We live in a confusing world. A world of mixed messages and misleading media, of broken hearts and broken homes. Much of this turmoil arises from the disintegration of the traditional family. I myself come from less than ideal family circumstances; my parent’s divorced when I was fourteen. For years, I fought against the idea of marriage, children, and even family in general. “Why try”, I thought, “if I am doomed to fail?”

Thankfully, we are all children of a loving and perfect Heavenly Father. In His infinite wisdom, He did not leave us to navigate this messy world on our own. In 1995, he inspired leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to publish a document entitled The Family: A Proclamation to the World. This resource discusses the importance of marriage, gender and parenthood to God’s plan. It clarifies issues that are constantly contended in today’s world.

I recently had the opportunity to watch a video of President Gordon B. Hinckley reading this Proclamation out loud. It was a wonderful experience, and I invite anyone reading this to go to https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1995/10/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world?lang=eng and listen!

At its core, the Proclamation is about following the Savior and becoming more like Him. For, as we learn in the Book of Mormon, “Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.” (Helaman 5:12). If we follow the principles taught in the Proclamation, we build a foundation that will support not only us, but our families into the eternities.

I know that for me, knowledge really is power. As I continue to learn about the family, I feel empowered to create a family of my own. It is a hopeful, exciting prospect. I am so excited to share what I have learned so that maybe, someone else can find renewed faith in the idea of family and marriage. In addition, as I have gained a deeper understanding of the proclamation, I have gained an appreciation for the family I have now despite its imperfections. I’d like to end with a few pictures of my beautiful, messy family. The first is with my dad, step-mom, siblings, and step-brothers. The second is with my mom and siblings. The last is with my grandma, who is my rock amid all the turmoil my family has been through.

As you read this blog and learn along with me, I hope you will begin to see the beauty in your imperfect circumstances, as well as your exciting future!