By Alan on Jul 18 in Blog | Comments Off

Building Safer Structures

In this century, major earthquakes have damaged or destroyed numerous buildings, bridges, and other structures. By monitoring how structures respond to earthquakes and applying the knowledge gained, scientists and engineers are improving the ability of structures to survive major earthquakes. Many lives and millions of dollars have already been saved by this ongoing research.

The Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco, built to withstand earthquakes, swayed more than 1 foot but was not damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta, California, earthquake. 

Designing and building large structures is always a challenge, and that challenge is compounded when they are built in earthquake-prone areas.  As earth scientists learn more about ground motion during earthquakes and structural engineers use this information to design stronger buildings, such loss of life and property can be reduced.

Building codes provide the first line of defense against future earthquake damage and help to ensure public safety.  Today there are instruments installed in hospitals, bridges, dams, aqueducts, and other structures throughout the earthquake-prone areas of the United States.

Besides strengthening the structure of our buildings, and bridges . . .

What about Strengthening the Structure of The Family?

In this century, many families have also been damaged or destroyed because of unstructured families, broken homes and divorces, and unfaithful marriages.  Just like buildings, by monitoring how the family structure responds to these challenges and applying the knowledge gained, mothers and fathers and families are improving the ability of ‘Strengthening The Family’ so they can survive major challenges in the world that tend to shake up and break up families by the lack of structure in the home. Just like buildings, many families and millions of dollars have already been saved by ongoing research.

Bulding safer building structures  just like designing and building a good family is always a challenge, and that challenge is compounded when they are raised in unstructured homes.

A structured family with sit-down dinners can be a time when parents and children discuss school-related problems. A study by Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) reveals that middle and high school students who partake in less than three meals a week with family are twice as likely to receive grades of “C” or lower than students who partake in five and seven meals per week with family.

Unstructured families are also twice as likely to use tobacco and alcohol and one and a half times more likely to use marijuana. The study indicates that substance abuse arises from decreased communication opportunities between parents and children.

When there is disorder and contention in the home, children feel unwanted and insecure.  This causes disorder with bickering and unhapiness.  The lack of unity and communication with unstructured meals and daily responsibilities, expectations and order where an anything goes lifestyle is lived and where the lack of expressing love to one another will cause all members of the family unhappiness and the risk of having a united home will be challenged.

Scriptures teach us that God’s house is a house of order and not a house of confusion.  D&C 132: 8, 18   Shouldn’t we as His children pattern our homes to be like His?

Here are some basic items that can help structure your home.

Family members have been instructed by many church leaders to set aside Monday night as “family home evening.” This is a time for families to study the gospel together and to do other activities that strengthen the family spiritually, create family memories, and increase unity and love.  It is a time for individual members to be recognized, to share their talents, a favorite meal, and the time to be praised and recognized for their weekly achievements.  It should always be organized and be fun.