Families Should Be Forever!

Nick and Linda Goodman Family--1997

I sat and watched a civil case at Superior Court this week about a son who was counter-suing his mother who had sued him for $58,000. The law suit was for payment on a truck and money borrowed, and the counter-suit was for money the mother owed for work done by the son. They went back and forth, back and forth, when the judge finally said, "you need to take this out of court and sit down together as mother and son and work it out." Both sat in their seats shaking their heads like, "never!" I don't know what the outcome will be nor do I really care, but it sure got me thinking about the tragedy of this family being torn apart. There has to have been some time when this mother held her little baby boy, hugged her young son, and loved him. What happened?

I have seen other families being torn apart lately. I have a feeling that Heavenly Father is very sad when this happens. He is not pleased when mothers, fathers, children are at odds with each other, or when they are separated or separate themselves.

I met a young expectant mother of three whose husband was deported. I don't know where you stand on the immigration issue, but I know where I stood until I met her. This family should be together.

Divorce is running wild, even among the believers. No doubt some circumstances warrant this, but "can't we all just get along?"

I shared in my last post that the talks and spirit at General Conference chastened me. I searched the scriptures trying to find out why. One of the talks said if we want to be like Christ then we have to know who He is and what He says. I was prompted to read 3 Nephi which is about His visit to the Americas after the crucifixion. He teaches the people His new laws such as "love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you." Also, "whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." And much, much more about loving, caring and forgiving each other.

I've certainly read this before, but there's new meaning in these "new laws." My experiences of late suggest that families must follow them if they are to succeed, and love each other the best way possible. Perhaps it begins with mothers and fathers.