the world tells me that I should leave my children at a daycare and go and make a difference in the world, Church leaders have instructed us that actually "There is eternal influence and power in motherhood." (Beck, Mothers Who Know) And that power and influence, being eternal, is greater than anything that could be offered by the world.

There are great resources available to keep your marriage and family strong. Those are rehearsed time and again in the Church. "Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities." (Proclamation) "...ye will ^ateach [your children] to ^bwalk in the ways of truth and ^csoberness; ye will teach them to ^dlove one another, and to serve one another." (Book of Mormon, Mosiah 4:14-15)

Conversely, if someone neglects his or her marriage or children then he or she will have to answer to God. "And again, inasmuch as ^aparents have children in Zion, or in any of her ^bstakes which are organized, that ^cteach them not to understand the ^ddoctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when ^eeight years old, the ^fsin be upon the heads of the parents. " (D&C 68:25) "Therefore shall a ^aman leave his ^bfather and his mother, and shall ^ccleave unto his ^dwife: and they shall be ^eone flesh." (Genesis 2:24)

I love my husband and my daughter. I will always work diligently to keep our marriage strong and to raise our children in righteousness.