Family Relations-- Annie Elliott

Hello everyone! I hope you had a great week! I just want to say, I am, in no way, shape, or form, experienced on this topic at all, but I just wanted to share what I learned in my studies this week! So that’s what this post is all about. A summary of my readings and study this week.  Physical Intimacy is an important part of our relationships in marriage, but it is important to treat it with the sacred nature in which God intended it to be treated with. I don’t believe it is meant to be kept secret, but intimacy should be talked about in a sacred and mature way. Kids are hearing all sorts of things in school and from their peers, which is why it is important to teach them in a healthy and sacred way about such a sacred thing.  Those who choose to be intimate with each other before marriage deal with a whole set of challenges. There is a reason God commanded everyone to save this side of themselves for marriage. Women actually experience a release of the hormone oxytocin when...

Hello! Thanks for reading today! Although marriage is amazing and treasured, there are some significant adjustments that come with getting married and starting a new life with someone else from a completely different background then yourself. Sometimes engagement can be a critical time in the relationship because you have a lot of decisions to make about your future. During this time, it is important to start to set boundaries for yourself and your future relationship.  Topics of conversation for an engaged couple should be things like; • How do we handle conflict?  • How do we handle intimacy? • How many kids? And when do we have kids? • Should we continue our education? • How do we handle finances?  • Where are we going to live? This list really could go on and on, but engagement is a critical time to plan out these things for your marriage. Obviously, life circumstances are always changing, but discussing the most important foundational things for your marr...

Hello everyone! I hope you had a great week! Today we are going to talk about dating. To start off, I want to ask; how do you feel about dating? And when was the last time you went on a date? In the world we live in today, dating is becoming less and less common and is being replaced by “hanging out.” I have lived this being a college student today. The dating scene isn’t what it used to be and girls are getting asked on dates less and less often. The truth is, dating gets you prepared for marriage. It helps you to see someone in many different situations to really get to know them to see if you are compatible or not.  President Dallin H Oaks, first councilor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, states in his talk “Dating versus Hanging Out,” that “dating has nearly disappeared from college campuses and among young adults generally. It has been replaced by something called ‘hanging out.’” Hanging out is usually in a group setting and doesn’t a...

Men and women both have gender-typical characteristics that, when looked at closely, you can actually see a connection to the divinely appointed roles in the family proclamation. I find that super fascinating! God designed male and female the way that they are to be perfect partners for each other in marriage, and in having and raising a family. In the confusion of the world, it is important to remember that God doesn’t make mistakes and you are the gender that you are for a reason. God knows you, loves you, and made you the exact way you are for a purpose.  When we study female-typical characteristics, we see that women are typically more nurturing and cooperative. They make decisions based off how that decision will affect others and themselves. Women are more emotionally expressive, and sensitive to other’s emotions as well. They also orient themselves based on landmarks, more so than North, East, South, and West, which I can totally attest to because I am terrible at directio...