FDREL200 Case Study Examples PDF

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The following are examples of well-written Case Studies that you can use as a pattern for writing yours:...

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REL 200 Example Case Study Responses The following are examples of well-written Case Studies that you can use as a pattern for writing yours: Example #1 | Example #2 | Example #3

CASE STUDY EXAMPLE #1 The case study I selected is Case Study C, which is described as follows: “It can be difficult to study doctrines related to chastity if you or someone you love has or is currently struggling with pornography or other immoral sexual activity. In this unit, we learned the importance of chastity before marriage and complete fidelity after. We also learned about God’s loving way for us to become and remain clean. Using quotes from the Unit materials please consider and answer the following questions:” Question #1: What questions or concerns have you had about the doctrines and principles taught in this unit? The questions I had were mainly around the talk by Elder Dallin H. Oaks about divorce (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “Divorce”, Ensign, May 2007, 70-73). I have had many friends who have either faced the prospect of divorce, or have effectively get divorced from their spouses. Some after only a short period after getting married in the temple, some after many years. It is hard to reconcile the doctrine of temple marriage and marriage for all eternity, with divorce. But the reasons that can take to divorce are diverse, and some may not require such a drastic measure if both spouses are willing to fight for their relationship and covenant made between each other and God, but other… do warrant the lawful termination of the marriage contract, both before men, and before God. As Elder Dallin H. Oaks puts it, “This is a sensitive subject because it evokes such strong emotions from persons it has touched in different ways. Some see themselves or their loved ones as the victims of divorce. Others see themselves as its beneficiaries. Some see divorce as evidence of failure. Others consider it an essential escape hatch from marriage. In one way or another, divorce touches most families in the Church” (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “Divorce”, Ensign, May 2007, 70-73). It touches everyone that is involved. In the first case, for those situations that may not require divorce, I found the answer given by Elder Oaks, a good guiding advice, as he channeled the words of President Spencer W. Kimball: “Two individuals approaching the marriage altar must realize that to attain the happy marriage which they hope for they must know that marriage … means sacrifice, sharing, and even a reduction of some personal liberties. It means long, hard economizing. It means children who bring with them financial burdens, service burdens, care and worry burdens; but also, it means the deepest and sweetest emotions of all.” (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “Divorce”, Ensign, May 2007, 70-73), and, “I strongly urge you and those who advise you to face up to the reality that for most marriage problems, the remedy is not divorce but repentance. Often the cause is not incompatibility but selfishness. The first step is not separation but reformation. Divorce

is not an all-purpose solution, and it often creates long-term heartache… If you are already descending into the low state of marriage-in-name-only, please join hands, kneel together, and prayerfully plead for help and the healing power of the Atonement. Your humble and united pleadings will bring you closer to the Lord and to each other and will help you in the hard climb back to marital harmony.” (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “Divorce”, Ensign, May 2007, 70-73). Marriage is not easy, but when both spouses are committed, and both work at it with the same level of effort and commitment, those challenges can be overcome. In the second case, when there is no hope, Elder Oaks also had guidance on the matter: “Whatever the outcome and no matter how difficult your experiences, you have the promise that you will not be denied the blessings of eternal family relationships if you love the Lord, keep His commandments, and just do the best you can. When young Jacob “suffered afflictions and much sorrow” from the actions of other family members, Father Lehi assured him, “Thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain” (2 Nephi 2:1–2). Similarly, the Apostle Paul assured us that “all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28).” (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “Divorce”, Ensign, May 2007, 70-73). This is choice counsel that I will keep in mind for those around me who are struggling in their marriages. Question #2: What did you discover in the readings, Podcast, scriptures, the Proclamation or from the Spirit that helped you feel God’s love and gave you increased understanding? Several parts of what I read in week 6 and 7 showed me and helped me feel God’s love for me and gave me increased understanding about several topics. As I mentioned above, the topic of divorce and the counsel given by Elder Oaks (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “Divorce”, Ensign, May 2007, 70-73), was very precious to me. It helped me realize the importance of marriage again, and understand the tools Heavenly Father has available to those willing to fight and sacrifice for the covenants they made. Speaking of covenants, reading about the reasons why covenants are so important in Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s talk (Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “The Power of Covenants”, Ensign, May 2009, 19-32), also served as a reminder of how much God loves us in giving us a way to keep our families together for eternity. I was greatly touched by the story of Wenceslao Conde, the of the Balconcito Branch, in Peru. After having lost his house and all his belongings in an earthquake in August 2007, his thoughts were, “I have prayed and I am at peace. We have all we need. We have each other, we have our children, we are sealed in the temple, we have this marvelous Church, and we have the Lord. We can build again with the Lord’s help.” (Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “The Power of Covenants”, Ensign, May 2009, 19-32). When we have the certainty of the covenants we have made in the temple, all else seems to be secondary. Question # 3: How is what you are learning preparing you or helping you to fulfill your role as a husband/wife, father/mother, brother/sister, and human being?

