I no gat wan i mas holemtaet singaot ia, se i gud blong yumi kam wan blong talemaot wari blong yumi long saed blong gud laef mo fiuja blong ol pikinini blong yumi—jeneresen ia we i stap kam antap.
Yumi evriwan i save tingbaot ol filing blong yumi, taem wan smol pikinini we i krae mo i leftemap han blong kasem help. Wan Papa long Heven we i gat lav i givim yumi ol filing ia blong pusum yumi blong helpem ol pikinini blong Hem. Plis, tingbaot olgeta filing ia taem mi stap tokbaot responsabiliti blong yumi blong protektem mo tekem aksen blong gud laef blong ol pikinini.
Mi toktok wetem lukluk i go long saed blong gospel blong Jisas Kraes, wetem plan blong Hem blong fasin blong sevem man. Hemia nao koling blong mi. Ol lokol lida blong Jos oli gat responsabiliti long wan ples nomo, olsem wan wod, o wan stek, be wan Aposol, i responsibol blong testifae long ful wol. Long evri nesen, nomata wanem kala blong skin mo relijin, evri pikinini oli ol pikinini blong God.
Nomata mi no stap toktok long saed blong politik o pablik polisi, semmak olsem ol nara lida blong Jos, mi no save tokbaot gud laef blong ol pikinini mo no tokbaot ol joes we ol sitisen, ol pablik ofisa, mo wokman long praevet oganaesesen oli mekem. Yumi evriwan i stap anda long komanmen blong Sevya blong lavem mo kea long wanwan long yumi, mo speseli long olgeta we oli no strong mo no save difendem olgetawan.
Ol pikinini oli no strong. Oli gat smol o nogat paoa blong protektem, o kasem samting blong olgetawan, mo oli no gat paoa long plante samting we i impoten long gud laef blong olgeta. Ol pikinini oli nidim ol narawan blong toktok long bihaf blong olgeta, mo oli nidim ol man we i mekem desisen we bae i putum gud laef blong olgeta i kam faswan long selfis adalt intres blong olgeta.
I.
Raon long wol, yumi sek long ol milian pikinini we oli kam viktim blong ol nogud kraem mo selfis fasin blong ol adalt.
Long sam kantri we wo i stap long hem, oli stap kidnapem ol pikinini blong kam olsem soldia long ol defren ami.
Wan ripot we Yunaeted Nesen i talem se ova 2 milian pikinini evri yia, oli yusum olgeta long fasin blong salem bodi mo ponografi.1
Taem yumi lukluk long saed blong plan blong fasin blong sevem man, wan long ol series abius blong ol pikinini, i blong no letem olgeta oli bon long wol ia. Hemia i wan bigfala wei blong wol. Nasonal ret blong namba blong pikinini i bon long Yunaeted Stet i daon moa long ol las 25 yia,2 mo ret ia long plante kantri long Yurop mo Esia i soem se oli no stap riplesem populesen blong olgeta blong plante yia. Hemia i no wan poen blong relijin nomo. Taem namba blong ol jeneresen we i stap kam antap i stap go daon, ol kalja mo ol kantri oli nomo kam strong mo bae oli lus evriwan.
Wan stamba poen we i mekem se namba blong pikinini we i bon i go daon, i fasin blong kilimded bebi taem i stap long bel, abosen. Raon long wol, i gat moa long 40 milian abosen long wan yia. 3 Plante loa oli givim raet, o oli stap leftemap fasin blong abosen, be long yumi, hemia i wan bigfala devel wok. Ol nara abius blong ol pikinini we oli stap hapen long taem mama i gat bel, i damej long bodi blong pikinini, from mama i no stap kakae gud o i yusum drag.
I gat wan bigfala fasin blong jik long bigfala namba ia blong ol pikinini we oli stap kilimded o spolem bifo oli bon, be i gat tu, bigfala namba blong ol kapol we oli no save pikinini, we oli stap wantem tumas mo stap lukaotem ol pikinini blong adoptem.
