20160504 pathway

I would start by sending this message in reply to Courtney: Courtney, I may not have been able to explain fully my statement on Sunday about the Family Proclaimation. On the church website it says: "The gospel of Jesus Christ was given by God to bless all His children, without exception, regardless of the family situations in which they find themselves." In Elder Baxter's talk to singles he says: "Please never feel that you are in some kind of second-tier subcategory of Church membership, somehow less entitled to the Lord’s blessings than others. In the kingdom of God there are no second-class citizens." Heavenly Father is smart enough to figure out how to give everyone the blessings that they need regardless of their circumstances. I'd like to talk more about this, perhaps over the next brownie making night? This would of course be the first step in opening up dialogue with Courtney. Not taking a firm stance of "This is the way it is" goes along with Elder Oaks council from "As He Thinketh" wherein he says: "I suggest that it may be preferable for our young people to refrain from arguing with their associates about assertions or proposals." I found the first part of the reading, Elder Oaks talk "No Other Gods" did not seem to fit with the case. The talk was mostly on the need for keeping the church and society in general within moral bounds regarding sexuality and the need for marriage. The talk was based on the need for marriage, its place in the gospel, and society. The morals discussed were morals of choice on the part of indivuals and society at large. Courtney's situation was not one where she had made the decision to be an unwed mother, or other circumstance that was in the control of her choices. Her father did not choose to become a widower. I would further the ideas in future conversations with Courtney that the Family Proclamation is an ideal, but that it in no way diminishes her family unit as they are temporarily apart. We see a small window of time compared to eternity, and should not base our understanding on this limited view.