The preparation for fulfilling my role as a husband, father, brother, and a human being comes from many sources, and from experience through life. Nevertheless, the counsel received through the scriptures I have read the last two weeks, and the counsel given through living prophets and general authorities of the church, is of the utmost importance, because it comes also from experience and from those who receive inspiration from the Lord to guide us here on earth, or from the mouth of God Himself. I felt especially impressed with the counsel provided by President Russel M. Nelson in his talk about Celestial Marriage, where he said, “While salvation is an individual matter, exaltation is a family matter. Only those who are married in the temple and whose marriage is sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise will continue as spouses after death and receive the highest degree of celestial glory, or exaltation. A temple marriage is also called a celestial marriage. Within the celestial glory are three levels. To obtain the highest, a husband and wife must be sealed for time and all eternity and keep their covenants made in a holy temple.” (President Russel M. Nelson, “Celestial Marriage”, Ensign, November 2008). Although I can be saved by myself, and I am responsible for my own salvation, I cannot be exalted on my own. It is, indeed, a family matter, with all of us working towards the same objective. This made me realize how hard I need to work within my family, hold family prayers, scriptures reading as a family, hold family home evening regularly, etc., in order to make my home, a celestial home, that fosters the company of the spirit and strengthens my family’s resolve to live the gospel in our daily lives. back to top

CASE STUDY EXAMPLE #2 The Case Study: William and Mary are facing a major crisis in their marriage. After 5 years of marriage William has let Mary know that he is addicted to pornography that he has concealed their entire marriage. Mary discovered this reality through something she found on their computer, and she confronted William with it. He confirmed her suspicion and tearfully told her how long he has battled this addiction. Over the years he has made efforts to get help but those who have given him council have downplayed the gravity of his problem. They are currently separated at Mary's request. Mary is receiving pressure from family members to love and accept William as he is and keep reminding her that she made a covenant with William to love him unconditionally. Mary is wondering what everyone is suddenly concerned about how she is keeping her covenants while ignoring what William is doing. She has determined that she will not allow this problem to be a part of her marriage. Mary didn’t know how to respond, what to do, where to go, or what to feel. She knew she needed help from inspired sources. Pornography is adultery. Matthew 5:28 says, “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already in his heart. “ It is not a small offense and Mary is most certainly the victim, not William. That said, William has an addiction and if he is willing to go to war for his wife, he can defeat it with the Lord’s help.

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What would you council them to act on based on what you know about covenants from the Proclamation, the readings, the podcast, and the scriptures in this unit?

First, it should be clear that William has already broken his covenants and the fact that Mary is requesting time away to clear her mind and heal is not a sin. William committed the sin. Elder Hafen talked about contractual marriages and said, “when troubles come, the parties to a contractual marriage seek happiness by walking away.” ( Hafen, Bruce C. “Covenant Marriage” General Conference, October 1996) I would counsel Mary that walking away without giving her marriage every opportunity to work, would not be acting faithfully to her covenants, but taking a little time to heal from the blow she has been given is not the same as walking away.

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Who can they turn to for help?

Healing requires that we do not repeatedly pester the wound. Spending time counseling positively with those who will support the importance of covenants made, reading scriptures, attending the temple and seeking counsel from church leaders through Conference talks and visits with local leaders will help Mary turn to the Savior who can heal her pain enough to be a support to William on his journey. The most important place for William to go is a Bishop’s office. Unfortunately, Bishops are necessarily trained in counseling and addiction by vocation. It sounds like William has had previous priesthood leaders who did not give him the best counsel, but in truth, he may have also been guilty of downplaying the seriousness of what he was doing. If his Bishop cannot help with the repentance process, his Stake President can. Mary and William both need to seek a good counselor who specializes in pornography addiction and marriage counseling. They should begin attending the Church 12-step program support groups and especially seek support and help from temple attendance (even if only Mary is currently worthy), prayer and fasting.

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What scriptures or words from prophets would be strengthening to each of them to discern the way forward so they can make wise and careful decisions that are inspired of the Lord?

