Liberated

      I came across this post today at nieniedialogues.com, and it describes how I feel in so many ways. I wanted to share what she says and add a few words of my own.

       Stephanie says:

"As a mother of five children I will not stand around
and let the world decide what is moral,
what is right, and how I should raise my children.
And just because the world changes with
every single trend doesn't mean I will too.
As a Mormon, I want to make it clear that
I can still love everyone but I don't have to 
agree or condone others lifestyle choices that go against the teachings of our 
Heavenly Father and His commandments and words.
If God changed at every single whim and fad, He would cease to be God."

       There are many in the world today that make choices that go against God's commandments. God loves all of His children, despite the choices we have made that go against what He says, just like any parent still loves their child when he makes decisions that go against the parent's wishes. However, that does not mean the parent doesn't wish their child would make better decisions, or that they agree with the choice their child made. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we try to follow the examples of God - our Heavenly Father, and His Son - Jesus Christ, in loving everyone, no matter what choices they make. But this does not mean we condone others' decisions that go against God's teachings. As a steward over my children I will teach them to use God's standards to determine what is moral and right, not the world's standards. 

      God reveals his commandments in many places, including The Holy Bible, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price, and through His modern-day Apostles and Prophets. In the Doctrine and Covenants section 1 verse 38, it says,"What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken ... whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." Through these modern-day leaders, we can learn God's will for us today. (Learn more about the book of scripture called The Doctrine and Covenants here. To read God's most recent words through His prophets given in October 2013, click here. To learn more about why we need these leaders today, click here.)

       Another phrase from Stephanie's blog post that stood out to me was:

"I have heard it said that people think that being good, having a family, and following moral rules means you are stupid, and uneducated."

       I agree with her that this is absolutely not true. Many people look at members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or "Mormons," as blind followers of a prophet who do not think for themselves. This is also not true. I follow God's prophets because I have prayed and received a personal witness that they speak God's will. I choose to follow God's will because it brings me true joy.

       Like Stephanie said,

"I can't tell you how liberating it is to follow rules, follow a living prophet of God, and to teach this to my family."

     
       "Liberating" is the perfect word to describe my feelings. I feel liberated because there is no question in my mind of what is right, and I know exactly where to turn when I have questions about God's will - to the scriptures or to the words of the living prophets. I feel liberated because in these references I have a sort of "instruction guide" to aid in teaching my children what they need to know. And I feel liberated because I know that I do not have to cater my standards to the world's in order to fit into today's society, because God has His own set of standards that do not change.

To learn more about the 

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 

also called the "Mormon" Church, 

go here.