The Family: An Endangered Species
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Comments | Return to Story
SteveJanuary 9, 2014
"Back in the early 1800's I wonder how common SSA was? In some cultures it is unheard of or very rare." At all times and in all places the percentage of people who have SSA has most likely been the same as it is today, but those in the past with SSA and in intolerant and rigid cultures have been in the closet. In every culture and people across the world there are people with SSA. The difference is that today, there are increasing protections for individual rights and increasing cosmopolitanism. This has created an environment in which people with SSA feel more comfortable revealing their true biological sexual orientations.
ScottHJanuary 9, 2014
Recent research suggests that the quality of the socialization of young men depends not only on whether they live with their mother and father, but also on the number of families in the area where both the father and mother are actively present. Thus, it's not just YOUR family that is essential to raising your children to be socially healthy adults; is is all of the families around yours as well. The severity of the consequences of current trends may only be revealed after two or three generations. As the norm for family structure becomes the single parent home, society will become decreasingly able to socialize children, especially boys, into productive adults. The results will be "the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets."
RicJanuary 8, 2014
Those of you that keep insinuating that "gay marriage" is a good thing don't realize that there is no such thing according to Elder Oaks. Why would he say "so-called gay marriage" if he believed that wasn't an improper term. The apostles believe that marriage is between a man and a woman and nothing else. If those with same-sex attraction want to join they will have to call it something else because it is something else.
BrettJanuary 8, 2014
Brother Barkdull you wrote: "Present laws could not prohibit a man forming a marriage with his sister or even his dog." This is not true, current laws in the U.S. do prevent both of those. Do you really need to insert falsehoods or exaggerations to prove your point? I agree that cohabitation, sex before marriage, divorce, and other issues are causing damage to the family. Gay marriage, however, stands in opposition to that by encouraging committed unions for gay & lesbian children of God.
GregJanuary 8, 2014
Back in the early 1800's I wonder how common SSA was? In some cultures it is unheard of or very rare. Almost every family now has a member or friend who has SSA. Do you think Heavenly Father reserved his choices spirits to come down in the last of the latter days to have a trial of SSA. To make it more difficult for them to keep the great commanment to multiply and replenish the earth? I don't think so. We need to show love and compassion to all of Gods children. The Lords plan is eternal, his laws are eternal, as we are eternal and families can be eternal if we follow the counsel of prophets.
HollandParkJanuary 8, 2014
I came back days later to this article and the comments. I see we as LDS members are clearly on two different sides of SSM, many who mock or go against the Proclamation on the Family and the teachings of those who wrote it. Made me think of this by Pres. Packer: "You who are young will see many things that will try your courage and test your faith. All of the mocking does not come from outside of the Church. Let me say that again: all of the mocking does not come from outside of the Church. Be careful that you do not fall into the category of mocking."
KathyJanuary 6, 2014
Any member of the LDS Church who supports gay marriage needs to carefully and prayerfully read Elder Oaks' October 2013 general conference address: "No Other Gods." This prophet and apostle makes it clear why there can be no support of gay marriage by those who call themselves Latter-day Saints. To do otherwise is to go against God's commandment that marriage is the legal and lawful union of one man and one woman. Those who think otherwise are being deceived by Satan (again made clear in Elder Oaks' address) . The only safety in this ever-changing world is to keep our eyes and ears fixed on the 15 living prophets and apostles and hearken to their counsel.
JaredJanuary 6, 2014
It's so obvious to me one of the most important ploys that Satan will use in these last days to further destroy the family unit and structure is gay marriage. Uniting people of the same gender together in "marriages" that CANNOT produce offspring is a truly effective means to slow the creation of life on Earth and the flow of spirits from heaven into those tabernacles. And to further muddy the waters by doing this in the name of 'tolerance' and 'progress' is really quite insidious.
Blessed To Be A Grand Dad!January 6, 2014
Male/Female - Man/Woman - Husband/Wife - Father/Mother - The Two Shall Become One Flesh - Be Fruitful and Multiply.....The blessings of a precious little grandson and beautiful little grandaughter. Absolute Perfection. Thank God for HIS perfect way, and not the world's perverse one...
CanucknUTJanuary 3, 2014
"single, unelected judicial voices that stand on constitutional interpretation, personal preference or who pander to special interests." Doesn't this sound like sour grapes or rhetoric for "a judicial decision that I don't agree with?" I agree, families are important and in my experience two LOVING parents are more important that two parents of each gender. Interesting that recently it has been acknowledged that the church's exclusion of those of African decent was based on cultural attitudes of the time and not necessarily as the will of the Lord. Perhaps we should strengthen ALL marriages, foster love in and for ALL families, and worry less about what OTHER people do. I alone have control of my actions. I control whether I treat my wife and children with love. No one can demean, diminish, or attack my marriage without my consent.
DerekJanuary 3, 2014
I believe the words of the prophets in the family proclamation and agree that home and family is the most important social institution. I don't get how same sex marriage is being mixed in this article with things like cohabitation or promiscuity. The church teaches that people who experience same sex attraction did not choose the feelings and most often cannot change to be attracted to the opposite sex. The church does not recommend that people with ssa marry people of the opposite sex to try to "fix" their ssa. The recommended course for people with ssa is to remain single and celibate. This is a difficult sacrifice for faithful members to make and a completely unrealistic expectation for unbelievers. Since there a millions of non-LDS gay people in America, it seems that we should support them in their desire to form comitted pairings and avoid cohabitation and promiscuity. In other words, I see same sex marriages for inherently gay inidividuals as a way to strengthen and support family formation in America. I am interested in how others see it so differently.
ParaleeJanuary 3, 2014
Once again, I totally agree and support Brother Larry Barkdull! He is so full of wisdom and common sense, and this article is really a warning to all of us to make our families a priority. Our own children, 9, grandchildren, 29, and great grandchildren 13, are our lives!
Cynthia L.January 3, 2014
"Co-habitation is becoming the widely preferred substitute for the engagement period or for marriage itself, and sex has become a recreational sport." Here's where your argument breaks down in regards to gay marriage. Gay marriage REDUCES this! Encouraging a culture of faithful, committed monogamy in the gay community can help strengthen the overall culture's sense of valuing faithful, committed monogamy. Why are we not quick to encourage this and make allies of anyone who is wanting to solidify marriage as the sine qua non of adult life and society? Judge Shelby did a nice job of countering this faulty thinking that gay marriage weakens marriage rather than strengthening it: "If there is any connection between same-sex marriage and responsible procreation, the relationship is likely to be the opposite of what the State suggests. Because Amendment 3 does not currently permit same-sex couples to engage in sexual activity within a marriage, the State reinforces a norm that sexual activity may take place outside the marriage relationship."
HollandParkJanuary 3, 2014
from article: "it is even dividing some members of the Church from their leaders." As a non-Utahn who reads many of the comment boards in the Deseret News, I have been noticing a long trend of this--not only in the comments but also in a recent article there by a BYU political science professor. It is subtle, but many Church members are choosing to go against the Prophet and the apostles in the matter of SSM.
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