The Importance of a Family

Since I've been away from home I've really gained a greater insight and testimony of the importance of a family. How important it is that we belong to a family, how loving our Heavenly Father is to allow us the opportunity to be with our family forever! How horrible would it be to be alone forever, to have no connections to your parents or spouse after this life? I don’t even want to think about it! We need families. Quentin L. Cook said: “Central to knowing the Father is understanding the revealed pattern of family. The family is the most important unit in time and in eternity and is ordained of God.” Families are the central unit of everything, they are a big part to our lives here and our lives throughout eternity. And oh how we can take it for granted at times.  I think about how often I overlooked the little things that now in college I miss so much, like eating meals together and going on walks and playing Mario Kart with    my parents and always winning. ;)  As President Uchtdorf said: "We build deep and loving family relationships by doing simple things together, like family dinner and family home evening and by just having fun together. In family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e, time. Taking time for each other is the key for harmony at home. We talk with, rather than about, each other. We learn from each other, and we appreciate our differences as well as our commonalities. We establish a divine bond with each other as we approach God together through family prayer, gospel study, and Sunday worship.” 

President Thomas S. Monson said; “Lessons learned in the home, last the longest.” My parents taught me what I needed to know before I moved out. They set an example of how to work hard, do my best and serve others. They taught me the importance of daily scriptures study and prayer. Both of them always take their church callings to the extra mile and do more to help those in need. I couldn’t be who I am or where I am today without the influence, example and the things my parents taught me.  Living with roommates can be fun (and hard) and is a great learning experience (I know that I need this time to grow), but it’s not the same as having a family. There isn’t that motherly understanding or the fatherly advice that we all need growing up even if we don’t realize it at the time. My parents were always there for me growing up and they continue to support me. It’s a great feeling knowing that they love you no matter what and they are always there to support you.  People in the world continually make you wonder if they like you or not, but I never have to question for one moment that my parents love me. Because I know without a doubt that they do and always have and that they always will and I love them too. I love my family, my current and future family. I am eternally grateful for the beautiful blessing of having an eternal family.