Why is the family important in the plan of salvation? What does this mean for you and your family?

In 1995 the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a proclamation entitled “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”  This proclamation stands firmly and boldly and declares the standards of God in regards to the family unit. The proclamation states:

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.

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The Family is not a mere convenience, but rather, the center for God’s plan of happiness. Today, Satan attacks the family unit through means of pornography, the acceptance of single parenting, cohabitation, and the unpopularity of marriage. It is not wonder that Satan would demean and belittle something so central to God’s plan. If he is successful in destroying the family unit, then he has won a major battle.

The family begins with a couple, a man and a women who have been lawfully wed, and if members of the Church, sealed in the temple for time and all eternity.

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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.

Parents are to care for their children’s physical needs, as well as their spiritual needs as they raise their children to be law-abiding citizens with lives focused on Christ. This proclamation is not just for members of the Church. Think of the effects this proclamation could have on society if all were to follow its teachings. If parents took responsibility to teach their children to obey the law, to be accountable for their decisions, and not only that, but to love them unconditionally. 

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The proclamation goes on:

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.

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Children are to be reared by a Father and a Mother. Parents have important and distinct attributes that they are able to pass on to their children. There are great blessings that come from having a Father and a Mother in the home. Children are also deserving of parents who honor complete fidelity within their marriage. While we accept that all are not members of our Faith we believe that happiness is best found when children are raised on Christ-centered principles such as faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, and love. While many may not believe in Christ, it is hard to argue with principles taught by him such as respect, love, compassion, hard work, and play.

Lastly the proclamation states: 

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. 

Again, these principles are not just for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If citizens worldwide were to uphold these standards society would be safer, happier, and more successful. The family is the foundations of God's plan of happiness. God wants us to be happy, and has given us principles to abide by in order to achieve that happiness. 

The Sanctity of Life

What is life and why is it important?

In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 it states,

What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

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Our bodies are a temple given to us from our Heavenly Father. Each body is sacred as it contains our spirit, the very essence of ourselves. Our spirit lives on through the eternities and because of the Resurrection of Christ our bodies too, can reunite after death.

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This gives us a small idea of why our bodies are so important, but what does that mean and why does it matter? Does this change the way we act or behave once we understand this concept?

According to the Old English Dictionary, 1989, the earliest meanings of the word sacred regard the consecration of the body and blood of Christ in the sacrament. Cynthia L. Hallen states that “Life is sacred because Jesus Christ is the ultimate source or fountain of life through His work in the Creation and through His sacrifice in the Atonement.

Everything that Christ did, he did that we might live, use and experience our agency, and come to live with him again.

Russell M. Nelson speaks of a child’s life when he states, “Yes, life is precious! No one can cuddle a cherished newborn baby, look into those beautiful eyes, feel the little fingers, and caress that miraculous creation without deepening reverence for life and for our Creator.”

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Abortion is a worldwide debate among society today. Women fight for the right to their own body, and what goes on inside it. However, didn't we just learn that our body is now our own, but rather, we are “bought with a price,” and we are therefore to “glorify God in [our] body and [our] spirit. 

I am pro-choice and pro-life. We came to this Earth to make a choice. By banning abortion we are in no way banishing the ability to choose. However, a choice was made when the individual chose to involve themselves in sexual relationships. There are risks and consequences with sexual behavior and creating a child is one of them. For those who did not make that choice, such as in cases of rape or incest, or in the situation in which childbirth would put the Mother at risk, of course we are not ignorant. We respect the rights and in no way inhibit those victims from an abortion. When the choice was willingly made, however, the consequences that follow exists and it is not fair to state that abortion is acceptable as an after-thought. 

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Life is precious, the most precious thing in existence. If that is true, then why even test the waters? We may not know the moment that life begins to exist, whether it is upon conception, or birth, however, why even test the waters. Who would want to be responsible for the taking of a human life? 

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Many resources are available to women and families throughout the world who are not ready to raise a child. Couples weep throughout the world because of the inability to have children and are ready and able to care for those, who others may not feel ready for. There is always another option, and when it comes to a sacred human life, we should regard it with the utmost respect and sanctity.