Family Crisis

This week was on family crises. We studied how families can react in a crisis and family members' different functions in the crisis. I noticed that a lot of reactions to a crisis were very similar among various groups of people. There is a tendency to push blame on other people, there is a tendency to deny the crisis's existence, and there is a tendency to avoid the crisis all together. All are very natural reactions.
But my friends, we are here on earth to transcend what is natural to do, for the natural man is an enemy of God and has been from the fall of Adam (Mosiah 3:19). What best helps families in a crisis is when the family forms a structure in which they can lean on each other. I think of this as a teepee formation. The family can lean on one another, but they must also be strong enough to be reliable. There is a delicate balance of being aware of the needs of family members, but also an attendance to one's self. One has to be reliant in order to extend their help to family members.
I think the most impact in a family crisis was the families interpretation of the crisis. In a crisis there are certain elements that contributes to the stress levels in a crisis. First, three is the event. This could be a divorce, death, illness, etc. The second factor is the families resources and available to the family. Then one must consider the plan of action executed by the family. And finally, how the family looks at the crisis. If the family defines the event as a crisis, their way of coping may be ineffective. But if the family looks at it in a different light, their experience will be valuable. They may find themselves learning from their experiences and seeing the benefits of their trials. Remember, all things can be for our learning and good (D&C 122:7). Also, if families look at the event with an eternal perspective, they will know that in time, they may look back on the crisis as something that was actually trivial down the road. The memories of the stress and pain will not remain as potent, but they will be able to look at their experience more objectively. Why not try to do so now? Easier said than done. But if we try to keep things in perspective, we will be able to avoid unwanted and unneeded stress.