51 The Family Is Central to the Creator’s Plan
The Family Is Central to the Creator’s Plan
The Family Is Central to the Creator’s Plan
The Family: A Proclamation to the World
The Family is the Unit of Eternity. We lived in heaven with our Heavenly Father and our Heavenly Mother. We are all brothers and sisters. That is the pattern for us to follow here on earth, with father, mother, daughters, and sons. Heavenly Father’s Plan is for our happiness.
Because we are mortal, and because of agency, choices, illnesses, and inequality from sin, family environments here on earth are not always healthy.
Still, families “give God’s children the best chance to be welcomed to the world with the only love on earth that comes close to what we felt in heaven—parental love” (President Eyring).
“Knowing that families are imperfect and subject to attacks from the adversary, God sent His Beloved Son to redeem us and heal our families. And He sent latter-day prophets with a proclamation to defend and strengthen families. If we follow the prophets and put faith in the Savior, even though mortal families fall short of the divine ideal, there’s hope for families—on earth and in heaven.”
Covenants and sealing promises make the possibility of eternal life with our families possible.
The family is central to the Creator’s plan
Pay attention to what the proclamation teaches you about premortal life, mortal life, and postmortal life.
Why are marriage and family important to our Heavenly Father’s plan?
If our family situation does not match the ideal proposed in the proclamation, how can we make improvements? Where can help be found?
Jesus Christ Is the Strength of Parents
Why Marriage, Why Family (last 4 paragraphs)
Seek inspiration for how to help your own family relationships.
Each [person] is a beloved son or daughter of heavenly parents
How does it improve your perspective to have an understanding that you are a child of God? That Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother love you? As you come to understand your identity, who will that influence your choices and affect how you treat your fellow men, especially members of your earthly family?
Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ
paragraphs 6 and 7 serve as a pattern for happiness in family life and in families. How do these principles help us make Jesus the focus and foundation in our family life? How does practicing these righteous principles help us to love and serve one another better?
If there is a family relationship you need to strengthen, pray for help and follow the inspiration you receive from the Holy Ghost. Do forget to consistently act upon revelations you receive.
We call upon responsible citizens … to maintain and strengthen the family.
last paragraph: 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.
Since the Family is the unit of eternity and also the building block for the foundation of civilizations, it is important that we all nurture and strengthen the nuclear family.
This proclamation and call to action was made to the entire world. Many churches, people, and governments have adopted it. It would be wise and beneficial for all to do so. We should never doubt that the Lord commissioned His First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve to issue this proclamation. We have sustained them all as prophets, seers, and revelators, and everything taught in the proclamation is the word of God and in harmony with all previous revelations about the importance of family to our Heavenly Father’s plan for our happiness.
What are your main takeaways from the Proclamation that will be beneficial to you and to your family? “How can you promote these messages in your life, in your home, and in your community?”
Defenders of the Family Proclamation
Video: Defenders of the Faith: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2017-01-0004-defenders-of-the-faith?lang=eng
“If it’s the Lord’s plan, it should also be our plan.”
The Family Proclamation—Words from God (Elder Rasband): https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2025-10-2010-ronald-a-rasband?lang=eng
“The Proclamation has a divine origin…” How are you treating it? It is doctrine!
For Kids
Families are important in Heavenly Father’s plan.
Prophets and apostles wrote The Family: A Proclamation to the World to tell us all how important families are to Heavenly Father.
Why do you think your family is so important to Him?
Video: What Is the Purpose of Family?
Share a part of the proclamation that is important to you. Allow family members to do the same. How have these things blessed our lives?
The Plan and the Proclamation (President Oaks)
section IV describes how the proclamation was written. Share why the Proclamation is important to you and how you know that it was given to us by a loving Heavenly Father through His servants.
Create some artwork that pertains to this proclamation. Draw, paint, photograph, or construct a temple for your home; or a family praying (or playing) together. Have a family portrait taken, or take one of someone else’s family.
Be sensitive. As you teach the truths taught in the family proclamation, please be aware that many children live in families that do not match the ideals described in the proclamation. Consider how you can encourage and inspire them.
Acknowledge that none of us have a picture-perfect family. There are things we all need to be working on.
For Kids
I am a “beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents.”
Toss a ball and say, “I know a child of God named [child’s name].” Let the children continue this game.
“Help your children find the phrase “beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents” in the family proclamation, and bear your testimony of this truth.”
For Kids
Families are happiest when they follow Jesus Christ.
What do you do to keep your body healthy and strong?
What do you do to keep your teeth healthy and strong?
What do you do to keep your mind healthy and strong?
What do you do to keep your spirit healthy and strong?
What can we do to strengthen our family, so that we can keep our families healthy and strong?
paragraph 7 of the family proclamation
the Friend
The Family: A Proclamation to the World
1. Only marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God.
2. The family is at the center of Heavenly Father’s plan for our progress and salvation.
3. We are created in the image of God, either male or female; and this is part of our eternal identity as His children.
4. We all lived with God and accepted His plan for us and accepted Jesus as our Savior.
5. We came to earth to receive bodies, to learn obedience, and to progress towards eternal life.
6. God’s plan for our happiness includes the possibility of families being together forever. The atonement of Jesus Christ, along with temple ordinances and covenants make this possible.
7. We can dwell in the presence of God with our families intact forever.
8. God commanded Adam and Eve to multiple and replenish the earth. Each married couple is encouraged to have children when they can, and to only use the powers of procreation within a lawful marriage between a man and a woman.
9. The sanctity of life is important to God. That means that sex should not be entered in frivolously, that families should safeguard themselves against extra-marital affairs and perversions, and that children should be cherished, not destroyed.
10. Husbands and wives should love one another and cleave unto each other, and none else.
11. Parents should bring their children up in righteousness and teach them the ways of the Lord. They should take care of them physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
12. We should show by example in our homes the importance of service and the importance of following God’s commands and obeying the law.
13. Not only is marriage ordained of God. The family is also ordained of God. Marriage is an important part of the family. Couples and children have more stability and security within the covenant of marriage. We all have a great chance for happiness when we are adhering to the will of God and following the teachigns of His Son Jesus Christ.
14. “Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.” Families are also meant to have fun together. These are times that bind and build memories.
15. It isn’t a construct of a man-made patriarchy that fathers should preside in the home. It is the design of heaven from all eternity to all eternity.
16. Mothers are to nurture and tend to the growth of the children and family.
17. Both husband and wife can work together to enhance and support each other in both rolls.
18. There are always repercussions and consequences for infidelity, abuse, selfishness, and slothfulness. Lost confidence, insecurity, sadness, and frustration are but a few. But God will hold those responsible who take lightly their family relationships, who hurt, demean, and destroy intentionally.
19. When the family weakens, so does the whole of society.
20. It is important for us to adopt this document as inspired and to cherish our families.
Comments
Post a Comment