The Eternal Family
202. The family is the most important of all institutions.
203. The Lord ordained the family unit to last into eternity.
204. The Lord commanded married couples to bring children into the world.
211. Parents are to provide and care for their children.
212. Parents are to teach their children to honor and respect their parents.
214. Parents are commanded to teach the gospel to their children.
215. Parents are to teach their children to pray.
216. Parents are commanded to correct and discipline their children (in the spirit of love).
202. The family is the most important of all institutions.
President Joseph Fielding Smith
The Family: A Proclamation to the World
I invoke the blessings of the Lord upon you, all of you here, with reference to your home and your families. It is the choicest of all life's experiences. I urge you to put it first. The center core of the Church is not the stake house; it is not the chapel; that is not the center of Mormonism. And, strangely enough, the most sacred place on earth may not be the temple, necessarily. The chapel, the stake house, and the temple are sacred as they contribute to the building of the most sacred institution in the Church—the home—and to the blessing of the most sacred relationships in the Church, the family. (At Brigham Young University, 1963) DGSM:79
The family is the basic unit of the Church. The Church exists mainly to help families return to live in the presence of God. ACR(Nuku'alofa) 1976:38
The family is the most important organization in time or in eternity. Our purpose in life is to create for ourselves eternal family units. There is nothing that will ever come into your family life that is as important as the sealing blessings of the temple and then keeping the covenants made in connection with this order of celestial marriage. CR1972Apr:13
The family is the great plan of life as conceived and organized by our Father in heaven. CR1973Apr:151; DGSM:78
The breakdown of parental authority erodes the most indispensable institution of society—the family. (CR 1998Apr; “Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart”, Ensign, May 1998, p.17)
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. ¶ 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.
Related Witnesses:
The typical "Mormon" home is the temple of the family, in which the members of the household gather morning and evening, for prayer and praise to God, offered in the name of Jesus Christ, and often accompanied by the reading of scripture and the singing of spiritual songs. Here are taught and gently enforced, the moral precepts and religious truths, which, taken together, make up that righteousness which exalteth a nation, and ward off that sin which is a reproach to any people. . . . Here are our sons and daughters, submit them to any test of comparison you will: regard for truth, veneration for age, reverence for God, love of man, loyalty to country, respect for law, refinement of manners, and, lastly . . . purity of mind and chastity of conduct. (Address from the First Presidency of the Church to the world, delivered to and accepted by vote of the Church in general conference, April 1907) CR1907Apr(Appendix)7
Now, you husbands, remember that the most important of the Lord's work that you will ever do will be the work you do within the walls of your own home. Home teaching, bishopric's work, and other church duties are all important, but the most important work is within the walls of your home. (October general conference, 1973) DGSM:79
Latter-day Saints, the responsibility of saving this sacred institution devolves largely upon you, for you know that the family ties are eternal. They should be eternal. There is nothing temporary in the home of the Latter-day Saint. There is no element of transitoriness in the family relationship of the Latter-day Saint home. That all such ties are eternal should be maintained. To the Latter-day Saint the home is truly the cell-unit of society: and parenthood is next to Godhood. CR1919Jun:77
We have no choice . . . but to continue to hold up the ideal of the Latter-day Saint family. The fact that some do not now have the privilege of living in such a family is not reason enough to stop talking about it. We do discuss family life with sensitivity, however, realizing that many . . . do not presently have the privilege of belonging or contributing to such a family. But we cannot set aside this standard because so many other things depend upon it. (Sermon, women's fireside, 1978) DGSM:79
But we do know that our Eternal Father . . . lives in the family unit. We do know that we are his children, created in his image, endowed with power and ability to become like him. CR1974Apr:103
203. The Lord ordained the family unit to last into eternity.
The greatest joys of true married life can be continued. The most beautiful relationships of parents and children can be made permanent. The holy association of families can be never-ending if husband and wife have been sealed in the holy bond of eternal matrimony. . . .
. . . . In these temples, by duly constituted authority, are men who can seal husbands and wives and their children for all eternity. (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 291) DGSM:75
Who are there besides the Latter-day Saints who contemplate the thought that beyond the grave we will continue in the family organization? the father, the mother, the children recognizing each other in the relations which they owe to each other and in which they stand to each other? this family organization being a unit in the great and perfect organization of God's work, and all destined to continue throughout time and eternity?
We are living for eternity and not merely for the moment. Death does not part us from one another, if we have entered into sacred relationships with each other by virtue of the authority that God has revealed to the children of men. Our relationships are formed for eternity. (1917, Gospel Doctrine, p. 277) TLDP:190
Children are the offspring of God, their spirits were begotten in the holy heavens of our Father, and they are given to us for our blessing. We, as stewards, are permitted to receive them in their infancy, to educate and prepare them, not alone that they may become great in this world and bring honor to us here, but, by observing the laws of God, that they might live again with us in the presence of our Father throughout the endless ages of eternity. CR1907Oct:36
Related Witnesses:
And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect. . . .
18. I might have rendered a plainer translation to this, but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. . . . (Joseph writes to the Church giving further directions on baptism for the dead, Sept. 6, 1842) D&C 128:15,18
And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy. (Revelation April 2, 1830) D&C 130:2
He also quoted the next verse differently: "And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming." (Joseph relates the angel Moroni's visit to him, Sept. 21, 1823) JS-H 1:39
The Bible says, "I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; and he shall turn the hearts [sic] of the fathers to the children, and the hearts [sic] of the children to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." Now, the word turn here should be translated bind, or seal. But what is the object of this important mission? or how is it to be fulfilled? . . . By building their temples, erecting their baptismal fonts, and going forth and receiving all the ordinances, baptisms, confirmations, washings, anointings, ordinations and sealing powers upon their heads, in behalf of all their progenitors who are dead, and redeem them that they may come forth in the first resurrection and be exalted to thrones of glory with them; and herein is the chain that binds the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, which fulfills the mission of Elijah. (Discourse at southeast corner of Nauvoo Temple, delivered to several thousand people, Jan. 21, 1844) HC6:183-84
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. (The prophet Malachi to the people, about 430 B.C.) Malachi 4:5-6
