Thoughts on families

Everyday I am continually grateful that I have an eternal family. I work as a teacher at a daycare and I get to see how different family situations affect the kids that I work with.
Some of the family types that I've got to see are
1) divorced parents and one or both of them is remarried: I get to see everyday how the divorce has affected the child
2) the children were adopted at a young age
3) the kids have 2 moms
4) the child lives with the grandparents
and a whole bunch of other family types.

The common theme i've seen in all these family types is that all of my kids go home to a loving environment. Yes some of them have experienced some turmoil in their family but the love the parents/guardians have for each child is always apparent.

Often times I wish all of these children knew that even though they may have to experience rough patches in their families they always have a Heavenly Father who loves them. I think if they knew that they would all see themselves as something special and be less inclined to hurt each other both physically and emotionally.

I love the fact that the Gospel teaches us that we are all spirit children of our Heavenly Father and that we all ought to respect each other because of this. I also love how the Gospel teaches us about how we can all have an eternal family. I'm so grateful that the leaders of the church have placed such a great importance on the family.

" We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that 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 Family a Proclamation to the World, 1995