Abius long pikinini o fasin blong no lukaotgud long pikinini we i hapen afta pikinini i bon, hemia pablik i luksave klia moa. Raon long wol, kolosap eit milian pikinini oli ded bifo oli kasem faef yia, from oli gat sik, we i gat meresin mo save tritim.4 Mo Wol Helt Oganaesesen i ripotem se wan pikinini aot long fo, oli no stap gro bigwan mo strong long saed blong tingting mo bodi, from se oli no kakae gud.5 From se mifala i stap laef mo stap travel raon long wol, mifala, ol lida blong Jos i luk plante long ol samting ia. Jeneral presidensi blong Praemeri i ripotem se i gat ol pikinini we oli stap long ol kondisen blong laef we “yumi no save bilivim.” Wan mama long Filipin i talem: “Samtaem, mifala i no gat inaf mane blong pem kaekae, be i oraet from se i givim janis long mi blong tijim ol pikinini blong mi long saed blong fet. Mifala i kam tugeta, mo prea blong kasem help, mo ol pikinini oli luk Lod i blesem mifala.”6 Long Saot Afrika, wan we i wok long Praemeri i mitim wan smol gel, we i stap hemwan mo i no hapi. Long ol kwaet ansa long ol kwestin blong lav, hem i talem se hem i no gat mama, no gat papa, mo no gat bubuwoman—wan bubuman nomo we i lukaot long hem.7 Ol nogud situesen olsem, oli stap evri ples long wan kantri we plante we oli lukaot long pikinini oli ded long sik AIDS.
Iven long ol rij kantri, ol smol pikinini mo yut oli no gro gud from oli no lukaot long olgeta. Ol pikinini oli groap long pua situesen, oli no gat gud helt kea, mo oli no gat ol gudfala skul. Oli fesem ol denja raon long olgeta, long wanem i stap raon mo long kalja blong olgeta, mo tu, from papa mo mama i no lukaot long olgeta. Elda Jefri R. Holan i bin serem, i no longtaem, eksperiens blong wan LDS polis ofisa. Long wan investigesen, hem i faenem faef yang pikinini we oli hip tugeta mo traem blong slip long wan ples we i no gat matres, long wan doti floa long wan ples we mama blong olgeta mo sam narawan oli stap drink mo mekem lafet. Apatmen ia i no gat kakae blong fidim ol hanggri pikinini ia. Afta we polis ofisa ia i mekem wan giaman bed, hem i nildaon mo prea blong oli gat proteksen. Taem hem i stap wokbaot i go long doa, wan long olgeta, we i gat samples sikis yia, i folem hem, holem han blong hem, mo plis long hem, “Bae yu save adoptem mi?”8
Yumi tingbaot tijing blong Sevya taem Hem i putum wan smol pikinini long fored blong olgeta we oli stap folem Hem mo talem:
“Man we i wantem ona long mi, i tekem wan pikinini olsem, i stap lukaot gud long hem, i olsem we hem i tekem mi, i stap lukaot gud long mi.
“Be sipos wan man i mekem wan long ol pikinini ia we oli biliv long mi i foldaon long sin, man ya bambae i kasem bigfala panis. Sipos oli fasem wan bigfala ston long nek blong hem, nao oli draonem hem long medel solwota, hemia i moa gud long hem, i winim panis ya we bambae hem i kasem” (Matiu 18:5–6).
Taem yumi tingting long ol denja we yumi mas protektem ol pikinini long hem, yumi mas putum tu, abius long saed blong tingting. Ol papa mo mama, o olgeta we oli lukaot long pikinini, o ol tija mo ol fren we oli stap daonem, hambak o spolem ol pikinini o yut long toktok, i save mekem wan kil we i stap longtaem moa. Blong mekem wan pikinini o yut i filim daon, we i no gat man i lavem hem o oli no wantem hem, i save mekem wan kil we i bigwan mo i stap longtaem long tingting blong hem mo spolem laef mo divelopmen blong hem.9 Ol yang pipol we oli traehad wetem eni kondisen, wetem hemia tu we i filim se hem i laekem wan we i semmak long hem, oli no strong mo oli nidim lav—i no blong oli hambak o oli sakemaot hem.10
Wetem help blong Lod, yumi save sakem sin mo jenis, mo gat moa lav mo helpem moa ol pikinini—blong yumiwan mo olgeta raon long yumi.
II.