204. The Lord commanded married couples to bring children into the world.
J. Reuben Clark, David O. McKay
(First Presidency)
The Lord has told us that it is the duty of every husband and wife to obey the command given to Adam to multiply and replenish the earth, so that the legions of choice spirits waiting for their tabernacles of flesh may come here and move forward under God's great design to become perfect souls, for without these fleshly tabernacles they cannot progress to their God-planned destiny. Thus, every husband and wife should become a father and a mother in Israel to children born under the holy, eternal covenant. CR1942Oct:12
The Lord has spoken out very strongly in this matter, constantly and continuously. He said, as one of his important commandments, "Multiply and replenish the earth." (Genesis 1:28) That wasn't just a hoping so; it wasn't just something that would be kind of nice to do. The Lord said, "Go forward now, husband and the wife; love each other." They will have their children, and then they will work together for the children to see that they grow up in righteousness. (Melbourne Australia Area Conference, 1976) DGSM:79
How will those feel who fail to obey that first great command [multiply, and replenish the earth] when they stand in the presence of the creator, who says to them, as He said to those in olden times, "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." How can they comply with that invitation if they have no children to take to the Father? They must remain childless throughout eternity. They have been blind to their rights and privileges. It is only by a proper understanding of the laws of God, and by compliance with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, only by doing what the Lord has said we should do, that we will enjoy the fulness of happiness that our Father in heaven has promised those who are faithful. I do not feel to censure, but with all my heart I pity the man and woman who grace their home with the lesser animals of God's creation, and keep away from their firesides those angels from His presence who might be theirs through time and through all eternity. I realize there are some men and women who are grieved because they are not fathers and mothers, they are not blessed of the Lord in that particular, they have no children of their own, and by no fault of their own. I believe the Lord will provide in such cases. If they will do their duty in keeping the other commandments, their reproach will be taken away. I raise my voice among the sons and daughters of Zion, and warn you that if you dry up the springs of life and abuse the power that God has blessed you with, there will come a time of chastening to you, that all the tears you may shed will never remove. Remember the first great commandment [Genesis 1:28]; fulfill that obligation. CR1907Oct:38
Related Witnesses:
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Revelation to Moses regarding the creation of man) Genesis 1:27-28
translating the Book of Moses
And I, God, blessed them, and said unto them: Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (The record of Moses : God makes man and gives him dominion over all things) Moses 2:28
quoted by President Spencer W. Kimball
And I God, blessed them (Man here is always in the plural. It was plural from the beginning.) and said unto them: Be fruitful, and multiply, and have dominion over [it]. (Moses 2:27-28("The Blessings and Responsibilities of Womanhood," EN1976Mar:71) DGSM:18
And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. (After the Flood, the Lord gives commandments to Noah and his sons) Genesis 9:1
The establishment of a home is not only a privilege, but marriage and the bearing, rearing, and proper training of children is a duty of the highest order. CR1947Oct:23
Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation;
17. And that it might be filled with the measure of man, according to his creation before the world was made. (Revelation refuting the Shaker doctrine of celibacy, March 1831) D&C 49:16-17
quoted by John A. Widtsoe
The whole object of the creation of this world is to exalt the intelligences that are placed upon it, that they may live, endure, and increase for ever and ever. (In the Tabernacle, Oct. 9, 1859, JD7:290) DBY:57; DGSM:18
Author's Note: In Genesis 1:28 the Lord commanded Adam and Eve to multiply in the status of man and wife. The following scripture bears that out: "And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed." (Genesis 2:22-25
That God intended that man and women bear children only as husband and wife and not outside of wedlock, note the following scriptures: "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." (Hebrews 13:4) "And again, verily I say unto you, that whoso forbiddeth to marry is not ordained of God, for marriage is ordained of God unto man." (D&C 49:15) See Topic MARRIAGE: Husband and Wife.
205. The power of procreation is a divine gift to be exercised only between husband and wife in the marriage relationship.
The Family: A Proclamation to the World
There was provided in our bodies—and this is sacred—a power of creation, a light, so to speak, that has the power to kindle other lights. This gift was to be used only within the sacred bonds of marriage. Through the exercise of this power of creation, a mortal body may be conceived, a spirit enter into it, and a new soul born into this life.
This power is good. It can create and sustain family life, and it is in family life that we find the fountains of happiness. It is given to virtually every individual who is born into mortality. . . .
It was necessary that this power of creation have at least two dimensions: one, it must be strong; and two, it must be more or less constant.
This power must be strong, for most men by nature seek adventure. Except for the compelling persuasion of these feelings, men would be reluctant to accept the responsibility of sustaining a home and a family. This power must be constant, too, for it becomes a binding tie in family life. CR1972 Apr:136-37
Latter-day Saints therefore believe that God is actually the third partner in this relationship and that bringing children into the world within the divinely sanctioned institution of marriage is part of his plan to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. ("The LDS Concept of Marriage," IE1962Aug:574) TLDP:524-25
Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. (Letter to the Jewish members of the Church, about A.D. 60) Hebrews 13:4
Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation;
17. And that it might be filled with the measure of man, according to his creation before the world was made. (Revelation refuting the Shaker doctrine of celibacy, March 1831) D&C 49:16-17
The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife. ¶ We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.
The only legitimate employment of the power of procreation is between husband and wife, man and woman, who have been legally and lawfully married. Anything else violates the commandments of God. (CR 1992Apr; Our Moral Environment, Ensign, May 1992, p.66)
When you marry, you and your eternal companion may then invoke the power of procreation, that you may have joy and rejoicing in your posterity. This divine endowment is guarded by your Creator’s law of chastity. All through the years, remember: chastity is the powerful protector of virile manhood and the crown of beautiful womanhood.(CR 1985Oct; Self-Mastery, Ensign, November 1985, p.30)
Related Witnesses:
The Lord organized the whole program in the beginning with a father who procreates, provides, and loves and directs, and a mother who conceives and bears and nurtures and feeds and trains. The Lord could have ordained it otherwise but chose to have a unit with responsibility and purposeful associations where children train and discipline each other and come to love, honor, and appreciate each other. The family is the great plan of life as conceived and organized by our Father in heaven. CR1973Apr:151; DGSM:78
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. . . .
