What is Culture?

    Not the kind of living science experiment that grows in the back of your fridge sometimes, that is definitely not what we talked about in a class about family. Culture is more like the things that your family believes, the things that they value, their behaviors, and their traditions. That definitely does not sound like something gross in the back of your fridge, but it could be considered something that changes and develops over time.
    My family's culture is based a lot on our beliefs. I guess that's how it is with most families who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or any other religion. We have family prayer and scripture study each day, we attend church on Sunday, and other church meetings throughout the week. When we are going through high school our parents encouraged us to attend seminary every day during the week. When I graduated high school we continued our gospel learning by attending institute once a week. I appreciate the high importance my parents place on gospel learning, it has really helped my testimony to grow, and continues to help me become a better person.
    Many things have changed in my family as the children have gotten older, moved away, and got married. When I was younger we really didn't express our love for each other verbally, it was more through our actions, and as I have gotten older I have noticed that change. Having to be separated from each other for long periods of time, we express our love for each other more through our words; I expect this has changed because we do not get to see each other very often, and so one of the only ways we have to express our love for each other is verbally.
    I am excited to discover more about my family culture throughout the semester, to look at how it has changed, and also how it has stayed the same. As I am preparing to start a family of my own, I am glad that I have this chance to look more in-depth at my own family workings, and look at those things that I will want to carry with me into my own family.
    What a beautiful time of discovery this is! I just need to remind myself that all of the struggles that I am going through will all be worth it in the end.