The Family: A Proclamation to the World

To read the entire text of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," follow this link. This post contains excerpts from this divinely inspired document from living prophets and apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ's church.

"...marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children."

"All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose."

"The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally."

"We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force."

"We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife."

"We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan."

"Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ."

"By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families."

"Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children."

"In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners."

Book Review: Blackmoore

{Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions presented in this post are my very own. ~Mama Rachel}

I was excited to have the opportunity to review this book! There are so few books written by modern authors that I enjoy, and so I was looking forward to finding something new to read that is also clean and uplifting.

I wish I could honestly say that my high expectations were met, but unfortunately, being a frequent reader of classic literature has probably spoiled me.

One of my pet peeves of modern, historical fiction is that most, if not all, of these stories are inundated with modern sensibilities that simply did not exist in the past. Of course, I know the reason that the writers of today make this choice, (I believe it's an attempt to help modern readers "relate" better to the characters and their world) but I have not been able to find a way to keep it from ruining the reading experience for me, personally. I subscribe to the school of thought that says that in order for modern readers to understand the past, they need to be immersed in it, rather than expecting the past to change to meet their understanding.

Examples of how the book's modern lens distracted and disappointed me:

• The heroine ogling her romantic interest's body. More than once.
• How difficult it was to relate to, understand, or even LIKE the heroine.
• The outlandish actions of the heroine's mother, knowing that she never would have been tolerated in society at that day and age.

The author is a fine writer, but the story was also fairly disjointed, and it did not hold my interest. I had to FORCE myself to return to the book several times.

Unfortunately, after reading this modern take on a historical romance, I feel the need to read an Austen novel, or something by the Bronte sisters. I honestly cannot recommend that my readers waste their time reading Blackmoore-- immerse yourself in a wonderful classic, instead!

So sorry,