Family Work is Righteous Work

"Successful marriages and families are established and 

maintained on principles of work."

-The Family, a Proclamation to the World

Growing up, my mom created a job chart that all four of us kids would have to complete every Saturday before we were allowed to go play with friends. Whoever woke up earliest got to pick the chores they wanted first, normally meaning the easiest ones such as dust and water the plants. We would have to get the entire list done before anyone could leave. This gave us no choice but to work together to get all the chores done quickly. The more we helped and the faster we worked, the sooner we got to leave. This experience not only taught me and my siblings how to do the daily tasks around the house but it also taught us how to work together and serve one another. I know this Saturday chore chart is one of the reasons my siblings and I are so close to each other now. 

"Family work provides endless opportunities to recognize and

 fill others’ needs. It thus teaches us to love and serve 

one another, inviting us to be like Jesus Christ."

Working together as a family helps us grow closer together as we bond and learn from each other. Learning to do things that are not very appealing, like doing the dishes, allows everyone involved to be on the same level and situation. not one person is better than the other and everyone has to do their part. This is why service brings people closer together. Work also builds character. As you do menial tasks around the house, you are strengthening yourself for the future. Knowing how to work is one of the best things this life can teach you. 

"Family work reveals a profound potential to strengthen and heal relationships. 

Performing mundane yet essential tasks for those

 who cannot do so for themselves can create, 

in the absence of pride, a precious connection between giver and 

receiver. As we figuratively touch each other at the simple 

level of everyday need, routine acts of service begin to 

mend feelings and foster unity."

Family work is sacrifice. There are many small and seemingly unnoticeable things that need to be done around the house to make it function correctly for everyone who is living in it. Everyone must work together, sacrificing their own time that they could be doing something more important, to help around the house making sure everything is in its right form. As each family member sacrifices their time and talents to help those around them, the family bond is strengthened and the love towards each other grows. We must remember that although family work is righteous work, we have to do our work with the right heart and mind. The spirit should always be present, even when working, so that we are able to benefit from our actions and the actions of those around us. When the spirit is present, we can learn all the things the Lord intends for us to know. 

"Your household is a 24-hour-a-day enterprise. 

You do a part of your work at the office or shop or school 

or on the road, but that’s not the end of your working day. The good thing is: 

When you get home, you get to do the rest of your day’s work

 in the company of, or in support of, the person you love most in all the world."