Both William and Mary need to be comforted and given hope. The proclamation reminds us that, “The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave.” ( The Proclamation to the World) This life is short in the eternal scheme of things. Elder D. Todd Christofferson said, “In times of distress, let your covenants be paramount and let your obedience be exact.” (Christofferson, D. Todd, “The Power of Covenants” General Conference, April 2009)

Mary should give William the opportunity to repent and change and while she is supporting him in that process, keep herself worthy and focused on her covenants. Elder Oaks and Elder Nelson both talked about marriage being between two imperfect people. (Oaks, Dallin H. “Divorce” General Conference, April 2007, Nelson, Russell M. “Celestial Marriage” General Conference, October 2008) No sin is too great for the Atonement to heal. No heartache or betrayal is too big for the Atonement either. If William is willing to dedicated himself to repentance and change, Mary needs to be willing to dedicate herself to being healed and made whole. Elder Oaks talks about those who divorce and stated “Universally, they were looking back, not willing to leave the baggage of past behavior on the roadside and move on.” ( Oaks, Dallin H. “Divorce” General Conference, April 2007) Neither William nor Mary can afford to hang on to their baggage if they want their marriage to be the covenant marriage that is “essential to His eternal plan.” (Proclamation to the World) back to top

CASE STUDY EXAMPLE #3 Case Study: Tyson closed his phone quickly and the knot in his stomach tightened. Sarah’s text sounded urgent. She had not been the same since that fateful party two weeks ago. Sarah and several of Tyson’s larger circle of LDS friends had been there the night that one of their friends, Brad, had died during an energy-drink chugging contest. The Sunday after the accident Sarah had talked with Tyson at Church. Brad’s family lived in Tyson’s and Sarah’s Stake where Brad’s dad served on the High Council. Tyson had been greatly comforted listening to Brad’s father’s strong gospel message about the plan of salvation. Even so, Sarah hadn’t felt the same consolation. She was really shaken from having seen Brad pass out and then not revive in spite of the emergency personnel’s efforts. All she seemed to focus on were the morbid details of his death and how strange it was that Brad had been alive one minute and dead the next. Since the accident Tyson had watched Sarah spiral down into what seemed like depression. As Tyson opened his phone again and re-read Sarah’s text message he was sure he needed to do something. Her message read: “I can’t take it anymore. I just feel hopeless. Can you call me?” Sarah has many questions, including: What happens at death – it was so weird seeing Brad alive one minute and dead the next? Where is Brad now? How do we know the Plan of our Heavenly Father is real? What can I do to have the peace you (Tyson) felt after the funeral? I’ve had no peace. What about Brad's future? Is he just eternally without a marriage and family of his own?

After death, our spirits go to either Paradise or Spirit Prison. “For those who were righteous during their lives, the spirit world will be a place of peace and joy. Paradise is that part of the spirit world in which the righteous spirits who have departed from this life await the resurrection of the body. It is a condition of happiness and peace.” (Mormon.org, The Plan of Salvation Podcast, Abraham and the Plan of Salvation) What we know of God and the Plan of our Heavenly Father is only by revelation. “We are taught in the Scriptures that God is literally, and not in a figurative sense, our very Eternal Father.” We know that he is our Father in heaven, the Father of our Spirits, and “he ordained the laws whereby we can advance and progress until we become like him.” (Our Father in Heaven, The Teachings of Presidents of the Church President Joseph Fielding Smith) We are encouraged to find the truth for ourselves. “We are not asked to blindly accept everything we hear. We are encouraged to think and discover truth for ourselves. We are expected to ponder, to search, to evaluate, and thereby to come to a personal knowledge of the truth.” (What is Truth, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, CES Devotionals, January 2013) ”The knowledge and understanding of the doctrine that God lives and Jesus is the Christ and that we have an opportunity to be resurrected and live in the presence of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, makes it possible to endure otherwise tragic events. This doctrine brings a brightness of hope into an otherwise dark and dreary world. It answers the simple questions of where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going.” (The Eternal Family, Elder Robert D. Hales, Ensign, November 1996) “If you follow the Spirit, your personal search for the truth inevitably leads you to the Lord and Savior, even Jesus Christ, for He is “the way, the truth, and the life.” This may not be the most convenient way; it will probably also be the road less traveled, and it will be the path with mountains to climb, swift rivers to cross, but it will be His way— the Savior’s redeeming way.” (What is Truth, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, CES Devotionals, January 2013) We can be filled with joy, having peace of conscience, because of exceeding faith in Jesus Christ. (Mosiah 4:3) Death of the physical body, which is part of our Heavenly Fathers plan, is how our time in mortality can be only temporary. Even if it may seem that Brad is being denied the blessing of Marriage. “The Atonement of Jesus Christ has anticipated and, in the end, will compensate all deprivation and loss for those who turn to Him. No one is predestined to receive less than all that the Father has for His children.” (Why Marriage, Why Family, Elder D. Todd Christofferson, General Conference, April 2015) back to top...