I have learned so much in this class during the semester.  The thing I gleaned the most beneficial was hearing what other people have learned.  I talked with one girl for our final and I learned so much from her and it was powerful to hear her testimony.  She had different insights that I had never even thought of.  So I'm going to post the top ten things I learned in class so hopefully someone else can gain so insight from the things  I have learned.

1.      The idea that family is a system – Each person has a role within the family, and a personal decision can affect the whole family.  I will use this knowledge someday with my future family as we grow and solve problems together.

2.      I don’t need to trade my mind for a mop – Society wants women to believe that if they aren't working they are dumb and useless, but that’s not the case, just because I want to stay home with my children does not mean I have to quit learning.  I can learn new things everyday while I am at home.

3.      Don’t trust before I know – From the book How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk, I shouldn't put all of my trust in someone before I actually know someone, because that’s stupid! Heartache will almost always follow.

4.      Has a woman I have divine roles – In The Family: A Proclamation to the World, it specifies specific mothers and fathers should have.  This does not mean that we shouldn't help each other along the way, but mothers are intended to be nurturer and fathers are typically the providers.  However, they are equals.

5.      The bond between husband and wife is the most essential thing – It seems like in almost every case when there is a problem within the family, the spouses bond is not as strong as it could be.  This is helping things to go right, marriage is not easy, but it is divine and the work is worth it.

6.      Respect is key to raising teenagers – I know I am a long way off from having teenagers, as I’m not even married, but right now I’m closer to the age of a teenager and I want to remember how I felt and important it is for teenagers to feel that respect.  Hopefully when I’m really old I can remember that.

7.      When a crisis occurs involve the entire family – like I said in number one, families are a system and with that being the case families will fair much better if they can decide things together.  Also it draws families closer together.

8.      I should never be alone with a member of the opposite sex that isn't my spouse or a member of my family – Even though it seems harmless, many amazing LDS people have fallen into this trap.  Infidelity stems from the tiniest things and I want to always be loyal to spouse in thought, word, and action.  Better safe than sorry!

9.      Marriage takes work – Although this is similar to one above, I honestly think I can’t empathize it enough! I think so many people (especially girls) think that once you get married it is happily ever after.  But that doesn’t come until much later.  Two people, who are devoted to their Father in Heaven and abide by His will, can make it work.

The Council Method – I come from a family who has never had a family council (at least not an official one that I can remember) we talked about stuff, but I think when decisions must be made, everyone must agree upon the same thing.  I think most of the time we just went with whatever my parents said, but I think I would have liked some of that power.

I know that Heavenly Father sent us her so that we could form eternal families.  We can learn and grow so much from them.  I am so thankful to have the knowledge that I do, and hopefully I continue to share the things that I have learned from this class throughout the semester.  It's been very beneficial and I know that my future family will be stronger because of it. There is reason we are with the family that we are.  I do not believe I have the family that I do purely by coincidence.