I gat sam eksampol blong ol nogud tritmen long bodi mo long tingting blong ol pikinini we i kamaot long ol rilesensip blong papa mo mama blong olgeta o olgeta we oli lukaot long olgeta. Presiden Tomas S. Monson i bin tokbaot wanem hem i singaotem “ol rabis aksen” blong abius blong pikinini, taem wan papa o mama i brekem o spolem gud wan pikinini long bodi mo long tingting.11 Mi harem nogud tumas taem mi mas stadi long bigfala pruf blong ol kaen kes long taem blong seves blong mi long Yuta Suprim Kot.
Wan impoten samting long gudfala laef blong ol pikinini i sapos papa mo mama blong olgeta i mared, hao oli mared mo hao long tufala i mared, mo afta, kalja mo wanem oli wet long fasin blong mared mo lukaotem pikinini long ples we oli stap long hem. Tu man blong stadi long famle i eksplenem: “Truaot long histri, mared, faswan mo moa impoten, i bin wan ples blong krietem pikinini mo lukaotem ol pikinini. Long kalja, hem i joenem papa long ol pikinini blong hem, taem oli joenem hem long mama blong ol pikinini blong hem. Yet, long taem tedei, oli pusum ol pikinini i go long saed.”12
Wan loa profesa blong Havad i tokbaot loa blong tedei mo fasin long saed blong mared mo divos: “stori blong Amerika tedei long saed blong mared, olsem we i stap long loa mo long plante buk, i go samting olsem: mared i wan rilesensip we i stap faswan blong intres blong man mo woman. Hem i stop mekem stret wok blong hem, mo i no gat wan i rong, mo eniwan long tufala i save stopem taem i wantem. …Ol pikinini oli no stap long stori ia; oli stap olsem ol sado pipol long bakgraon.”13
Ol lida blong Jos oli bin tijim se blong lukluk long mared “olsem wan pepa nomo we oli saenem blong gat gud taem …mo oli brekem long fas hadtaem … i wan rabis wok we i nidim strong panismen from,” speseli taem “oli pikinini oli safa from.”14 Mo ol pikinini oli stap safa from ol divos. Ova haf blong ol divos long las yia, i tekem ol kapol wetem ol pikinini we oli no kasem 18 yia yet.15
Plante pikinini bae oli gat nomo blesing blong groap wetem tugeta, papa mo mama, sapos nomo tufala i folem tabu tijing insaed long famle toktok i go long wol: “Hasban mo waef, tufala i gat wan strong mo tabu wok blong lavem mo lukaotem gud wanwan long tufala mo ol pikinini blong tufala. …oli gat wan tabu wok blong lukaotem gud pikinini blong olgeta wetem lav mo fasin blong stap stret oltaem, mo blong givim long olgeta ol samting we oli nidim long saed blong spirit mo long saed blong bodi, blong tijim olgeta blong lavem mo givim seves long wanwan long olgeta.”16 Tijing we i gat moa paoa long ol pikinini i eksampol blong papa mo mama blong olgeta. Ol papa mo mama we oli stap divos, i tru, oli stap tijim wan nogud lesen.
I tru, i gat sam kes taem we i nid blong gat wan divos blong gud blong ol pikinini, be olgeta situesen ia, oli no hapen oltaem.17 Long ol hadtaem blong mared, man mo woman we i rao i mas skelem gud intres blong ol pikinini. Wetem help blong Lod, oli save mekem olsem. Ol pikinini oli nidim paoa long saed blong tingting mo bodi we i kam taem tufala tugeta, papa mo mama i wan long mared mo gol blong tufala. Olsem wan we i groap wetem wan mama we i wido, mi savegud se hemia i no save hapen oltaem, be hemia i bes samting blong lukaotem taem we i posibol.
Ol pikinini, oli viktim blong ol loa blong tedei we i letem wanem oli singaotem “divos we i no gat rong.” Sapos yu tekem ples blong pikinini, divos i isi tumas. Blong tokbaot sot sosol saens stadi blong plante yia, wan studen i talem se “bakbun blong famle we i givim ol gud samting long ol pikinini, i wan papa mo mama we tufala i gohed blong stap tugeta long mared laef.”18 Wan junalis blong New York Times i talem se “nogud samting i we, iven namba blong ol nomol mared i stap go daon long Yunaeted Stet … pruf i kam antap se i nid blong gat mared blong gudfala laef blong ol pikinini.”19 Ril samting ia i mas givim bigfala help long papa mo mama, mo ol fiuja papa mo mama, long desisen blong olgeta long saed blong mared mo divos. Yumi nidim tu ol man blong politik, ol man blong mekem polisi, mo ol ofisa blong gavman blong lukluk moa long wanem i gud moa long ol pikinini, be i no long selfis intres blong olgeta man blong vot mo ol man blong toktok long saed blong raet blong ol adalt.
