Parkin was the surprise youth speaker for Holman's homecoming talk. He was asked and didn't say anything we found out when we saw his name in the program. What a trickster, he did a fantastic job 💕
January 19th, 2025
Good Afternoon Sisters and brothers!
Two weeks ago during sacrament meeting, I was thinking It’s been a while since I last spoke it’s kinda strange. And then two days later a number not saved in my phone texted me asking me to prepare a talk, so God answers our prays even when we didn’t know we’ve said them.
I was asked to speak about how the living gospel blesses families. Besides the bountiful amount of baked goods that comes with being a member of this church, the gospel has provided so much for my family.
The gospel has a very strong foundation based off of the family. We are taught from a young age that families can be together forever through the sealing power of the priesthood in temples. We have the power to be with our families for the rest of everything! This power that God lets us use makes us think about long term about inner relationships. We need to treat each other right and to be able to get along with each other because forever starts to sound like a punishment when your with people you hate.
In seminary, we are always focused on keeping an eternal perspective on all things. This includes our family relationships. my youngest sister Adrian and I rival each other in the fact that we are always fighting, but if you asked us if we were friends the answer is always yes. We fight a lot, but we both know that in a minute we will still be siblings, in a day we will still be siblings, in a year we will still be siblings, and in forever, we will still be siblings. So we know to forgive each other even when we don’t know if we are sorry. this perspective is key to cooperative families, and the gospel taught us this. This perspective also helped our family when my brother left on his mission. He was gone for so long, and he was so far away, it felt like I was never going to see him again. But because we are sealed in the temple, no matter how long he was gone for, no matter how far away he was, someday, some where, we would be together again, be it now or in forever.
The gospel blesses families in more ways than just sealing. The principles taught by Christ shapes how we function. I know many people whose families are very broken. Their brothers never talk to them, their parents aren’t on speaking terms, they’ve never met their grandparents, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. Christ has taught us of forgiveness and that the one of the two greatest commandments of all is to love thy neighbor. Commandments are not conditional, and neither should the love of a family be. I am very privileged to have very loving parents and siblings, that no matter how bad I’ve messed up they have loved me anyway. The unconditional love of the gospel Keeps our family “family” no matter what. In Luke chapter 15 we are told the story of the prodigal son. A man’s son had gone and wasted his inheritance on meaningless things and became unable to support himself any more. He ran back to his father and begged to become a servant to earn back his father’s love, but instead of putting him to work to earn his place in the family back, the father instead embraced him and rejoiced that his son had returned to him. When we apply this way of acting to our own families, we don’t have falling outs that last lifetimes, we don’t hold grudges the cripple our children and we don’t let what someone has said or done get in the way of loving them. God loves us all, so we all are lovable.
Christ has taught us love, and it’s love that strengthens us.
Besides emotionally, the gospel and the church blesses families with help on living on earth as well. The doctrine of the word of wisdom and the church’s position on family financials have major impacts on our families. The word of wisdom helps keeps all members of a family of sound body and mind, so that we do not do or say anything that can rip each other apart, like how alcoholism can lead to abuse. The church also provides guidance for our finances, like in the chruch’s published “life help” collection in the gospel library app. “The First Presidency has taught: “We encourage you wherever you may live in the world to prepare for adversity by looking to the condition of your finances. We urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt. … If you have paid your debts and have a financial reserve, even though it be small, you and your family will feel more secure and enjoy greater peace in your hearts”” the church teaches us to say away from gambling, debt, and splurging. The church goes way more in-depth, but in general, when families follow the church’s advice on finances, there is increased security, and the family can function without having to strain over not having enough for everyone.
The gospel keeps kids excel! In the for the strength of youth pamphlet, kids can find how to deal with choices throughout their lives. It teaches us things we can do to be safe from all sorts of plagues that face the children of today, from bulling to addiction. And it teaches us to keeping the sabbath day holy. My sister Olivia is the smartest person I know, whenever I don’t know something, and ChatGPT can tell me either, I know that I can ask her and she can give me the answer. She has put in so much work to be as smart as she is, but she has never done her homework on a Sunday. Her commitment to living the gospel of not working in the Sabbath has helped her achieve her academic success. Primary class teaches kids these strong moral values, like integrity, compassion, forgiveness, and respect. The gospel helps children learn of the love of Christ and how to be compassionate members of a family, and high functioning people of society.
Living the gospel values helps people find the right partners. My mom and dad are very In love with one another, and they found each other because of their strong faith in the gospel. That strong faith that also allowed them to raise some pretty great kids. The gospel is the reason my sister Bella met my brother in law Sam. Their belief in the gospel brought them to church where they got to know each other and now they are the perfect role model for what to look for in a relationship. All because they are living the gospel.
(Try to start crying) I love my family very very much. I have so much love for everyone individual person. We are the family we are because of the gospel of Christ, and I wouldn’t give that away for anything. I have a very strong testimony of the powers that the family holds, and how God designed them because of the eternal joy it would make his children feel. I am so glad that families are forever, and I am grateful every day that God let me be part of such an amazing one. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
