Where I stand on this topic:
Prophets teach what
an ideal family should be and how a family with a honorable priesthood holder
and nurturing mother contribute to the stability and happiness of mankind in
this world and after this world. [i] [ii] A family build on the
foundations of Christ’s teachings is an essential key to personal and societal
happiness in mortality and the source of lasting peace and jo
M Russell Ballard
teaches, “ It is our homes and families that need
reforming . . .The Church is
. . . an anchor . . . and a
beacon to those who value and seek righteousness . . . as an example of heart
turning and as a catalyst for good . . .
life is better (and much happier) as hearts turn toward family and as
families live in the light of the gospel of Christ." [iv]
The
Prophet Joseph Smithdeclared . . .that the
eternal sealings of faithful parents and the divine promises made to them . . .
would save not only themselves, but likewise their posterity. . . . Pray for
your careless and disobedient children; hold on to them with your faith. Hope
on, trust on, till you see the salvation of God.”[v]
President
Boyd K Packer instructs, "We cannot overemphasize the value of temple
marriage, the binding ties of the sealing ordinance, and the standards of
worthiness required of them. When parents keep the covenants they have made at
the altar of the temple, their children will be forever bound to them. [vi]
How this affects my future:
It is important to make my family members, and home a focus and
priority and to expect and accept kindness. [vii] President Packer urges, “Family
time is sacred time and should be protected and respected. We urge our members
to show devotion to their families.” [viii]
Elder Richard G Scott expounds, “Each of us [must] renew our
determination to teach true principles within the sanctity of our homes.
. . . as parents we have the fundamental responsibility and privilege to be
guided by the Lord in the upbringing of the spirit children He has entrusted to
our care.” (Emphasis mine.) [ix]
“There is no substitute for
love,” D&C 4:2, 5-6, [& 7] [x] Little things such
as a wink, a nod, or a smile can start and increase loving interactions. [xi] Our roles in families can
be everlasting. They do not end when children becomes adults. [xii]
President Henry B Eyring’s
counsel about heeding instructions from prophet’s that quote prophets should
receive careful evaluation and attention from every Latter-day Saint. He
teaches, “We have been warned with counsel of where to find safety from sin and
from sorrow. One of the keys to recognizing those warnings is that they are
repeated. For instance, more than once in these general conferences, you have
heard our prophet say that he would quote a preceding prophet and would
therefore be a second witness and sometimes even a third. Each of us who has
listened has heard President Kimball give counsel
on the importance of a mother in the home and
then heard President Benson quote
him, and we have heard President Hinckley quote
them both. The Apostle Paul wrote that “in the mouth of two or three witnesses
shall every word be established” (2 Cor. 13:1). One of the ways we may know
that the warning is from the Lord is that the law of witnesses, authorized witnesses,
has been invoked. When the words of prophets seem repetitive, that
should rivet our attention and fill our hearts
with gratitude to live in such a blessed time. . . The Lord said, ‘Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers’ (D&C 112:10). Sometimes we will receive counsel that we cannot understand or that seems
not to apply to us, even after careful prayer and thought. Don’t discard the
counsel, but hold it close. If someone you trusted handed you what appeared
to be nothing more than sand with the promise that it contained gold, you might
wisely hold it in your hand awhile, shaking it gently. Every time I have done
that with counsel from a prophet, after a time the gold flakes have
begun to appear and I have been grateful." [xiii] (Emphasis mine.)
My plan to apply it in my life:
Elder M Russell Ballard
teaches 3 answers to the question, “What can we do to not become lost?
First, prioritize. Put everything you do outside the home in
subjection to and in support of what happens inside your home.
Second, we need to do things in the right order! . . .
Third, husbands and wives, you should be equal partners in your
marriage. . . . God . . . has extended to us the privilege of our own family .
. . to help us become more like Him."
In April 2013 General Conference President
Packer warned “We will not always be safe from the adversary’s influence, even
within our own homes. We need to protect our nestlings. . . . We live in a very
dangerous world . . . under attack from forces seen and unseen. The adversary
is about. His objective is to cause injury . . . and destroy the family . . .
