Week 3: Cultural Diversity in the Home

    Have you ever wondered why we are all so different? Have you stopped to consider that each of our homes is effected by the society it is surrounded by? And that each home has it's own culture and traditions? Well in the introduction to class this week I was taught that "each of our family experiences is influenced in some way by the social groups to which we belong. Some of these social groups involved social class or privilege. Others involve the unique cultures to which we belong. Each influences the family in various ways, most often unseen."

    "As you consider aspects of culture, bear in mind that culture is not created, defined or maintained by skin color, language or geography. Each family has its own culture which is influenced by several factors."

    In this blog entry I am going to take into consideration how my own family culture is influenced by my religious values and practices. I am married with a baby, however for the sake of this post, I will talk about the family I was raised in. 

    I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is much more than a church though-- it is a religion that effects my whole lifestyle. My parents were both raised as members and both believe strongly in the principles and values it teaches. Because of their conviction and belief in what we refer to as, the gospel, they raised me and my five siblings with the same religious values and practices. Some of these practices included holding Family Home Evenings every Monday night, attending church every Sunday, doing acts of service for others, having daily family scripture study, giving compliments, and having daily family prayer. I will expand on only a few of them.

     Family Home Evenings, were nights designated to spend together and once it started, it lasted the whole night and we weren't supposed to make any other plans. The outline looked a lot like this: sing a hymn together, have an opening prayer, participate in a brief lesson on a gospel topic like tithing, service, The Book of Mormon, etc, enjoy playing a game together (knock out and fruit basket were a few of our favorites), and then dessert. The night would end with family prayer and compliments about the family member who would be offering the prayer that night. I believe that the ritual of having family home evening every Monday night helped me to develop a deep love and connection to my parents and siblings, because it was the first thing planned in my week and took priority over any other plans I may have wanted to make. I can't say that I always looked forward to family home evenings, but now that I am grown and have my own family, I sure am grateful for those nights we spent together strengthening our relationships with one another through gospel learning, wholesome recreation and good conversation. I recognized that a lot of my friends who either belong to different denominations or none at all, didn't always have the same love for family and building those relationships. I know that the relationships I have with my siblings and my ability to grow other relationships, is in large part because of the emphasis placed on quality time with the family growing up.

     My dad taught us growing up that his priorities were God, family, then everything else. He wanted us to feel the same and helped us develop a love of God and His teachings. He helped us to do this by inviting us to study the scriptures every morning before school. Looking back, making family scripture study the first thing I did in my day, helped me recognize that the Lord should be the most important thing not only in my day, but in my life. We would spend time reading, then discussing and finding ways to apply the things we read. Then over the course of a week we would review and follow up with each other. I felt comfortable learning with my family, I felt a desire to ask for forgiveness when I fought or caused trouble. I had a constant desire to progress and grow closer to God and my siblings! I recognize that not every kid has had this experience and many people are content where they are in life and maybe don't have a belief in a Supreme Being; there are also some who feel uncomfortable discussing religion with their family members and who believe in a Supreme Being but that is the extent-- not sure where to start of even if they want to explore the idea further.

    These are just a few of the things we did in my home that shaped me to be who I am today. I choose to have family scripture study with my husband and daughter every day, and we have family home evening in the same way I did growing up! Many of my friends, even of the same faith, have similar practices but execute them differently. I know with out a doubt that it creates a culture within my home. I also love the idea that we can continue to create traditions based off of our beliefs. I know that it is just important to recognize that traditions are just that-- they are created and not necessarily the only way or the best way. I hope that my husband and I can instill in our home the love of God and family, and help them feel love towards others.