Ol pikinini oli safa tu long ol mared we oli no stap hapen. Sam tru samting long saed blong gud laef blong jeneresen blong yumi we i stap kam antap, i mekem yumi wari moa bitim ripot we i talem se 41 pesen blong ol pikinini we oli bon long Yunaeted Stet oli bon long ol woman we oli no mared.20 Ol mama we oli no mared oli gat ol bigfala jalenj, mo pruf i klia se ol pikinini ia oli no gat evri samting taem yu komperem wetem ol pikinini we oli groap wetem papa mo mama we i mared.21
Plante long ol pikinini we oli bon long ol mama we oli no mared—58 pesen—oli bon insaed long hom blong ol kapol we oli no mared be stap tugeta nomo.22 Nomata wanem yumi save talem abaot ol kapol ia we oli no go mared, ol stadi i soem se ol pikinini blong olgeta oli safa moa mo no gat evri samting.23 Long ol pikinini, pis blong mared i impoten tumas.
Yumi save talem se ol pikinini we oli stap long hom we papa i stap wetem man, o mama i stap wetem woman, oli stap safa tu. Ol buk blong sosol saens i no stret evriwan mo i gat fulap politik long hem, mo oli tokbaot bigwan se, yes o no, i mekem pikinini i safa o no, hemia nomo , olsem wan junalis blong New York Times i talem: “mared blong man wetem man, mo woman wetem woman i wan sosol tes yet, mo olsem plante long ol tes, bae i tekem taem blong andastanem ol risal blong hem.”24
III.
Mi bin toktok long bihaf blong ol pikinini—ol pikinini long evri ples. Sam, oli save sakemaot ol eksampol ia, be i no gat wan i mas holemtaet singaot ia, se i gud blong yumi kam wan blong talemaot wari blong yumi long saed blong gud laef mo fiuja blong ol pikinini blong yumi—jeneresen ia we i stap kam antap.
Yumi stap tokbaot ol pikinini blong God, mo wetem strong help blong Hem, yumi save mekem moa blong helpem olgeta. Long singaot ia, mi no stap toktok nomo long ol Lata-Dei Sent, be tu, long evri man blong relijin mo ol narawan we i gat wan sistem blong laef we i mekem olgeta oli putum nid blong olgetawan i kam afta long nid blong ol narawan, speseli gud laef blong ol pikinini.25
Ol pipol we oli gat relijin, oli save tu tijing blong Sevya long Niu Testeman we i tijim se ol klin pikinini oli ol eksampol blong fasin blong tingting i stap daon, mo fasin blong man i akseptem tijing:
“Tru, mi talem long yufala, sipos yufala i no jenisim fasin blong yufala blong kam olsem pikinini, bambae yufala i no save kam samtaem we God i King blong yufala.
“Be man we i mekem tingting blong hem i stap daon olsem pikinini ya, hem i hae moa i winim olgeta narafala man we God i King blong olgeta.” (Matiu 18:3–4).
Insaed long Buk blong Momon, yumi rid abaot tijing blong Lod we i girap long ded, i go long ol man blong Nifae, se oli mas sakem sin mo kasem baptaes, “mo kam olsem ol smol pikinini” sapos no oli no save kasem kingdom blong God. (3 Nifae 11:38; luk tu long Moronae 8:10).
Mi prea se bae yumi putum tingting blong yumi i stap daon olsem ol smol pikinini mo yumi go aot blong protektem ol smol pikinini blong yumi, from se oli fiuja, long yumi, long Jos blong yumi, mo long nesen blong yumi. Long nem blong Jisas Kraes, amen.
Soem Ol Refrens
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1. Luk long UNICEF, The State of the World’s Children 2005: Childhood under Threat (2004), 26.
