A BABY IS BJORN!

A BABY IS BJORN!

24 hours ago, I watched a new life enter into the world.  Baby Novak "Bjorn" Craner, my grandson.  He weighs 6 1/2 lbs and was 20 inches long.  He is a precious little one with a tiny little nose, ten fingers, and ten toes.  I now have someone that calls me Grandma!

In today's world, there is a great debate about the sanctity of life.   When does life begin?  I am grateful for prophets and the Lord's guidance through them on the questions posed by the world.  In our text book, Successful Marriages and Families, it states " From conception to resurrection , mortal life is a gift from God (Alma 40:11).  Elder Russell M. Nelson explains why we should have respect for the gift of life:  As sons and daughters of God, we cherish life as a gift from Him...Life comes from life.  It is a gift from our Heavenly Father.  It is eternal as He is eternal.  Innocent life is not sent by him to be destroyed!  This doctrine is not of me, but is that of the living God and of his divine Son (Nelson, 1985, pp.II, 14).  Welcoming children into our lives is one of the most important ways to follow Christ, who invited the little children to come to Him(Luke 18:16). Elder Russell M. Nelson testifies of the value of a child's life: "Yes life is precious! No one can cuddle a cherished newborn baby, look into those beautiful eyes, feel those little fingers, and caress that miraculous creation without a deepening reverence for life and for our Creator". (Hawkins, p. 295)

I wish those who are arguing for abortion could sit and hold my precious little grandson.  I personally see their argument as a very selfish one.  I know that each case is very different and each choice individual.  But when I hear the chant "My body my choice"  it makes me so angry.  I understand the agency each one of us have, but it's amazing how the adversary has rationalized the excuses for termination.  My favorite is the latest lie "It's not a fetal heartbeat, but an embryonic pulse!"  Crazy.

"Upholding the sanctity of life is not only the defense for the unborn, but also a shelter for individuals and families whose lives might otherwise be devastated by elective abortion.  The proclamation invites us to counteract the violence of abortion by peacefully upholding the sanctity of life"(p. 299).

References:
Hawkins, A., Dollahite, D., & Draper, T. (2016), Successful Marriages and Families Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives, Provo,Utah, BYU Studies