“The Family Is Central to the Creator’s Plan”
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Family Proclamation, paragraph 1
The family proclamation, announced 30 years ago, declares that “the family is ordained of God” and “is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.” ...As then-Elder Russell M. Nelson taught a Brigham Young University audience, the family is "pivotal to God’s plan…In fact, a purpose of the plan is to exalt the family.”
The Church of Jesus Christ is sometimes known as a family-centered church. It is! Our relationship to God and the purpose of our mortal life are explained in terms of the family. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the plan of our Heavenly Father for the benefit of His spirit children.
- President Dallin H. Oaks, The Family-Centered Gospel of Jesus Christ
Family Proclamation, paragraph 2
[The Family] proclamation, with its revelatory words, was created to “maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.” Everyone belongs to a family, whether you are a mother, father, daughter, son, grandchild, grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, or cousin. Most importantly, each of us is, as the proclamation states, “a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents … [with] a divine nature and destiny.”
…President Nelson taught: “You are literally spirit children of God. … Make no mistake about it: Your potential is divine. With your diligent seeking, God will give you glimpses of who you may become.”
- Ronald A. Rasband, The Family Proclamation- Words from God
Migration: A Yearning for Home
Family Proclamation, paragraph 3
God is the literal Father of all mankind; we are each part of His eternal family. Because He loves us with the love of a perfect Father, He wants us to progress and advance and become like Him. He ordained a plan by which we would come to earth, in families, and have experiences that would prepare us to return to Him and live as He lives.
The central element of this plan was the promise that Jesus Christ would offer Himself as a sacrifice, to rescue us from sin and death.Our task in that plan is to accept the Savior’s sacrifice by obeying the laws and ordinances of the gospel. You and I accepted this plan. In fact, we rejoiced in it...
- President Henry B. Eyring, Gathering the Family of God
How to build a united and eternal family? (2022)
Finding Joy in Establishing a Happy Eternal Family
Family Proclamation, paragraphs 4-5
After Adam and Eve were joined in marriage, the scripture reads, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.”...This commandment has not been forgotten or set aside in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints…In “the best of times [and] … the worst of times,” the true Saints of God, acting in faith, have never forgotten, dismissed, or neglected “God’s commandment … to multiply and replenish the earth.” We go forward in faith…What a wonderful blessing we have to receive sons and daughters of God into our home.
- Neil L. Andersen, Children
Our Fun Family Vacation - The Importance of Spending Time With Family
Having Children Enriches Your Life
Choosing Eternal Families Over Modern-Day "Idols" | Elder Quentin L. Cook
Family Proclamation, paragraphs 6-8
Regardless of your circumstances, you can make your home the center of gospel learning and living. It simply means taking personal responsibility for your conversion and spiritual growth. It means following President Nelson’s counsel “to [remodel your] home into a sanctuary of faith.”...How grateful I am for my “goodly parents,” who raised their family in a home of constant spiritual nourishment, loving relationships, and wholesome recreational activities. The teachings they provided in my youth have held me in good stead. Parents, please build strong relationships with your children. They need more of your time, not less.
- Steven W. Owen, Be Faithful, Not Faithless
Home and Family - Through Small Things
What Family Means - Happy Families
Pizza with the Puentes - Happy Families
Blending Families: Love is Key - Happy Families
Make It a Good Day - Happy Families
Raising a Family: Learning the Ropes Together - Happy Families
One Big Experiment - Happy Families
Family Proclamation, paragraphs 9-10
[The Family Proclamation]…is now a clarion call to protect and strengthen families and a stern warning in a world where declining values and misplaced priorities threaten to destroy society by undermining its basic unit…Today I call upon members of the Church and on committed parents, grandparents, and extended family members everywhere to hold fast to this great proclamation, to make it a banner not unlike General Moroni’s “title of liberty,” and to commit ourselves to live by its precepts. As we are all part of a family, the proclamation applies to everyone
- M. Russell Ballard, What Matters Most Is What Lasts Longest
Elder Stevenson on Fortifying Families