22. And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
24. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
25. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (The Lord places Adam in the Garden of Eden) Genesis 2:18,22-25
quoted by President Spencer W. Kimball
Let me here say a word to console the feelings and hearts of all who belong to this Church. Many of the sisters grieve because they are not blessed with offspring. You will see the time when you will have millions of children around you. If you are faithful to your covenants, you will be mothers of nations. You will become Eves to earths like this, and when you have assisted in peopling one earth, there are millions of others still in the course of creation. And when they have endured a thousand million times longer than this earth, it is only as it were at the beginning of your creation. Be faithful and if you are not blessed with children in this time, you will be hereafter. (An 1860 statement, quoted at fireside address in 1977) DGSM:79
206. Husbands and wives normally should not curtail the birth of children; yet husbands must be considerate of their wives who have a great responsibility not only for bearing children but for caring for them through childhood (married couples should seek inspiration from the Lord in this regard).
(First Presidency)
We seriously regret that there should exist a sentiment or feeling among any members of the Church to curtail the birth of their children. We have been commanded to multiply and replenish the earth that we may have joy and rejoicing in our posterity.
Where husband and wife enjoy health and vigor and are free from impurities that would be entailed upon their posterity, it is contrary to the teachings of the Church artificially to curtail or prevent the birth of children. We believe that those who practice birth control will reap disappointment by and by.
However, we feel that men must be considerate of their wives who bear the greater responsibility not only of bearing children, but of caring for them through childhood. To this end the mother's health and strength should be conserved and the husband's consideration for his wife is his first duty, and self-control a dominant factor in all their relationships. (Letter to bishops, stake presidents, and mission presidents, April 14, 1969) TLDP:529
quoted by Mark E. Petersen
The Church has always advised against birth control and that is the only position the Church can take in view of our beliefs with respect to the eternity of the marriage covenant and the purpose of this divine relationship. There are, of course, circumstances under which people are justified in regulating the size of their families.
Where the health of the mother is concerned, and where the welfare of other children would be adversely affected, parents sometimes, under the advice of their physicians, deem it wisdom to take precautionary measures. . . .
The Church cannot give a blanket or over-all answer to the question which would be applicable to all situations. Seeking divine guidance and searching your own souls is recommended, but in a long lifetime of counseling on these matters, the General Authorities of the Church are united in recommending generally against birth control. (The Way of the Master, pp. 114-15) TLDP:529-30
Is it proper and right in the sight of God for parents intentionally to prevent, by any means whatever, the spirits, the sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, from obtaining earthly tabernacles? I have, of course, only reference to parents lawfully married, and specifically to Latter-day Saints.
In a general way, and as a rule, the answer to this question is an emphatic negative. I do not hesitate to say that prevention is wrong. It brings in its train a host of social evils. It destroys the morals of a community and nation. It creates hatred and selfishness in the hearts of men and women, and perverts their natural qualities of love and service, changing them to hate and aversion. It causes death, decay, and degeneration instead of life, growth, and advancement. And finally, it disregards or annuls the great commandment of God to man, "Multiply and replenish the earth."
I am now speaking of the normally healthy man and woman. But, that there are weak and sickly people who in wisdom, discretion and common sense should be counted as exceptions, only strengthens the general rule. [Italics added] ("A Vital Question," IE1908Oct:959-60) TLDP:529
Related Witnesses:
As to sex in marriage, the necessary treatise on that for Latter-day Saints can be written in two sentences: Remember the prime purpose of sex desire is to beget children. Sex gratification must be had at that hazard. You husbands: be kind and considerate of your wives. They are not your property; they are not mere conveniences; they are your partners for time and eternity. CR1949Oct:194-95
The increasing tendency to look upon family life as a burden, and the ever-spreading practice of birth control, are ominous threats to the perpetuation of the United States. In the light of what the restored gospel teaches us regarding pre-existence, the eternal nature of the marriage covenant, and of family relationship, no healthy wife in the Church should shun the responsibilities of normal motherhood. (Treasures of Life, p. 57) TLDP:528
[W]e declare it is a grievous sin before God to adopt restrictive measures in disobedience to God's divine command from the beginning of time to "multiply and replenish the earth." Surely those who project such measures to prevent life or to destroy life before or after birth will reap the whirlwind of God's retribution, for God will not be mocked. CR1972Oct:63
Sterilization and tying of tubes and such are sins, and except under special circumstances it cannot be approved. (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 331) TLDP:529
As we look about us, we see many forces at work bent on the destruction of the family. . . . [A]bortion . . . bids well to become a national scandal and is a very grave sin. Another erosion of the family is unwarranted and selfish birth control. CR1979Oct:6
We have heard that many of the diabolical practices of the world have been introduced . . . among some who profess to be Latter-day Saints, to prevent the bearing of children. No sin, unless it be that of murder, will meet with a greater condemnation from God than this evil of tampering with the fountains of life. Such sins will destroy the strength of any people that practices them, and the nation whose people yield to such vices is in great danger of destruction. No Saint can practice or encourage such corruption without incurring the displeasure of an offended God. (Juvenile Instructor, July 15, 1895, p. 451) TLDP:527
Those who have taken upon themselves the responsibility of wedded life should see to it that they do not abuse the course of nature; that they do not destroy the principle of life within them, nor violate any of the commandments of God. The command which he gave in the beginning to multiply and replenish the earth is still in force upon the children of men. Possibly no greater sin could be committed by the people who have embraced this gospel than to prevent or to destroy life in the manner indicated. We are born into the world that we may have life, and we live that we may have a fulness of joy, and if we will obtain a fulness of joy, we must obey the law of our creation and the law by which we may obtain the consummation of our righteous hopes and desires—life eternal. CR1900Apr:40
Author's Note: The 1989 General Handbook of Instructions states at page 11-4: "Husbands must be considerate of their wives, who have a great responsibility not only for bearing children but also for caring for them through childhood. Husbands should help their wives conserve their health and strength. Married couples should seek inspiration from the Lord in meeting their marital challenges and rearing their children according to the teachings of the gospel."
