Mormon 1:6...Otherwise Entitled: FAMILY :)

I am the kind of guy who enjoys to ramble (You'll hopefully notice that the word 'ramble' is cleverly hidden in the web address of this here blog). Get me started on a subject I love to talk about, and I'll ramble for hours. A prime example of that: Spaghetti. One fine Sunday afternoon, I decided to make some of it [and by 'it', I mean spaghetti]. I grabbed a package that was slightly bigger than the others I'd bought, and went about my way making some spaghetti. I grabbed a pot, filled it with water, and began breaking the spaghetti noodles in half and throwing them into it. When I was about halfway through the package, I realize that there was a lot of spaghetti in the pot. Turns out that I'd made an ENORMOUS amount of spaghetti, and had completely underestimated just how much was in that package.
As I dumped the spaghetti into a strainer to cool off and drain the water, I couldn't help but stare mournfully at the mountain of pasta that stood before me. I'd only used half a package, but I'd made enough spaghetti to feed a small army for a month.
[Okay, so I might be exaggerating just a wee bit; but what's a story without some embellishment?! :) ]
I thought to myself: I have made a huge mistake. Too much of a good thing is never good...right?
Well, when we talk about spaghetti, then I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. When we talk about toys or video games or hobbies, too much of that really good thing can sometimes be detrimental or a wasteful use of our time.
There are only a few things in this world that defy that principle of 'Too much of a good thing'. Today I'd like to talk about one of them.
Before I do though, I'd like to share Mormon 1:6, a verse that we discussed in a religion class of mine:
"And it came to pass that I [Mormon, later to become a warrior-prophet who would abridge the sacred writings of his people into a single volume, the Book of Mormon], being eleven years old, was carried by my father into the land southward..."
My religion professor made the comment that young Mormon's family, who moved from their original home to another, can parallel many modern-day families. Perhaps Mormon's family was facing hard times - financially, socially, politically, spiritually, emotionally - or perhaps they merely needed a change of scenery. Perhaps it only mentions Mormon's father because his mother recently passed away; or mayhaps it is because Mormon's father was the patriarch of a large family, and for the sake of convenience Mormon only mentioned him. We may never know; all that we can be sure of is Mormon and his family were relocated to another place.
Not just Mormon; not just Mormon's father - it was their whole family. And it is about the FAMILY that I'd like to talk about today.
There have been several notable persons who have affirmed that the family is the building block of society. In The Family: A Proclamation to the World (written and delivered by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church in 1995), we read:
"The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential...Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ."
The family is a precious gift that God has given us, an institution that this world in this age seeks to threaten and harm by various means and ways. Love is mocked, rudeness and disrespect are encouraged, the values that parents try to cultivate in their children are now degraded and trodden under the foot of the media, violence, pornography, drugs, and so forth.
The FAMILY - this is one of those exceptions to the rule of 'Too much of a good thing is not good'. The family seems to invoke another age-old adage: You can never have too much of this good thing.
Lately my thoughts have been directed towards my family. Thanks to a conference my father was going to attend near my university, I was able to spend the past weekend with my family, who commuted down here in near-blizzard conditions. We played games, walked around campus, talked, laughed, watched a movie or two, and just had a good time.
Never have I been more appreciative of my sisters or my parents. My heart ached as I bid them farewell and watched them drive away from my apartment; I just wanted to be with them.
My love for my family has grown tenfold since the death of my younger brother, nearly three months ago. As I stood there over his open casket, my hands holding his, tears freely flowing down my face, I half-thought, half-said aloud a plea that my brother, whenever he was able to, be allowed to be with the rest of his family. I prayed for him, and I still pray for him; and I feel that, although he is physically gone from us, his spirit was with my parents, my sisters, and I as we spent time together. This calming, soothing reassurance that I will see my brother again brings greater faith in my Savior Jesus Christ, whose atoning sacrifice made sure the resurrection of the souls of men.
We are all part of families, whether or not they are sundered by death, divorce, financial difficulties, lack of employment, too much employment, sickness, or distance. In addition to these mortal families that are meant to be the vehicles of joy and delight in this mortal phase of existence, we are all part of God's family. We are all His sons and daughters, imbued with a divine destiny and heritage. We are meant to become like Him, and have our own families as He does. We are meant to love and to cherish.
The perfect place to practice this eventual grandeur is in our own homes, with the families He has blessed us with. And the perfect time to defend this eternal and valuable blessing is the HERE AND NOW! A man and a wife - held together by the covenant of marriage, through sickness, health, poverty, wealth, hard times, and good times - with their children (if they are able to have them; whether or not they are biological or adopted). That is the family unit that God has ordained for His children on earth. That is what we must defend!
*For more information pertaining to the LDS beliefs and standards of family, I highly suggest that you take a moment and read The Family: A Proclamation to the World. It is an excellent read, and outlines and defines all that I've spoken on and much more!*
I am very thankful for what the LDS faith holds to be true regarding the family. We believe that families are eternal; that in the temple sacred ordinances and covenants enable us to be with our families forever. Death can sunder those bonds only temporarily; and even then we still have our departed loved ones beside us. This truth has brought SO MUCH comfort to me, especially since these past few weeks have been full of thoughts of my brother. I anticipate the day when he and I shall be reunited; I am excited for all of the stories and adventures we'll tell and swap with one another. He is my best friend, both before and after he passed away, and his influence is still pivotal and prevailing in my life today. I am so grateful for him, and for the fact that he'll always be my brother :)
To some this doctrine of family may be strange or embarrassing or even offending, but I stand as a witness that it is truth. For that fact I am so grateful and so blessed. Whether you are at home or a phone call away, tell your family how much you love them as soon as you possibly can! Let's make this world a better place, one family at a time!
May God be with you till we meet again, my friends.

Sam