Family is more important in the Lord's eyes than our Career.

1. What are some reasons you believe that the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth is reemphasized by the First Presidency and the Twelve?
1. I believe that some of the reasons why we were told to multiply and replenish the earth is because of the idea that we do not. I know many people who don't want to get married and have a family. They talk about how they don't want or need kids. This day in age it is becoming a more popular idea for people to work and be stable and then they never come around to having children. I think the church wanted to recognize the importance of it and let people know that we are still commanded to do such. 
2. What are some factors in today's society that discourage a husband and a wife in fulfilling this commandment?
1. Careers are often a main focus of many couples, and they also want to be more financially stable. It also can come from a place of selfishness that they want to have time for themselves so if they don't have any kids or even just a few they will have more time to themselves. 
3. What does the phrase "sacred powers of procreation" mean?
1. The power and ability to procreate and have children is one of the greatest gifts from God. The phrase refers to the ability to reproduce sexually but emphasises that is it sacred meaning a blessings from God to be taken with gratitude and appreciation. Sex shouldn't be joked about, it is one of the many things that Satan can tempt us with but that it is because it is misusing one of the other greatest gifts we have, our bodies. 
4. Given what we have studied so far in the Proclamation, the scriptures, and the words of the prophets, what are some reasons that the sacred powers of procreation are only to be used between man and woman lawfully wedded as husband and wife?
1. Procreation is only to be used between man and woman wedded because it is a form of showing love and even more than that the purpose of it is to have children. If two people are not wed they run the risk of having a child out of that wedlock and it is a child's birth right to be born into a family with a father and mother. 
5. If someone came to you and said, "What does the line, 'We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed.' mean?" How would you respond?
1. I would respond with the fact that it is through the "sacred powers of procreation" and the power of God that life is created. I think there is purpose in all life and in God's eyes there are no "accidents". Each child has a purpose. 

Knowledge and a body

1. Protestant Christians, Catholic Christians, Muslims, and Jews, do not believe that we, as children of God, had a pre-mortal existence. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is absolutely alone in this doctrine! The third paragraph starts out with a declaration about the pre-mortal realm. It states that each one of us (a) "knew and worshiped God as our Eternal Father"; and (b) that we "accepted His plan". The doctrine of pre-mortality is one of those plain and precious truths lost during the apostasy.
   • Why would Satan be so concerned with eliminating the knowledge about pre-mortality? 
   • Satan's goal is to lead God's children astray from the wondrous plan God has for them. I think that an easy way to lead them off would be to show that there is no purpose in this life and it is only by accident that we are all here and apart of this world for only a brief time. If we have knowledge of the premortal life and hope for a life after this then suddenly we want to be good. Without that knowledge and understanding of more in this life there would be no inherent purpose in being a good person just because you "feel nice". It would be so much easier for the devil to then convince other to do things that are evil and to live a life that would be contrary to popular believe when it comes to being a good person. 
2. Please reflect on why it was so important that we obtain a physical body. It is one of the primary purposes of why you came to earth.
   • Joseph Smith said, "We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the celestial kingdom. The great principle of happiness consists in having a body. The devil has no body, and herein is his punishment. He is pleased when he can obtain the tabernacle of man, and when cast out by the Savior he asked to go into the herd of swine, showing that he would prefer a swine's body to having none" (Joseph Smith, Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith, compiled by Alma P. Burton, p.82).
   • Why do you think that the great principle of happiness consists in having a body?
   • Obtaining a physical body is beneficial to us because we wanted to become like God in every way that we could. One thing that he had that we didn't was this perfect body, he understood our desire for that and for happiness but just as is says in 2 Nephi 2:23 "And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin." We needed to know pain and suffering to understand happiness and joy. We knew what life without a body was like and we were going to appreciate it so much more when we had one. This scripture also reminds me of last week when I couldn't walk, I had a horrible spasm that happened which caused my body to fall to the ground and I couldn't move my legs. When I was able to walk after about 36 hours on my own I was truly thankful for that simple thing. I think that we knew before this life what it was like to live without a body and give the opportunity to listen to good we were ecstatic to have the opportunity to revive a body and have it for eternity. 

A look back

Look around 

• If you haven't already, spend 15 minutes looking over future assignments and then write a paragraph in your digital journal about what you learned as you looked around

• Something I looked at was the extra credit options. I will need to go on some dates this semester. I was really intrigued by the Power Date and Interview Date. I think I really liked 

• How is this semester going for you? (Please list 3 areas in which you are doing well, and three areas in which you are struggling.) 

• The ways in which I am doing well is in my science class which I was honestly really nervous about that class. I am also loving my roommates, I struggle with women and being friends with girls because of the drama women tend to bring. They can also be something I am struggling with, because I tend to struggle to relate to them because they are all 18 and barley out of high school. But I am doing well as being a "mom" or older sister. But as they call me бабушка. Which means grandma in Russian. I am struggling also with my mental and physical health. 