207. Abortion is a sinful, evil practice and Church members are not to submit to or perform an abortion—except in specific rare instances.
(First Presidency)
also quoting Joseph Smith,
also quoting a previous First Presidency:
President David O. McKay,
Stephen L. Richards, J. Reuben Clark, Jr.
(First Presidency)
In view of a recent decision of the United States Supreme Court, we feel it necessary to restate the position of the Church on abortion in order that there will be no misunderstanding of our attitude.
The Church opposes abortion and counsels its members not to submit to or perform an abortion except in the rare cases where, in the opinion of competent medical counsel, the life or good health of the mother is seriously endangered or where the pregnancy was caused by rape and produces serious emotional trauma in the mother. Even then it should be done only after counseling with the local presiding priesthood authority and after receiving divine confirmation through prayer.
Abortion must be considered one of the most revolting and sinful practices in this day, when we are witnessing the frightening evidence of permissiveness leading to sexual immorality.
Members of the Church guilty of being parties to the sin of abortion must be subjected to the disciplinary action of the councils of the Church as circumstances warrant. In dealing with this serious matter, it would be well to keep in mind the word of the Lord stated in the 59th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants, verse 6. "Thou shalt not steal; neither commit adultery, nor kill, nor do anything like unto it."
As to the amenability of the sin of abortion to the laws of repentance and forgiveness, we quote the following statement made by President David O. McKay and his counselors, Stephen L. Richards and J. Reuben Clark Jr., which continues to represent the attitude and position of the Church:
"As the matter stands today, no definite statement has been made by the Lord one way or another regarding the crime of abortion, so far as is known, he has not listed it alongside the crime of the unpardonable sin and shedding of innocent human blood. That he has not done so would suggest that it is not in that class of crime and therefore that it will be amenable to the laws of repentance and forgiveness."
This quoted statement, however, should not, in any sense, be construed to minimize the seriousness of this revolting sin. (Priesthood Bulletin, Feb. 1973, pp. 1-2) TLDP:530
Abortion, the taking of life, is one of the most grievous of sins. We have repeatedly affirmed the position of the Church in unalterably opposing all abortions, except in two rare instances: When conception is the result of forcible rape and when competent medical counsel indicates that a mother's health would otherwise be seriously jeopardized. CR1976Oct:6
also quoting Joseph Smith
In or out of marriage, abortion is not an individual choice. At a minimum, three lives are involved.
The scriptures tell us, "Thou shalt not . . . kill, nor do anything like unto it" (D&C 59:6; italics added).
Except where the wicked crime of incest or rape was involved, or where competent medical authorities certify that the life of the mother is in jeopardy, or that a severely defective fetus cannot survive birth, abortion is clearly a "thou shalt not." Even in these very exceptional cases, much sober prayer is required to make the right choice. CR1990Oct:108
Innocent sounding phrases are now used to give approval to sinful practices. Thus, the term “alternative life-style” is used to justify adultery and homosexuality, “freedom of choice” to justify abortion, “meaningful relationship” and “self-fulfillment” to justify sex outside of marriage. (CR 1982Oct; Fundamentals of Enduring Family Relationships, Ensign, November 1982, p.59)
How wonderful a thing is a child. How beautiful is a newborn babe. There is no greater miracle than the creation of human life. ¶ Abortion is an ugly thing, a debasing thing, a thing which inevitably brings remorse and sorrow and regret. ¶ While we denounce it, we make allowance in such circumstances as when pregnancy is the result of incest or rape, when the life or health of the mother is judged by competent medical authority to be in serious jeopardy, or when the fetus is known by competent medical authority to have serious defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth. ¶ But such instances are rare, and there is only a negligible probability of their occurring. In these circumstances those who face the question are asked to consult with their local ecclesiastical leaders and to pray in great earnestness, receiving a confirmation through prayer before proceeding. (CR 1998Oct; What Are People Asking about Us?, Ensign, November 1998, p.70)
Related Witnesses:
also quoting a First Presidency:
John Taylor, George Q. Cannon
Another contention raised is that a woman is free to choose what she does with her own body. To a certain extent this is true for all of us. We are free to think. We are free to plan. And then we are free to do. But once an action has been taken, we are never free from its consequences. . . .
The woman's choice for her own body does not validate choice for the body of another. . . . The consequence of terminating the fetus therein involves the body and very life of another. These two individuals have separate brains, separate hearts, and separate circulatory systems. To pretend there is no child and no life there is to deny reality.
. . . . Abortion sheds that innocent blood.
. . . . Now, as a servant of the Lord, I dutifully warn those who advocate and practice abortion that they incur the wrath of Almighty God, who declared, "If men . . . hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, . . . he shall be surely punished," (Exodus 21:22).
. . . . The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has consistently opposed the practice of abortion. One hundred years ago the First Presidency wrote: "And we again take this opportunity of warning the Latter-day Saints against those . . . practices of foeticide and infanticide." [MOFP3:11] CR1985Apr:14-16
Let me warn the sisters, in all seriousness, that you who submit yourselves to an abortion or to an operation that precludes you from safely having additional healthy children are jeopardizing your exaltation and your future membership in the kingdom of God. ACR(Manilla)1975:9
Possibly no greater sin could be committed by the people who have embraced this gospel than to prevent or to destroy life. . . . CR1900Apr:40
We declare it is a grievous sin before God to adopt restrictive measures in disobedience to God's divine command from the beginning of time to "multiply and replenish the earth." Surely those who project such measures to prevent life or to destroy life before or after birth will reap the whirlwind of God's retribution, for God will not be mocked. CR1972Oct:63
208. Married persons who achieve exaltation (in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom) will enjoy eternal increase, having children in the celestial kingdom.
