A Brigham Young University Student Journal
by Erin Jones – Dedicated to Alberta Jones She scatters light to all within her touch She smiles, and they smile at her gaze Her garden’s heart to reach and trails to blaze A mother twenty-four years, but n’er too much A gardener first, but …
by Kaylyn Johnston Imagine receiving a frantic phone call from your next-door neighbor saying that your son had just been shot . . . by his best friend. For the Stokes family of Oregon, this unthinkable event became a reality in January 2011, when their 12-year-old …
by Christy Hinkson
Christy is an author and a mother of ten. She recently released her new book Home Remedies for a Nation at Risk: What American Leaders could learn from American Families. Also, click here to view Christy’s blog Stand for the Truth.
With the contraception debate brewing and boiling over, I have to ask: What about Abstinence? Why does anyone have to pay for birth control at all? Why do people laugh and think it is impossible to keep sexual relations within the bonds of marriage. What about all the people in the world who manage to control themselves and refrain from sex until they are married. There are millions of people all over the world who do this and have lived to tell about it. I also believe that those who abstain before marriage are in a better position to speak about “women’s health” than those who are having sex with multiple partners and using birth control, which has historically caused several women’s health issues.
I practiced abstinence and so did my husband. Our children and their spouses have also abstained until they married. I attended a prestigious private University where people were expected to live by an honor code and if they had sex outside of marriage while they were students they faced being dismissed as students from the university. What a great opportunity to go to school where the focus was actually on academics.
Choosing to be “morally clean” was one of the best decisions that I have ever made. Here are some of the stresses in life that I now do not have to worry about now because I was not prematurely sexually active:
1. I don’t have to worry that I will get a sexually transmitted disease.
2. I don’t have to worry that I will be as tempted to succumb to breaking this law as an adult. If I can survive the raging hormone time of youth, I am well on my way to living a pure life.
3. I don’t have to worry that I will have an unwanted pregnancy outside the bonds of marriage.
4. I don’t have to worry that anyone will ask me to consider having an abortion or giving a child up for adoption.
5. I don’t have to worry that there will be a child somewhere that I gave birth to and have not been able to raise.
6. I don’t have to worry that I have near as high of a chance of developing cervical cancer that is significantly linked to having multiple sex partners.
7. I don’t have to worry that my husband married me because he “had to.”
8. I don’t have to worry that I will run into old partners and be embarrassed.
9. I don’t have to worry that I will ever think about other partners that I was immoral with.
10. I don’t have to worry that God will be disappointed with my choices.
Practicing abstinence is not only free, but it is freeing. It may cause some people a little stress to practice abstinence but look at all the stress you are able to live without later.
by Erin Jones Provo, Utah, is known for its obsession about dating matters, and for good reason. When you stick a group of thousands of Latter-day Saint (Mormon) young adults together who are all trying to get married, you can expect to hear about dating. …
Christy Hinkson, a homemaker and mother of ten, recently released a new political book: Home Remedies for a Nation at Risk – What American Leaders Could Learn from American Families. She takes her experience as a mother of ten as well as an entrepreneur, business …
by Kaylyn Johnston
Family. Defined by the dictionary as, “a basic social unit consisting of parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not.” This definition, however, does little to reflect just what family really means to an individual. Aren’t families more than just social structures, but rather, supportive networks where individuals can feel loved and accepted?
For some, family can be interpreted according to the dictionary definition: a mother, father, sisters, and brothers. Others think of their extended family members such as grandparents and aunts as family. Others find familial relationships through friendship, companionship, or participation in particular organizations. Whatever the relation, families love each other.
This Valentine’s Day season let us remember to express our love for those who we call family in our own lives. Whether mother, brother, boyfriend, or godmother, remember that families love and support each other. Without family, our lives would truly be so much duller indeed.
My Turn on Earth: What Does it Take to Make a Family by Carol Lynn Pearson and Lex de Azevedo
by Joshua Cox Music has been part of my life as long as I can remember. Growing up in the Cox family felt like a constant musical stage. No matter the time of day, there was almost always somebody singing or practicing an instrument in …
by Emily Smith
I couldn’t imagine a life without my siblings. Although they weren’t my best friends from my early stages of life, I have come to love and appreciate them for the people they are. Unfortunately, there are children who grow up without sibling support in foster homes across the United States. Lynn Price, a former foster child, has changed this for many children. In a New York Times article she stated, “I realized that my sister and I had no memories of when we were kids. There were no memories of birthday parties, sharing clothes, helping each other with homework, or talking about boys. I thought about the kids who will miss out on something that is so critical to their growth and feelings of unconditional love.”
Reading her account moved me to understand why she took action. My sister and I shared closets, stealing each other’s clothes; this often resulted in yelling at each other when we got home from school and had realized that one of us had taken the other’s favorite shirt and unwittingly spilled something on it. These confrontations were all part of the bonding experience; although we hated each other sometimes, we could not stop loving each other. The experience of growing up together usually ensures a lifelong connection of friendship between siblings.
To help establish that connection between siblings who aren’t able grow up together, Price founded “Camp To Belong” in 1995, which reunites siblings who have been separated in foster care. Statistics show that 75 percent of children placed in foster care are separated from their siblings. “Camp To Belong” is described as “an international non-profit organization dedicated to reuniting siblings placed in separate foster homes and other out-of-home care for events of fun, emotional empowerment and sibling connection.” There are currently nine of these camps that reunite foster siblings. During this week, siblings are able to get to know each other; they make crafts and are given gift cards to buy each other birthday presents. They also ask each other questions about favorite sports and hobbies.
Many of us are lucky enough that we don’t have to ask those questions. We are able to grow up with our siblings in the same household with our parents. For those who aren’t as fortunate, Lynn Price has created an amazing organization to benefit the relationships of siblings. Too often I take my siblings for granted; reading about “Camp to Belong” gave me perspective and a deeper gratitude for the experiences I shared with my siblings.
You can read Lynn Price’s autobiography here: http://www.lynnprice.com/biography.html
New York Times article:
Or visit Camp to Belong’s official website: http://camptobelong.org/
by Tanya Cumberland “Why don’t you call Aunt Samantha ‘mom’?” The question caught me off guard, and I looked down at my step-cousin in surprise. His Aunt Samantha was my stepmother; that’s why I didn’t call her “mom.” Still, I was worried about being tactful …