Dating Vs. Hanging Out

This week in class we discussed the differences between dating and hanging out. Over the years hanging out seems to be making more of an appearance and has even started to replace dating. As I was sitting in class I couldn't help but think of a talk that was given years ago by Elder Oaks about this very topic. In his talk he explains exactly what hanging out entails, "Hanging out consists of numbers of young men and young women joining together in some group activity. It is very different from dating." He goes on to explain that one reason hanging out seems more favorable to the younger generation is because of the lack of commitment level that is expected in hanging out.

Later on in his talk Oaks defines dating, "Unlike hanging out, dating is not a team sport. Dating is pairing off to experience the kind of one-on-one association and temporary commitment that can lead to marriage in some rare and treasured cases." Dating is a good way to get to know somone on as more personal level. Dating shouldn't been seen as a huge commitment but rather a time to get to know many different people and decide what characteristics you want in a spouse.

In class we also talked about the the similarities between the responsibilities of men in dating and in marriage. I thought the correlation was really neat. The three responsibilities of men in dating are (1) plan ahead (2) pay for, and (3) pair off. The three responsibilites for me in marriage are (1) preside (2) provide, and (3) protect. Both sets of numbers correlate together and are good guidelines to follow while dating and in marriage.

Here is link to the rest of the talk, "Dating Vs. Hanging Out" by Elder Oaks

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2006/06/dating-versus-hanging-out?lang=eng&query=hanging+,+elder+(name%3a"Dallin+H.+Oaks")

 

        A family is a lot like a mobile! At first glance it may be difficult to see the similarities between a baby mobile and a family. However, I am here to tell you that it is true. Let me explain why. First of all, everyone in a family is connected just like all of the ocean critters in the picture above. These connections bind the mobile together as well as the family. Even though everything is connected, there are still individual parts to the mobile, each of the sea critters, that bring their own special beauty to the final piece. In a family you can also see the individual members who bring something unique and different to their family.

       The individual pieces in the mobile are separate;however, if one of the pieces moves, all of the other pieces will also move because of the connection they have. The different members of the family can affect each other in the same way. If one sibling is having a problem, then the whole family sort of shifts because of it.
       So next time you think that what you do may not affect your family, think again! What you do really matters and can even change the direction and speed of your family.