The Sanctity of Human Life

I believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is indeed good news for everyone and should be greeted with jubilation.  But many people around the world are not free to hear the good news of the gospel.  The circumstances and poverty into which they are born take a heavy toll on many women, children, and families--something that must surely bring our Heavenly Father a great deal of sorrow.

My friend Erin Ann McBride is currently shedding some light into the dark corners of the world, as she serves the people of Cambodia as a member the Peace Corps.

In part one of her article "Fighting Trafficking in Cambodia" Erin explains why sex, child, and human trafficking are such a big draw for poverty-stricken Cambodian families.  She says that in order, "To break the generational cycle of sex and child trafficking, the families must be fixed. The families must first be helped with access to food, education, and vocational training..."

Erin works with a group called Riverkids to advance this goal, but she also recognizes that this is where the basic truths of The Family Proclamation really bear weight.

She suggests that if all women, children, and families could come to understand that “The sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife," and that, "the means by which mortal life is created [is] divinely appointed," how different would the world look?  What a rich gem we have in The Family: A Proclamation to the World, when we read about, "the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.”

I believe that the day that these truths are no longer kept from these people, will be the day that the Lord truly reveals his arm to all of the corners of the earth.  It will be the day that men, women, and children cease to abuse themselves and each other, the day that children are given their appropriate rank in society, and the day that families in these difficult areas are given a fighting chance of staying together...and of being happy.  Through the help of people like Erin and Riverkids, hopefully this day will come much sooner than later.

In the meantime, we have The Family Proclamation.  We have prophets in our day to point the way through turbulent times.  May we never, ever take that for granted.

If you'd like to read all of part one of Erin's article, follow the link above and check back there tomorrow for part 2...