On to the next topic

Alright everyone, this is all about gender- for those of you reading this block that do not agree with my personal beliefs, I welcome constructive criticism/comments, but nothing negative. I believe in the value of having different opinions and being able to share those opinions with others, but I do not agree with hate speech or bringing people down with their negativity and combativeness. I believe we can all learn and grow as humans when we take time to realize that differences make us stronger.

That being said- we are talking about the second paragraph of the Proclamation which states "ALL HUMAN BEINGS—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose." SO lets dissect this with the questions given to me.

Why do you think it is important to know that we are created in the image of God?

I think that this is SO important to know, because it helps us feel connected to God by way of looks, but more so- it shows you just how important you are to God, the fact that He modeled you after himself. Knowing these two things can help us to cultivate a more personal relationship with Him and find difficult answers we look for through Him.

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?

I personally believe that family is the MOST important thing we can have here on earth. Everyone looks for that peace in their life- whether the family that is healthiest for you is by blood or choice- everyone seeks to find safety and peace in knowing they are surrounded by those who love them and have their best interests in mind. Satan works best when you feel lonely and isolated, he feeds off of the fear and doubt that it creates in your mind and starts to sway your thoughts and emotions. That being said- it is why he would want you to forget about/doubt your connection to God, and your spiritual family, because in doing so- he has already won half the battle of making you question the validity of your worth.

What do you think it means when it says we have a "divine nature"?

Divine nature is what we have that separates us from any other animal or living thing on the planet- even from each other. The word divine means from or like God, also excellent and delightful. The definition of nature is the basic or inherent features of something, especially when seen as characteristic of it. Both of these definitions combined create a decent definition of our individual worth given to us by God. I personally like to define it as that spark that shows in your eyes when you do something well or unique that reflects the spirit of your soul. It is that beautiful unexplained thing that everyone notices but no one knows what to call it. It is your spiritual fire- your divine nature, and it's an incredible gift we are given.

It states that gender is an "essential characteristic" through time and eternity. What does "essential characteristic mean and why is that important to know?

So for me the answer to this question is the simple matter of biology. In order to create new life here on earth,you must have a man and a woman, who biologically can create a human of flesh and bone and give it life and a place to grow. So while I wont get into the politics of it all- it is important to remember that no matter what way you look at it- the only way to create a person is with the combined biological natures of a man and a woman.

Learning about families is important to me because i want one someday, and I truly feel like families are how you can find summer in your life.