On Tuesday, April 28, 2015, two of my daughters and myself, went to the "Stand for Marriage" Rally that was held at the Utah State Capital Rotunda. It was so great! 

I have been to a few, probably three, of these rallies before and they are always informative and really fun. I have always met dedicated, strong, articulate people when I go.

 These are two of our daughters and myself, before the rally, outside the Capital.

Every speaker was powerful and said just what I needed to hear. They were saying what I believe, but they are more articulate than I am. It was good to hear heart-felt passion and conviction being expressed so well. 

Representative LaVar Christensen, Author of Utah's Marriage Amendment, was so good. I learned so much about the legislative process from his talk. Senator Al Jackson, who co-sponsored Utah's Religious Freedom Bill and his wife Juleen Jackson, Vice President of the National Homemakers of America, also spoke. I was so impressed with both of them. Juleen was great, in part, because she and Senator Jackson have many children, as we do, and she talked to mothers and grandmothers about what we can do to teach the rising generation. She showed us a resource book that the "National Homemakers of America" publishes. She said that it has wonderful stories and references that we can use to teach our children and grandchildren about people that were courageous, true, brave and real. People that our children probably aren't going to be taught about if we don't teach them. 

Jake Hunsaker from NBC's Sing Off, performed for us and did a magnificent job, as he has done at these rallies before.

Matt Walsh was the main speaker. He is a pro-family blogger and is on the Blaze. He was clear, concise and to the point. He was brave and honest about what Marriage is and what this fight is really about. Even though the majority of the hundreds of people that were in attendance were pro-marriage, there were very loud protesters also. He didn't flinch in the face of the very loud booing. We were in the front, so I didn't see what the protesters were doing as much as I could hear them. Matt was unaffected by the disturbance.

Matt asked that we not call marriage, "Traditional Marriage." It is just marriage. That is what it has always been and that is what is will always be...the union of a man and a woman. (I am paraphrasing here) Gay people can already live together in all 50 states. They can join a religious community that blesses their relationship and work at a facility that offers them various joint benefits. They already have those rights. There are people in every community that will be happy to bake a wedding cake for Gay couples. There is no need to search out and destroy those who would rather not.

Redefining marriage would hurt children. That is one of the main reasons that I am so passionate about this issue. Little Hero Hugs is about helping children and families. I make Hugs to help children and families. Redefining marriage would eventually make null and void, our traditional views on the family. This would leading to the erosion of religious liberty. This issue is so extraordinarily important to the future of America and really the world. 

I believe that God instituted marriage and we, as individuals and as a nation, need to humble ourselves and go to Him for the guidance and for the help that we need to be strong and decisive and courageous in doing what is right, in standing for truth! 

As Matt said Tuesday night, there are many who call themselves Conservatives and Republicans, who stand on the sidelines, waving their white flags, yelling at those who are in the throws of the battle, "give up", "don't make them mad at us", "don't cause any trouble" and on and on. We not only are fighting the left, but we are fighting many on the right. I have had people say to me, "We just have to love everyone." We do love everyone. This is not about not loving certain people. This is about keeping what God designed, the family, the way He designed it. We are not stopping anyone from loving anyone. We want everyone to love everyone, as a matter of fact! I am saying let the institution of Marriage, be what it has been from the beginning of time. Gay people may be united, just call that union something other than marriage. 

 

Part of the Handout

 

What follows is a portion of what I put into the handout that I had for those that attended the Little Hero Hug Open House/Forum that I had at my house August 13, 2014. The whole excerpt is great, but I underlined my very favorite part:) You can find the whole talk at https://www.lds.org/general-conference/print/2011/04/what-manner-of-men-and-women-ought-ye-to-be?lang=eng

 

 

 

What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be?

Lynn G. Robbins
Of the Seventy

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When children misbehave, let’s say when they quarrel with each other, we often misdirect our discipline on what they did, or the quarreling we observed. But the do—their behavior—is only a symptom of the unseen motive in their hearts. We might ask ourselves, “What attributes, if understood by the child, would correct this behavior in the future? Being patient and forgiving when annoyed? Loving and being a peacemaker? Taking personal responsibility for one’s actions and not blaming?”

How do parents teach these attributes to their children? We will never have a greater opportunity to teach and show Christlike attributes to our children than in the way we discipline them. Discipline comes from the same root word as disciple and implies patience and teaching on our part. It should not be done in anger. We can and should discipline the way that Doctrine and Covenants 121 teaches us: “by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness and pure knowledge” (verses 41–42). These are all Christlike be’s that should be a part of who we, as parents and disciples of Christ, are.

Through discipline the child learns of consequences. In such moments it is helpful to turn negatives into positives. If the child confesses to a wrong, praise the courage it took to confess. Ask the child what he or she learned from the mistake or misdeed, which gives you, and more important, the Spirit an opportunity to touch and teach the child. When we teach children doctrine by the Spirit, that doctrine has the power to change their very nature—be—over time.

Alma discovered this same principle, that “the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword” (Alma 31:5; emphasis added). Why? Because the sword focused only on punishing behavior—or do—while preaching the word changed people’s very nature—who they were or could become.

A sweet and obedient child will enroll a father or mother only in Parenting 101. If you are blessed with a child who tests your patience to the nth degree, you will be enrolled in Parenting 505. Rather than wonder what you might have done wrong in the premortal life to be so deserving, you might consider the more challenging child a blessing and opportunity to become more godlike yourself. With which child will your patience, long-suffering, and other Christlike virtues most likely be tested, developed, and refined? Could it be possible that you need this child as much as this child needs you?