We find safety and security . . . in honoring the covenants we have made
and living up to the ordinary acts of obedience . . .” [xv]
Prophets continually
reiterate the promises (D&C 100:1) of protection and happiness here and
eternally as we seek and keep temple covenants, “depend on the Lord [and] . . .
serve Him in faith.” [xvi] President Monson has
pleaded more than once, “Make whatever sacrifices are necessary to attend
the temple and to have the spirit of the temple in our hearts and in our homes.”
(My emphasis.) [xvii]
“Inside each of us is a need to have a place
of refuge where peace and serenity prevail, a place where we can reset,
regroup, and reenergize to prepare for future pressures. The ideal place for
that peace is within the walls of our own homes, . . . It is important for
parents to teach children to recognize how their actions affect each individual
who lives in the home. Children who are made to feel accountable for their
actions, whether righteous or otherwise, grow to become trustworthy citizens in
the kingdom of God. . . .The fundamental principles that center [our] home on
the Savior [are] . . . daily personal and family prayer, daily personal and family scripture study, and weekly family home
evening [They] are the essential, weight-bearing beams in the construction of a
Christ-centered home. Without these regular practices it will be difficult to
find the desired and much-needed peace and refuge from the world.” [xviii]
NOTES:
[i] President BOYD K.
PACKER, President of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “These
Things I Know,” 183rd Annual General Conference, 7 April 2013
[ii] Elder M. RUSSELL
BALLARD of the Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles, “This
Is My Work and Glory,” 183rd Annual
General Conference, 7 April 2013
[iii] Elder RICHARD G.
SCOTT of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “For
Peace at Home” 183rd Annual General Conference, 6
April 2013
[iv] Elder M. RUSSELLBALLARD of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, "That
the Lost May Be Found", 182nd Annual General Conference, 1 April 2012, May Ensign, pages 97-99
[vi] President BOYD K. PACKER, President
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Our
Moral Environment,” 162nd Annual General Conference, April 1992
[vii] Elder QUENTIN L COOK
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Can
Ye Feel So Now?” 182nd Semi-annual General Conference, 6 October 2012
[viii]
President BOYD K.
PACKER, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, "And
a Little Child Shall Lead Them,"182nd Annual General Conference, 31
March 2012, Ensign, May 2012, 9.
[ix]
Elder RICHARD G.
SCOTT of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “He
Lives! All Glory to His Name!” 180th Annual
General Conference, April 2010
[x] President THOMAS S
MONSON, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, “Come,
All Ye Sons of God” 183rd Annual
General Conference, April 6, 2013
[xi] Elder M. RUSSELL
BALLARD of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Keeping
Life’s Demands In Balance,” 157th Annual General
Conference, April 1987
[xii] Elder RICHARD G.
SCOTT of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “He
Lives! All Glory to His Name!” 180th Annual General Conference,
April 2010
[xiii]
ELDER HENRY B EYRING,
First Counselor in the First Presidency,“Finding
Safety in Counsel” 167th Annual General Conference, April 1997,
Ensign, May 1997 page 26
[xiv] Elder M. RUSSELLBALLARD of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, "That
the Lost May Be Found", 182nd Annual General Conference, 1 April 2012, May Ensign, pages 97-99
[xv] President BOYD K.
PACKER, President of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “These
Things I Know,” 183rd Annual General Conference, 7 April 2013
[xvi]
President HENRY B EYRING,
First Counselor in the First Presidency, “Come
Unto Me,” 183rd Annual General Conference, 6 April 2013
[xvii] President THOMAS S
MONSON, President of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, “Welcome
to Conference,” 183rd Annual General
Conference, April 6, 2013; “As
We Meet Again,” 181st Semi-annual General Conference, October 1, 2011
[xviii]
Elder RICHARD G.
SCOTT of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “For
Peace at Home” 183rd Annual General Conference, 6
April 2013
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