Marriage for all

I really appreciated reading Obergefell v Hodges (2015). Both sides of the discussion had very valid points and I know that this was a turning point in American history. They were both in agreement that marriage is the basic foundation of our nation and that it is important to our civilization. One of my favorite quotes from this document is, “No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become greater than they once were.” When it comes to the speech given by Alexander Dushanbe on July 7th, 2015 he shared some great advice on how we as believers in traditional marriage can help keep peace between those of differing views. He said that we need to be able to explain our beliefs with reason, kindness, and love. He shared that of course there are people at both extremes that are unwilling to listen, but we can each do our part to be civil and understanding yet firm in where we stand. By far my favorite reading for the week came from Russell M. Nelsons speech at BYU in 2014. He warned the audience that there will be many struggles to come and that we will be faced with times that we will have to defend our faith and to do that in a loving way. He shared several scriptures that show that the faithful will be persecuted but Christ will strengthen the persecuted. These scriptures (2 Timothy 3:12, 3 Nephi 12:10, Romans 1:16) give me great hope and make be feel like I can stand up for the truth and I will have God on my side. Howard W. Hunter said, “If our lives and our faith are centered on Jesus Christ, and his restored gospel, nothing can ever go permanently wrong...if our lives are not centered on the Savior and his teachings, no other success can ever be permanently right.” This quote is my new family creed! I love it.