This is my family. I love them SO much!! The family is ordained of God and is the most important social unit. The family is essential to God's plan. We are put in families to learn and to help each other grow. The family is meant to be eternal. In this picture the building behind my family is a temple. In the temple we make covenants with God and we are able to have our families sealed together so they can live together for eternity.
Satan knows how important the family is, and he is attacking it at all fronts. He knows that if he can break families apart he can also pull people farther away from God. He fights through things like divorce, homosexual relationships, abuse, pornography, drug addictions, anything and everything that can be used to break families apart.
The prophets know how important family relationships are. The prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley read this proclamation in a meeting in 1995 and I would like to invite everyone to read it again and ponder on what this proclamation means.
The Family
A Proclamation to the World
The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.
In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.
The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.
We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.
Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.
The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.
We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.
We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.
I would like to just point out a few things. First, the first paragraph states that this comes from the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. That means this comes from God by divine revelation. They proclaim the divinity of the family and its importance in God's plan for us.
We learn in the next paragraphs that God has a plan for us. He loves us. We each have a specific role to play and a purpose to fulfill. We have things to learn and experience in this life to help prepare us for th elife to come.
We each have a responsbility to obey God's commandments and treasure the beautiful gift of life. We will find joy when we follow God's plan for families.
I know the family is ordained of God. No family is perfect. There are many families that are broken, many people who come from abusive situations. There is hope. Through the Savior's Atonement we can hope to have a better life. Wrongs can be righted. Wounds can be healed. It starts with us. It starts with our willingness to obey God's commandments. Learn of Him. Trust in His Atonement.
