The Family
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“One of the great messages of the gospel is the doctrine of the eternal nature of the family unit. We declare to the world the value and importance of family life, but much of the confusion and difficulty we find existing in the world today is being traced to the deterioration of the family. Home experiences where children are taught and trained by loving parents are diminishing…Suddenly the urgent and warning voice of our prophets from the very beginning of time has special relevance. As we have been counseled and encouraged, we must be attentive to our own families and accelerate our missionary effort to bring others to a knowledge of the truth and the importance of the family unit.”
(Elder L Tom Perry, Therefore I was Taught, April 1994 General Conference)
(Elder L Tom Perry, Therefore I was Taught, April 1994 General Conference)
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“In the Church, our belief in the overriding importance of families is rooted in restored doctrine…Our family-centered perspective should make Latter-day Saints strive to be the best parents in the world. It should give us enormous respect for our children, who truly are our spiritual siblings, and it should cause us to devote whatever time is necessary to strengthen our families. Indeed, nothing is more critically connected to happiness—both our own and that of our children—than how well we love and support one another within the family.”
(Elder M Russel Ballard, What Matters Most is What Lasts Longest, October 2015 General Conference)
(Elder M Russel Ballard, What Matters Most is What Lasts Longest, October 2015 General Conference)
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“While our individual salvation is based on our individual obedience, it is equally important that we understand that we are each an important and integral part of a family and the highest blessings can be received only within an eternal family. When families are functioning as designed by God, the relationships found therein are the most valued of mortality. The plan of the Father is that family love and companionship will continue into the eternities. Being one in a family carries a great responsibility of caring, loving, lifting, and strengthening each member of the family so that all can righteously endure to the end in mortality and dwell together throughout eternity. It is not enough just to save ourselves. It is equally important that parents, brothers, and sisters are saved in our families.
(Elder Robert D Hales, The Eternal Family, October 1996 General Conference)
(Elder Robert D Hales, The Eternal Family, October 1996 General Conference)
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“In a world of turmoil and uncertainty, it is more important than ever to make our families the center of our lives and the top of our priorities. Families lie at the center of our Heavenly Father’s plan…May it be our resolve this year to build a gospel-centered home, a safe harbor from the storms of the adversary.”
(Elder L Tom Perry, The Importance of the Family, April 2003 General Conference)
(Elder L Tom Perry, The Importance of the Family, April 2003 General Conference)
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“Faithful attendance at Church, together with careful attention to the needs of the family, is a near-perfect combination. In Church we are taught the Great Plan of Happiness. At home we apply what we have learned. Every call, every service in the Church brings experience and valuable insights which carry over into family life…Would our perspective be more clear if we could, for a moment, look upon parenthood as a calling in the Church. Actually, it is so much more than that; but if we could look at it that way for a moment, we could reach a better balance in the way we schedule families.”
(Elder Boyd K Packer, Parents in Zion, October 1998 General Conference)
(Elder Boyd K Packer, Parents in Zion, October 1998 General Conference)
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“With the Lord, families are essential. He created the earth that we could gain physical bodies and form families. He established His Church to exalt families. He provides temples so that families can be together forever.”
(Elder Russell M Nelson, Set Order in Thy House, October 2001 General Conference)
(Elder Russell M Nelson, Set Order in Thy House, October 2001 General Conference)
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“After all, mortal families predate the founding of nations, and families will exist after the Almighty “hath made a full end of all nations” (D&C 87:6). For Latter-day Saints, though it is to be done in the Lord’s own way, every year should be the Year of the Family. However, as Latter-day Saints, we need to do better in our families—much better! There should be less wringing of hands and more loving arms around our families…When parents fail to transmit testimony and theology along with decency, those families are only one generation from serious spiritual decline, having lost their savor. The law of the harvest is nowhere more in evidence and nowhere more relentless than in family gardens!”
(Elder Neal A Maxwell, Take Special Care of Your Family, April 1994 General Conference)
(Elder Neal A Maxwell, Take Special Care of Your Family, April 1994 General Conference)
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The presence of the father in the home, coupled with one or both of the parents being active in Church, and with discipline in the home, seems to produce stable, strong families…Surely, the most important ingredient in producing family happiness for members of this Church is a deep religious commitment under wise, mature parental supervision. Devotion to God in the home seems to forge the spiritual moorings and stability that can help the family cope. Some may say this is an over-simplification of a very complex problem, yet I believe the answers lie within the framework of the restored gospel of Christ.
(President James E Faust, Enriching Family Life, April 1983 General Conference)
(President James E Faust, Enriching Family Life, April 1983 General Conference)
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“A mother’s inherent qualities of trust, courage, and faith lend strength to every member of the family. …So important are our relationships with our family members as we learn these lessons of life that family home evening has been revealed by the Lord as a prescribed means for the enduring development of all family members…Parents and children increase in their love and appreciation for one another as they participate in family home evening and strive to apply the principles learned there throughout the following weeks and years.”
(Elder Rex D Pinegar, The Family—A Divine Blessing, April 1974 General Conference)
(Elder Rex D Pinegar, The Family—A Divine Blessing, April 1974 General Conference)
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“In “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles declare that “successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities” (Liahona, Oct. 1998, 24; Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102)…These principles, once applied, will act as a light that will illuminate each member of the family and, in a progressive way, will lead us to integrate other related values and principles which will strengthen family relationships…If we succeed in establishing and maintaining our families by applying these principles, we will be able to observe the powerful impact that these will have in situations that affect our homes day by day. Any hurts caused by the friction of living together will heal. Offenses will be forgiven. Pride and selfishness will be replaced by humility, compassion, and love.”
(Elder Francisco J. Vinas, Applying the Simple and Plain Gospel Principles in the Family, April 2004 General Conference)
(Elder Francisco J. Vinas, Applying the Simple and Plain Gospel Principles in the Family, April 2004 General Conference)
My Personal Position Statement on The Family
A strong family unit, with both mother and father, steadfast in the principles of the Gospel is of the utmost importance. Today we see a growing number of attacks against the family and its divine nature. We need to strengthen our families through the teachings of this sacred gospel so that we may stand unwavering in the face of adversity. Share your testimony with your children frequently in order to help grow and strengthen not only theirs but yours also. We have a responsibility as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to raise our children in the knowledge and light of the gospel. Immense happiness can be found when living the standards of the gospel with those most important to you; your family.