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2. Luk long Haya El Nasser, “National Birthrate Lowest in 25 Years,” USA Today, 26 Julae 2012, A1.
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3. Luk long Gilda Sedgh and others, “Induced Abortion: Incidence and Trends Worldwide from 1995 to 2008,” The Lancet, vol. 379, no. 9816 (18 Feb. 2012), 625–32.
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4. Luk long UNICEF, “Young Child Survival and Development,” http://www.unicef.org/childsurvival/index.html.
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5. Luk long World Health Organization, World Health Statistics 2012 (2012), 109, 118.
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6. Ripot blong Praemeri jeneral presidensi, 13 Sept. 2012.
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7. Ripot blong Praemeri jeneral presidensi.
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8. Luk long Jeffrey R. Holland, “Israel, Israel, God Is Calling” (Jos Edukesen Sistem faeasaed blong ol yang adalt, 9 Sept. 2012), lds.org/broadcasts; luk tu long R. Scott Lloyd, “Zion Not Only Where, but How We Live, Says Elder Holland,” Deseret News, 10 Sept. 2012, B2.
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9. Luk long Kim Painter, “Parents Can Inflict Deep Emotional Harm,” USA Today, 30 Julae 2012, B8; Rachel Lowry, “Mental Abuse as Injurious as Other Forms of Child Abuse, Study Shows,” Deseret News, 5 Ogis 2012, A3.
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10. Luk long “End the Abuses,” Deseret News, 12 Jun 2012, A10.
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11. Thomas S. Monson, “A Little Child Shall Lead Them,” Liahona, Jun 2002, 2
; Ensign, Mei 1990, 53.
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12. W. Bradford Wilcox and Elizabeth Marquardt, eds., The State of Our Unions: Marriage in America (2011), 82.
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13. Mary Ann Glendon, Abortion and Divorce in Western Law: American Failures, European Challenges (1987), 108.
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14. David O. McKay, “Structure of the Home Threatened by Irresponsibility and Divorce,” Improvement Era, Jun 1969, 5.
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15. Luk long Diana B. Elliott and Tavia Simmons, “Marital Events of Americans: 2009,” American Community Survey Reports,Ogis 2011.
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16. “Famle: Wan Ofisol Toktok I Go long Wol,” 35538 852
mo Ensign, Nov. 2010, 129.
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17. Luk long Dallin H. Oaks, “Divorce,” Liahona
mo Ensign, Mei 2007, 71.
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18. Charles Murray, Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960–2010 (2012), 158.
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19. Ross Douthat, “Gay Parents and the Marriage Debate,” New York Times, 11 Jun 2012, http://douthat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/11/gay-parents-and-the-marriage-debate.
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20. Luk long Joyce A. Martin and others, “Births: Final Data for 2010,” National Vital Statistics Reports, vol. 61, no. 1 (Ogis 2012), 10.
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21. Luk long William J. Doherty and others, Why Marriage Matters: Twenty-One Conclusions from the Social Sciences (2002); W. Bradford Wilcox and others, Why Marriage Matters: Thirty Conclusions from the Social Sciences, 3rd ed. (2011).
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22. Luk long Martin, “Births: Final Data for 2010,” 10–11.
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23. Luk long Wilcox, Why Marriage Matters.
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24. Douthat, “Gay Parents and the Marriage Debate.” Stadi we oli mekem laswan mo oli luklukgud long evri samting, i faenem se i gat plante samting we i no stret we ol yang adalt oli ripotem, hemia olgeta we oli stap wetem papa o mama nomo, o wetem wan papa we i stap wetem wan man o mama we i stap wetem wan woman bifo we pikinini i kasem 18 yia (luk long Mark Regnerus, “How Different Are the Adult Children of Parents Who Have Same-Sex Relationships? Findings from the New Family Structures Study,” Social Science Research, vol. 41 [2012], 752–70).
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25. Ol Lata-Dei Sent oli komitim olgeta fulwan long fasin blong stap olsem papa mo mama, mo hemia i stap olsem wan gol we i moa impoten long laef (luk long Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life, Mormons in America: Certain in Their Beliefs, Uncertain of Their Place in Society, 12 Jen. 2012, 10, 16, 51).
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