what does it mean...?

We heard an excellent talk today in church. Her topic was, "What does it mean to be of the house of Israel"? Not really knowing where to begin, she first asked herself the question, "What does it mean to be of the house of Russon (her last name)"? She explained what life was like in her house growing up and the expectations and blessings of being a Russon. She then went on to talk about how being of the house of Israel also brings certain blessings (of the gospel, priesthood, and eternal life), but also means we have certain obligations and responsibilities (like keeping the commandments, believing in Jesus Christ, missionary work, etc.)

That of course got me thinking about what it means to be of the house of Thompson or of the house of S*. So here are some of my thoughts on what it meant to be of the "house of Thompson" (I'll use past tense since I'm thinking about when I was growing up):

It meant that:

- We had love and respect for one another and a strong commitment to family.
- We supported each other in each of our activities (I went to alot of games, meets, and recitals just because that's what we did.)
- We went to church together every Sunday.
- We participated in church activities just out of support if nothing else. If we had a Wednesday night activity, you could be sure the Thompsons were there.
- We prayed at meals and other times and read scriptures together.
- We went to early morning seminary.
- We serve missions (or prepare to go) and get married in the temple.
- We accepted whatever assignments or callings asked of us and strived to magnify them.
- We didn't settle for "average." We tried to be the best, to make straight A's, to work harder than the "average."
- We didn't date until we were sixteen.
- We didn't drink, smoke, or use any harmful substances.
- We didn't use bad language or watch bad movies.
- We wore modest clothes.
- We sang together. We laughed and cried together.
- We didn't know exactly what our dad's job was, but we were well provided for. :)
- We played sports. On Saturdays, you could almost always find a Thompson at the soccer fields. :)

So there's a few of my thoughts. I'm sure my siblings could add to that list.

I also asked Alex what it meant to be of the house of S*:

- They ate dinner together every night and discussed topics like politics and science.
- They didn't use bad language.
- They didn't smoke, drink, or use any harmful substances.
- They worked hard. If you wanted something, you got a job and worked for it.
- They were honest with their fellowmen.
- Education wasn't an option. It was something you did. You went to college after high school, graduate school after undergraduate.
- They loved the outdoors. They weren't afraid of snakes and other creatures.
- They weren't vegetarians. (Hamburgers are a S* staple). :)
- They knew how to shoot a gun.
- They got a bath once a week whether they needed it or not. Ha-ha :)
- They were "low maintenance." They didn't wear designer clothes.
- They were polite and used good manners.

There's a few from Alex.

So now I'm thinking what we're starting in our own home. Many of those family traditions carry on (once a Thompson, always a Thompson or once a S*, always a S*). I hope we never lose those traditions we grew up with, but I know we'll also be starting some of our own. What will it mean to our kids to be of the house of S*? I hope they appreciate the things we're trying to teach them.