To enter the highest of these degrees in the celestial kingdom is to be exalted in the kingdom of God. Such exaltation comes to those who receive the higher ordinances of the Church, such as the temple endowment, and afterwards are sealed in marriage for time and eternity, whether on earth or in the hereafter. Those who are so sealed continue the family relationship eternally. Spiritual children are begotten by them. They carry on the work of salvation for the hosts of waiting spirits. They who are so exalted become even as the gods. They will be "from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue." [D&C 132:20] (Evidences and Reconciliations, pp. 200-01) TLDP:163-64
The plan provides that couples so married shall in eternity persist as husbands and wives and there progress until they eventually reach perfection and themselves become parents of spirit children. ("Scriptures as They Relate to Family Stability," EN1972Feb:58) TLDP:386
When two Latter-day Saints are united together in marriage, promises are made to them concerning their offspring that reach from eternity to eternity. They are promised that they shall have the power and the right to govern and control and administer salvation and exaltation and glory to their offspring, worlds without end. And what offspring they do not have here, undoubtedly there will be opportunities to have them hereafter. What else could man wish? A man and a woman in the other life, having celestial bodies, free from sickness and disease, glorified and beautified beyond description, standing in the midst of their posterity, governing and controlling them, administering life, exaltation and glory worlds without end (At the Salt Lake Stake conference, Salt Lake City, Saturday, March 13, 1897) (Deseret Evening News, March 27, 1897, p. 9) TLDP:385
Marriage covenants authorized and sealed by that God-given power, endure, if the parties thereto are true to their troth, not through mortal life alone, but through time and all eternity. Thus the worthy husband and wife who have been sealed under the everlasting covenant shall come forth in the day of the resurrection to receive their heritage of glory, immortality, and eternal lives.
It is the blessed privilege of resurrected beings who attain an exaltation in the celestial kingdom to enjoy the glory of endless increase, to become the parents of generations of spirit-offspring, and to direct their development through probationary stages analogous to those through which they themselves have passed.
Eternal are the purposes of God; never-ending progression is provided for His children, worlds without end. (Young Women's Journal, Oct. 1914, p. 604) DGSM:77
quoted by Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
Except a man and his wife enter into an everlasting covenant and be married for eternity, while in this probation, by the power and authority of the Holy Priesthood, they will cease to increase when they die; that is, they will not have any children after the resurrection. But those who are married by the power and authority of the priesthood in this life, and continue without committing the sin against the Holy Ghost, will continue to increase and have children in the celestial glory. (Instructions on the priesthood to Brother and Sister Benjamin F. John son at Ramus, Ill., May 1843) HC5:391; TPJS:300-01; DGSM:77
In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;
2. And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage;
3. And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.
4. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase. (Instructions May 16 and 17, 1843) D&C 131:1-4
receiving the Word of the Lord
And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them—Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths—then shall it be written in the Lamb's Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever.
20. Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them. (Revelation relating to the new and everlasting covenant, including the eternal nature of the marriage covenant, July 12, 1843, [1831]) D&C 132:19-20
The doctrine of the eternity of the marriage covenant and the "continuation of the seeds forever and ever," is one of the most glorious principles of the Gospel. It is, in fact, the crowning principle which brings the fullness of exaltation to men and women who are willing to accept this eternal, holy and sacred ordinance. It is only in the celestial kingdom that the privilege of marriage and eternal increase will be found. Even in that kingdom there will be servants who are denied this privilege and glory. (D&C 131 and D&C 132:16-17All who refuse to accept this principle and live in accordance with this covenant cannot be enlarged, but must remain separately and singly through all eternity. They cannot become sons and daughters of God. CHMR2:357-58
In [the Millennial] day family units will be perfected according to the plans made in the heavens before the peopling of the earth. Celestial marriage in its highest and most glorious form will bind men and women together in eternal unions, and the resultant families will truly continue forever. (The Millennial Messiah, p. 655) TLDP:395-96
Related Witnesses:
And this is the blessing that God has promised to every faithful man and woman—that to the increase of their seed there shall be no end. This will constitute the great glory of eternity—the man presiding over his family and being lord over them. Thus it is that Jesus is called Lord of lords. He is Lord of lords because His brethren will exercise this power and authority over their posterity. (Gospel Truth, 1:117) TLDP:385
The gift promised those who receive this covenant of marriage and remain faithful to the end, that they shall "have no end," [D&C 132:20] means that they shall have the power of eternal increase. (The Way to Perfection, p. 24) DGSM:77
quoted by President Spencer W. Kimball
Let me here say a word to console the feelings and hearts of all who belong to this Church. Many of the sisters grieve because they are not blessed with offspring. You will see the time when you will have millions of children around you. If you are faithful to your covenants, you will be mothers of nations. You will become Eves to earths like this, and when you have assisted in peopling one earth, there are millions of others still in the course of creation. And when they have endured a thousand million times longer than this earth, it is only as it were at the beginning of your creation. Be faithful and if you are not blessed with children in this time, you will be hereafter. (An 1860 statement, quoted at fireside address in 1977) DGSM:79
Those who are faithful will continue to increase, and this is the great blessing the Lord has given to, or placed within the reach of, the children of man, even to be capable of receiving eternal lives.
To have such a promise so sealed upon our heads, which no power on earth, in heaven, or beneath the earth can take from us, to be sealed up to the day of redemption and have the promise of eternal lives, is the greatest gift of all. (In Tabernacle, June 3, 1855, JD2:301) TLDP:384-85
Eternal life is life in the highest heaven of the celestial world; it is exaltation; it is the name of the kind of life God lives. It consists of a continuation of the family unit in eternity. ("The Salvation of Little Children," EN1977 Apr:5) TLDP:604
All persons who attain to the resurrection, and to salvation, without these eternal ordinances, or sealing covenants, will remain in a single state, in their saved condition, without the joys of eternal union with the other sex, and consequently without a crown, without a kingdom, without the power to increase.