• What are some things that you can do to make a difference with the areas in which you are struggling? 

• I need to find the patience when it comes to my roommates. And I am trying to find what to do about my physical health I am waiting for a call from my doctor to find out the results from some test done and then mental health wise I am trying to find out why I am here. I am living each day for me and taking it one day at a time sometimes just an hour at a time. 

• Looking ahead in the course, what are you excited for? What are you nervous about?

• I am nervous about the final project but excited for the papers. I just am not in love with how my group works together and I think it would have been better to pick our groups. Yes split the class in half but let us choose from there. 

• Finally, how are things going with your team? How are they going with the issue that you are working on? 

• My team does okay. I think we do not all mesh well together, but most of us want to work. Even if they do not like the class some still want to get the work done. The few that don't care it is hard to watch and work with. 

Reflection 

Divine Children

• Why do you think it is important to know that we are created in the image of God?
•  I think the importance of us being created in the image of God teaches us two things, the first being that we are truly his children and we are like him the second is to show us that it is in his image that we are created so then we can be like him even more. We can be God's ourselves. 
• As Latter-day Saints, we are absolutely alone in believing and teaching that we are literal sons and daughters of heavenly parents. Why is that doctrine critical to understand and why is Satan so interested that we do not know that?
•  If we are litteral sons and daughters of God then we have infinite potential to become better and be like God himself. I think that Satan wants to diminish the belief because we truly think his is our father who loves us like our earthly father does, he wants us to succeed. Satan wants us to not have a faith in God but if we do he wants us to fear him. So if we know that he loves us and is our literal father then we can do better. 
• What do you think it means when it says we have a "divine nature"?
• When it says we have a divine nature that means to me that we are like God, "Divine nature" according to dictionary.com means, "ranking below God but above humans" I think that is a beautiful concept. I still believe it means being devine like God but we can not reach the potential on earth so I think that if we are divine on this earth it would be below God and above man. 
• It states that gender is an "essential characteristic" through time and eternity. What does "essential characteristic" mean and why is that important to know?
•  Gender is something that was given prior to this life and is apart of our personality from the beginning. It is a characteristic that has been apart of our life from the premortal life and will be through all time. It is essential because just like our heavenly mother and father we were given genders, and with those genders are associated roles and characteristics that are essential for the fulfilment of Gods plan. We need to help one another as husband and wife so that we may feel as if we are like our Godly parents and following their amazing example. 

Addiction Recovery is Obtainable

What is your topic/concern?

• Addiction

What are your initial thoughts and feelings about the subject? 

• My initial thoughts about this is how relevant it is in our day that we are tempted and easily addiction to many things. Some popular ones would be technology, in many forms, pornography, video games, social media, etc... another would be substance abuse, drugs (prescribed or not) and alcohol. 

How familiar are you with this topic/concern? 

• I am semi familiar with the topic, I know there are aspects that I could learn more about. 

• In my case the first step I would take would be to take it to my father in heaven, then I would look online at the church's addiction recovery program, I know that many like myself would feel embarrassed to go in to a recovery program. So if after a while it would 

• Yes, I think the best thing to do is to turn to the atonement and get the help from your priesthood leaders. I think knowing the Christ has also felt all our pain and suffering should bring some peace to our hearts. 

• https://www.facingaddiction.org/ I choose this site because it I wanted to see what the world and science have found to be helpful when it comes to overcoming.  

•  https://www.treehouserehab.org/ This one was interesting because they have  24 hour chat as well as a information on specific drug information.

• https://www.lds.org/topics/addiction?lang=eng Lastly I choose the church of Jesus Christ of latter Day saints website because as much as scientific methods are use so are spiritual and turning to christ is pushed.   

• "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself."- 2 Nephi 2:27

• This scripture proves to me that we are free to make choices but it is because of our agency that we choose our end path. If we choose to make the wrong choices then we will be miserable. 

Whether you have or haven't dealt with this topic/concern before, how would you begin to go about living life with the concern? Where would you go to find resources for help? What steps would you take for spiritual help and guidance? Have you or any close family members or friends faced these concerns before? (I am not asking you to share personal details- just YES/NO) What have you (or they) done to keep their faith strong while dealing with these concerns?  
Find and paste 3 links to sites that may be able to give you helpful, credible information for facing this challenge. Be a bit source critical in your search. In addition to these links, please write a sentence or two of why you chose the site, how could it help you deal with the problem. 
Finally, find one scripture that would give comfort to someone who has this concern and wonders why God would allow it to happen. Write any other thoughts with this scripture (as if you were giving comfort to yourself or family member on a future day).