TheDiscipleMD

Every person has a different experience regarding their upbringing, so my thoughts are, of course, personal. I remember at times as a youth I would think to myself, “Why did I have to be born a Mormon?”That was the term used when I grew up. I was the rare “Mormon” kid to all my friends in Maryland. I mean, I believed what I was being taught was true, but couldn’t God have waited to give it to me when I was out of my teen years so I wouldn’t have to be “different from my friends?” But when I got older,  I looked back on that thought process, and I don’t understand how I could have been so foolish to think such a thing, but in the words of Paul:

“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (1 Corinthians 13:11)

In my case, “I put away childish thoughts” not long after I married. I could see then the value of being raised in a family that taught me gospel principles. So, based on my experience, I list at least ten reasons, and there are more, why I loved being raised a Mormon. This list is predicated on the fact that you live by the principles taught, of course. And I was lucky to have parents who followed the guideline of Joseph Smith of “We teach them good principles and then let them govern themselves.” That is certainly key as my siblings and I never had resentment towards our parents or our upbringing. 

1) By obeying my health code, I never make a fool out of myself or end up doing something I regretted while under the influence of a narcotic or alcohol. You may make mistakes, but at least you are in your “right” mind when you do it if there is such a thing.

2) By obeying the Law of Chastity, I never need to worry about someone showing up on my doorstep decades later claiming they are your son or daughter. This happens more often than you think.

3) Coming from a loving family is more rare than I thought. When parents and siblings adhere to the restored gospel, you are raised in a positive environment that nurtures your mind, body, and spirit.

4) I developed positive habits that formed the basis of my personality and helped me succeed in life’s endeavors.

5) Addictions and bad habits that can destroy and ruin my life have been avoided. (Not all but it’s been helpful)

6) I was raised with a positive self-image of who I was concerning deity and that I was of value.

7) At a young age, I was taught that my life has meaning because I was given a vision of the eternal nature of my soul.

8) I was taught the eternal nature of marriage, and when the time came to enter into that covenant, I did so with the intent that it would be forever. People say “nothing” lasts forever, but knowing that your marriage can be eternal makes you more patient in watching it develop into perfection, which may take more than a lifetime. (A lot of people believe in eternal Marriage, but it’s part of my religion’s doctrine.)

9) Being taught as a child of the eternal nature of families made it all the more special when you hold your first child in your arms for the first time and you see in him or her the beauty of God’s most incredible creation. 

10) Last but not least, it was fun to be a Mormon. I won’t elaborate because “fun” is a relative term. But looking back, it was hard being “different” from the other kids, but it was also fun to be “unique” and feel “special.” “Special,” to me, doesn’t mean “better”; it just means “distinctive.” And I felt “distinctive” a lot!

I know many people who were raised in religious homes didn’t like it, and some even resent it. I didn’t! A religious upbringing was a stable anchor in an ever-changing and complex world. Consequently, I passed along my religious background to my children. As I have watched them develop into adulthood, I believe it is a great blessing in their lives. Will they pass that along to their children? Well, that’s up to them. “But if it is unpleasing in (their) sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!” (Joshua 24:15)