Hence, they are angels, and are not gods; and are ministering spirits, or servants, in the employ and under the direction of the Royal Family of heaven—the princes, kings and priests of eternity. (Key to the Science of Theology, pp. 169-70) TLDP:379
What do we mean by endless or eternal increase? We mean that through the righteousness and faithfulness of men and women who keep the commandments of God they will come forth with celestial bodies, fitted and prepared to enter into their great, high and eternal glory in the celestial kingdom of God; and unto them, through their preparation, there will come children, who will be spirit children. I don't think that is very difficult to comprehend and understand. The nature of the offspring is determined by the nature of the substance that flows in the veins of the being. When blood flows in the veins of the being, the offspring will be what blood produces, which is tangible flesh and blood, but when that which flows in the veins is spirit matter, a substance which is more refined and pure and glorious than blood, the offspring of such beings will be spirit children. By that I mean they will be in the image of the parents. They will have a spirit body and have a spark of the eternal or divine that always did exist in them.
Unto such parentage will this glorified privilege come, for it is written in our scriptures that "the glory of God is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." So, it will be the glory of men and women that will make their glory like unto his. When the power of endless increase shall come to them, and their offspring, growing and multiplying through ages that shall come, they will be in due time, as we have been, provided with an earth like this, wherein they too may obtain earthly bodies and pass through all the experiences through which we have passed, and then we shall hold our relationship to them, the fulness and completeness of which has not been revealed to us, but we shall stand in our relationship to them as God, our Eternal Father, does to us, and thereby is this the most glorious and wonderful privilege that ever will come to any of the sons and daughters of God. (Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin J. Ballard, pp. 239-40) TLDP:386
209. Fathers are the presiding authority in the home and have the responsibility for the direction and regulation of the home.
In the home the presiding authority is always vested in the father, and in all home affairs and family matters there is no other authority paramount. . . . The father presides at the table, at prayer, and gives general directions relating to his family life to whoever may be present. Wives and children should be taught to feel that the patriarchal order in the kingdom of God has been established for a wise and beneficent purpose, and should sustain the head of the household and encourage him in the discharge of his duties, and do all in their power to aid him in the exercise of the rights and privileges which God has bestowed upon the head of the home. This patriarchal order has its divine spirit and purpose, and those who disregard it under one pretext or another are out of harmony with the spirit of God's laws as they are ordained for recognition in the home. It is not merely a question of who is perhaps the best qualified. Neither is it wholly a question of who is living the most worthy life. It is a question largely of law and order, and its importance is seen often from the fact that the authority remains and is respected long after a man is really unworthy to exercise it.
This authority carries with it a responsibility and a grave one, as well as its rights and privileges, and men can not be too exemplary in their lives, nor fit themselves too carefully to live in harmony with this important and God-ordained rule of conduct in the family organization. Upon this authority certain promises and blessings are predicated, and those who observe and respect this authority have certain claims on divine favor which they cannot have except they respect and observe the laws that God has established for the regulation and authority of the home. (1902, Gospel Doctrine, pp. 287-88) TLDP:505
The Father is the head of every home, and even though the mother may be just as brilliant or more so, the father has been set apart by the Lord to look after his family. (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 344) TLDP:196
Fathers, you cannot delegate your duty as the head of the home. Mothers, train up your children in righteousness; do not attempt to save the world and let your own family fall apart. An evening at home once a week is good protection against the breakdown of the family.
The home is the rock foundation, the cornerstone of civilizations. This nation and others will never rise above their homes. The church, the schools, and even nations stand helpless before weakened and degraded homes. ACR(Taipei) 1975:3
There is no higher authority in matters relating to the family organization, and especially when that organization is presided over by one holding the higher priesthood, than that of the father. … The patriarchal order is of divine origin and will continue throughout time and eternity. There is then a particular reason why men, women, and children should understand this order and this authority in the households of the people of God, and seek to make it what God intended it to be, a qualification and preparation for the highest exaltation of His children. In the home the presiding authority is always vested in the father, and in all home affairs and family matters there is no other authority paramount.” (CR 2004Apr; Fatherhood, an Eternal Calling, Ensign, May 2004, p.69)
Related Witnesses:
quoted by John A. Widtsoe
Say your prayers always before going to work. Never forget that. . . . A father—the head of the family—should never miss calling his family together and dedicating himself and them to the Lord of Hosts, asking the guidance and direction of his Holy Spirit to lead them through the day—that very day. Lead us this day, guide us this day, preserve us this day, save us from sinning against thee or any being in heaven or on earth this day If we do this every day, the last day we live we will be prepared to enjoy a higher glory. (In new Tabernacle, Aug. 9, 1868, JD12:261) DBY:44
The greatest of the Lord's work you brethren will ever do as fathers will be within the walls of your own home. CR1973Apr:130; MPSG1976-77:221
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Paul's letter to the Saints at Ephesus in Asia Minor, about A.D. 62) Ephesians 6:4
210. Husbands and wives are equal partners in the marriage and family relationship (even though the man in the righteous exercise of the priesthood presides in the home).
With the Lord, the man is not without the woman, nor is the woman without the man.
Husbands and wives should never forget these basic truths. They should remember their relationship and the purpose of it.
They should be one in harmony, respect, and mutual consideration. Neither should plan or follow an independent course of action. They should consult, pray, and decide together.
In the management of their homes and families, husbands and wives should counsel with each other in kindness, love, patience, and understanding . . . .
Remember that neither the wife nor the husband is the slave of the other. Husbands and wives are equal partners, particularly Latter-day Saint husbands and wives. They should so consider themselves and so treat each other in this life, and then they will do so throughout eternity. . . .
