Post By Danny: The Disintegration of the Family

Introduction

                Everyone that has read “The Family: A Proclamation to the World”, knows about the strong language used by the leaders of the church when speaking of the disintegration of the family.  The sentence reads as follows, “Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets” (¶ 8).  What many people may not know is what exactly those calamities are, and that certain such calamities have already begun to surface. This article will attempt to identify: what those calamities are, how they are beginning to affect us, and what we can do to safeguard our families personally.

What Calamities?

            The calamities foretold by ancient prophets go clear back to Old Testament times, are steadily found throughout all scripture, and continue through modern prophets today.

            In Isaiah 24 we read the following statements,

1.      “The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled” (vs. 3)

a.       How might this happen?  D&C 29:16 reads, “And there shall be a great hailstorm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth”.

2.      “Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate” (vs. 6)

a.       What could such a curse be? D&C 29:18-19 reads, “I the Lord God will send forth flies upon the face of the earth, which shall take hold of the inhabitants thereof, and shall eat their flesh, and shall cause maggots to come in upon them…and their flesh shall fall off their bones, and their eyes from their sockets”.

3.      “The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard” (vs. 20)

a.       What does this actually mean? D&C 45:33 reads, “And there shall be earthquakes also in diverse places”.

b.      When the Savior was crucified in Jerusalem, we read that, “the veil of the temple was rent in twain…and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent” (Matthew 27:51).  In the Americas, “the face of the whole earth became deformed, because of the tempests, and thundering, and lightnings, and the quaking of the earth” ( 3 Nephi 8:17).  How will the earth react when everything that the Savior stood for is crucified by the people as well? 

In Doctrine and Covenants 45:26 we read that, “in that day shall be heard of wars, and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them”.  How could the disintegration of the family bring about calamities such as these? 

1.      Divorce- Divorce often leads to feelings of depression, self doubt, and uncertainty among adults and children alike.  (men’s hearts shall fail them)

2.      Low rates of fertility- China, the most populated country on earth, has a one child policy that has resulted in many more males being born than females. “Imbalanced sex ratios have also been noted in other countries, most notably South Korea and India” (Liu & Zhang, 2009).  The problem with so many men is there is a “historical correlation between nations having excess men and being more warlike” (Hudson & den Boer, 2004). (wars and rumors of wars)

3.      Abortion- This is linked to low fertility rates and feelings of depression among mothers and fathers.  Moreover, it is considered a serious sin before the Lord, and has itself been the cause of much commotion in the land. (eg. Political disputes, attacks on abortion centers, etc.)

Lastly, I would like to mention D&C 5:19.  This scripture reads,

For a desolating scourge shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth, and shall continue to be poured out from time to time, if they repent not, until the earth is empty, and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming.

This scripture is not clear as to what this desolating scourge or sickness might be. There are many possible answers, but I will focus on one.

1.      Sexually Transmitted Diseases- Certainly STD’s have been poured out upon the inhabitants of the earth and have destroyed many lives.  This could so easily be avoided if men and women were abstinent before marriage and faithful to their spouse afterward.  STD’s are especially prominent among gay couples, who generally have many partners a year.  Breaking the law of chastity, infidelity to ones partner, and engaging in homosexual activities are all sinful acts that harm the institution of the family and have potential deleterious effects for those involved.

What can we do to avoid these calamities?

            I will not dwell long on this subject because of the simplicity of the answer: read, study, pray about, and live the Proclamation.  Remember that you are a child of heavenly parents, along with everyone else around you. Keep the law of chastity before and after marriage.  Honor your marital vows with complete fidelity.  Love and nurture your children.  Teach them the gospel.  Always remember that, “Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities” (¶ 7). 

Conclusion

As we can see, the disintegration of the family really can have severely negative effects on individuals, communities, and nations.  Nothing can ensure a perfect family, but following the principles found in the Proclamation can ensure that we will be in good standing with the Lord, and if we live as we are taught, we can have the hope to avoid at least some of the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets in our personal families.

References:

Hudson, V.M., & den Boer, A.M. (2004). Bare branches: The security implications of Asia’s surplus male population. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Liu, T., & Zhang, X. (2009). Ratio of males to females in China. British Medical Journal, 338(b483), 899-900.