The Joys of Marriage and Family

My husband spoke at a Seminary Graduation this past Sunday.  He talked about the stress that comes with graduation and the sudden realization that you have to start making adult decisions for yourself. He told the students that there were many people who loved them and were praying for them. He told them that there were others praying for them that they couldn't see right now. Then he related an experience in his own life when he was their age.

My husband Ross was the janitor at the stake center when he graduated from high school. One of his assignments was to dust the pipes to the large organ. Most of the pipes were behind the ones you see in the chapel in a small private room. He told them that up to this point his decisions about what college to attend, an upcoming mission and what career to choose were foremost on his mind. But when he was alone in the pipe room, the words to his Patriarchal blessing came to his mind . . . they were, "Your greatest assignment in life will be that of raising a family. Through the teachings that you give to your children and seeing them grow into man and womanhood, believing in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, patterning their life in a way that they can do much good here, you will receive your greatest joy."

Right at that moment he fell to his knees and plead with his Father in Heaven to help him be a good father and husband.

Then he said, "Now a good wife and ten wonderful children later, I realize that there were ten people in heaven praying for me to make good decisions. Their pleading and my pleading with God opened the window to the greatest blessings in my life."

Both my husband and I know that our children prayed for us before they were born. Those prayers sustained us through those difficult adolescent years.  Now as we see our growing posterity we are filled with so much joy. We receive our greatest happiness by being sweethearts and our opportunity to be parents to our wonderful children and grandchildren.