The woman is not inferior to the man. It is true, of course, that the man holds the priesthood and in the righteous exercise thereof presides in the home. This he is to do, however, in the spirit with which Christ presides over His church. ("In the Image of God," EN1978Mar:2,4) TLDP:388-89
A Latter-day Saint marriage is a union of two equal partners, obligated to build a home where mutual love, respect, trust, fidelity, tolerance, patience, and kindness are some of the essential operating factors. And in the home where these prevail the ugly specter of divorce will never enter. CR1946Apr:29
[O]ur partnerships with our eternal companions, our wives, must be full partnerships. . . .
Our sisters do not wish to be indulged or to be treated condescendingly; they desire to be respected and revered as our sisters and our equals. . . . We will be judged, as the Savior said on several occasions, by whether or not we love one another and treat one another accordingly and by whether or not we are of one heart and one mind. We cannot be the Lord's if we are not one CR1979Oct:71-72
Brethren, love your wives. Be kind to your wives. They are not your chattels. They do not belong to you for your service. They are your partners. Love them; really love them, and stay close to them, and consider with them the family problems. And the Lord will bring down upon you blessings you have been unable to even imagine at this time. ACR(Stockholm)1974:104
In the beginning, God placed a woman in a companion role with the priesthood. The Gods counseled and said that "it was not good that the man should be alone; wherefore, I will make a help meet for him." (Moses 3:18) Why was it not good for man to be alone? If it were only man's loneliness with which God was concerned, he might have provided other companionship. But he provided woman, for she was to be man's helpmeet. She was to act in partnership with him.
In this pronouncement that it was not good for man to be alone, God declared a fundamental truth. The Lord gave woman a different personality and temperament than man. By nature woman is charitable and benevolent, man is striving and competitive. Man is at his best when complemented by a good woman's natural influence. She tempers the home and marriage relationship with her compassionate and loving influence.
Yes, it is not good for man to be alone because a righteous woman complements what may be lacking in a man's natural personality and disposition. Nowhere is this complementary association more ideally portrayed than in the eternal marriage of our first parents, Adam and Eve. (Woman, p. 69) TLDP:736
As to sex in marriage, the necessary treatise on that for Latter-day Saints can be written in two sentences: Remember the prime purpose of sex desire is to beget children. Sex gratification must be had at that hazard. You husbands: be kind and considerate of your wives. They are not your property; they are not mere conveniences; they are your partners for time and eternity. CR1949Oct:194-95
By divine design, husband and wife are equal partners in their marriage and parental responsibilities. By direct commandment of God, “parents have a sacred duty … to teach [their children] to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens [in the countries where they reside]” (CR 1996Oct; The Eternal Family, Ensign, November 1996, p.64)
211. Parents are to provide and care for their children.
But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. (Paul writes to his assistant Timothy, about A.D. 64) 1 Timothy 5:8
quoted by Mormon
And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked. . . . (King Benjamin concludes his discourse, about 124 B.C.) Mosiah 4:14
All children have claim upon their parents for their maintenance until they are of age. (Revelation received April 30, 1832) D&C 83:4
Our Heavenly Father placed the responsibility upon parents to see that their children are well fed, well groomed and clothed, well trained, and well taught. Most parents protect their children with shelter—they tend and care for their diseases, provide clothes for their safety and their comfort, and supply food for their health and growth. But what do they do for their souls? (EN1978Apr:2) DGSM:81
Doctrines related to marriage include individual agency and accountability. All of us are accountable for our choices. Couples blessed with children are accountable to God for the care they give to their children. (Nurturing Marriage, CR April 2006)
Related Witnesses:
receiving the Word of the Lord
And again, verily I say unto you, that every man who is obliged to provide for his own family, let him provide, and he shall in nowise lose his crown. . . . (Revelation through Joseph Smith at a Church conference, Jan. 25, 1832) D&C 75:28
212. Parents are to teach their children to honor and respect their parents.
also quoting Moses
We have the old commandment, "Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." Children should be taught and trained to honor their father and their mother. Their parents gave them life and cared for them when they could not care for themselves. Every child of every age should love and honor his parents. CR1963Apr:136
But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. (Paul writes to his assistant Timothy, about A.D. 64) 1 Timothy 5:4
Young men should be scrupulously careful to impress upon their minds the necessity of consulting with father and mother in all that pertains to their actions in life. Respect and veneration for parents should be inculcated into the hearts of the young people of the Church—father and mother to be respected, their wishes to be regarded—and in the heart of every child should be implanted this thought of esteem and consideration for parents which characterized the families of the ancient patriarchs.
God is at the head of the human race; we look up to him as the Father of all. We cannot please him more than regarding and respecting and honoring our fathers and our mothers who are the means of our existence here upon the earth. (IE1902Feb:307; Gospel Doctrine, p. 162) DGSM:82
Related Witnesses:
(First Presidency)
also quoting Moses
[T]housands of years ago, the Lord said to His Chosen People, "Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." The Lord asks you now to keep this commandment. (Letter to Primary children) TLDP:76; MOFP6:134-35
It is not enough to honor our parents in some narrow way. If we truly honor them, we will seek to emulate their best characteristics and to fulfill their highest aspirations for us. No gift purchased from a store can begin to match in value to parents some simple, sincere words of appreciation. Nothing we could give them would be more prized than righteous living for each youngster. Even where parents have not great strength of testimony, they will take pride in the strength and conviction of their children, if the relationship between them is a tolerant, loving, supporting one. (Dedication of Independence Missouri Stake Center, Sept. 1978) (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 348) TLDP:76-77
Related Witnesses:
And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. (Luke writes concerning Jesus as a youth) Luke 2:51
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
2. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) (Paul's letter to the Saints at Ephesus in Asia Minor, about A.D. 62) Ephesians 6:1-2
My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
21. Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.
22. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. Proverbs 6:20-22
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. (The Lord reveals the fifth of the Ten Commandments to Moses ) Exodus 20:12
Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. (Paul writes from prison to the Church in Colossae, Asia Minor, about A.D. 60) Colossians 3:20
213. Parents are commanded to teach their children by the time they are eight years old to understand the doctrines of faith, repentance, and baptism.
And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents.
26. For this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized.
27. And their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands.
28. And they shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord. (Revelation at the request of several elders, Nov. 1831) D&C 68:25-28
Every soul is precious in the sight of God. We are all his children and he desires our salvation. Free agency is given to each individual, but still the Lord has placed the responsibility upon all parents in the Church to teach their children in light and truth. He has placed the obligation upon all parents that they must teach the first principles of the Gospel to their children, teach them to pray, and see that they are baptized when they are eight years of age. Parents cannot shirk or neglect this great responsibility without incurring the displeasure of a righteous God. He has not relinquished his claim upon his children when they are born into this world and therefore commands parents to teach their offspring so that they may be brought up in the truth of the everlasting Gospel. For parents to fail to do this places them in condemnation and the sin of such neglect will have to be answered with punishment on their own heads. This is the law unto Zion and all of her stakes. CHMR1:260
It is the responsibility of the parents to teach their children. The Sunday School, the Primary, the MIA and other organizations of the Church play a secondary role. . . .
The Lord . . . gave us this law: when the child is eight years of age, he should have been trained—not that he should begin to be trained, as many of our parents surmise. (Remarks to stake Junior Sunday School coordinators, April 1959) (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 332) TLDP:454
Related Witnesses:
It is the duty of parents to teach their children the principles of the gospel, and to be sober-minded and industrious in their youth. They should be impressed from the cradle to the time they leave the parental roof to make homes and assume the duties of life for themselves, that there is a seed time and harvest, and as a man sows, so shall he reap. The sowing of bad habits in youth will bring forth nothing better than vice, and the sowing of the seeds of indolence will result invariably in poverty and lack of stability in old age. Evil begets evil, and good will bring forth good. ("Responsibilities of Life," Juvenile Instructor, Jan. 1917, p. 19) TLDP:453
214. Parents are commanded to teach the gospel to their children.
In our homes, brethren and sisters, it is our privilege, nay, it is our duty, to call our families together to be taught the truths of the Holy Scriptures. In every home, children should be encouraged to read the word of the Lord, as it has been revealed to us in all dispensations. We should read the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price; not only read it in our homes, but explain it to our children, that they may understand the hand dealings of God with the peoples of the earth. Let us see if we cannot do more of this in the future than we have done in the past. Let each one in this congregation today ask himself: "Have I done my duty in my home in reading and in teaching the Gospel, as it has been revealed through the prophets of the Lord?" If we have not, let us repent of our neglect and draw our families around us and teach them the truth. CR1914Apr:12; DGSM:81
receiving the Word of the Lord
But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth.
41. But verily I say unto you, my servant Frederick G. Williams, you have continued under this condemnation;
42. You have not taught your children light and truth, according to the commandments; and that wicked one hath power, as yet, over you, and this is the cause of your affliction. (Leading brethren in the Church are commanded to set their houses in order; Kirtland, Ohio, May 6, 1833) D&C 93:40-42
translating the Book of Moses
Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time.
58. Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children, saying:
59. That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory;
60. For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified; (The record of Moses : Enoch recounts God speaking to Adam) Moses 6:57-60
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (The people of Israel are commanded to teach their children) Deuteronomy 6:6-7
Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
19. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (The people of Israel are taught that they must obey God's laws, and teach their children) Deuteronomy 11:18-19
quoted by Mormon
And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.
15. But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another. (King Benjamin concludes his discourse, about 124 B.C.) Mosiah 4:14-15
Related Witnesses:
Parents are directly responsible for the righteous rearing of their children, and this responsibility cannot be safely delegated to relatives, friends, neighbors, the school, the church, or the state. CR1970Oct:21
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
215. Parents are to teach their children to pray.
And they shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord. (Revelation Nov. 1831) D&C 68:28
Teach them to pray the Church way. Have them say their own individual prayers, of course, and use whatever influence they might have in their own homes to get family prayer started every night and morning and so plan their own family lives after their marriage. (Remarks to seminary and institute teachers at Brigham Young University, June 1962) (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 117) TLDP:491
Of course there should be prayer and faith and love and obedience to God in the home. It is the duty of parents to teach their children these saving principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. . . . [Y]ou must begin by teaching at the cradle-side. You are to teach by example as well as precept. CR1948Oct:153
I am convinced that one of the greatest things that can come into any home to cause the boys and girls in that home to grow up in a love of God, and in a love of the gospel of Jesus Christ, is to have family prayer, not for the father of the family alone to pray, but for the mother and for the children to do so also, that they may partake of the spirit of prayer, and be in harmony, be in tune, to have the radio, so to speak, in communication with the Spirit of the Lord. I believe that there are very few that go astray, that very few lose their faith, who have once had a knowledge of the gospel, and who never neglect their prayers in their families, and their secret supplications to God. CR1923Oct:7-8
The home should be a place where reliance on the Lord is a matter of common experience, not reserved for special occasions. One way of establishing that is by regular, earnest prayer. It is not enough just to pray. It is essential that we really speak to the Lord, having faith that he will reveal to us as parents what we need to know and do for the welfare of our families. It has been said of some men that when they prayed, a child was likely to open his eyes to see if the Lord were really there, so personal and direct was the petition. CR1974Oct:161-62
Parents should teach their children to pray. The child learns both from what the parents do and what they say. The child who sees a mother or a father pass through the trials of life with fervent prayer to God and then hears a sincere testimony that God answered in kindness will remember what they saw and heard. When their trials come, they will be prepared. (CR 2000Oct; “Write upon My Heart”, Ensign, November 2000, p.85)
Related Witnesses:
Mothers should teach their little ones to pray as soon as they are able to talk. ("General Epistle," Millennial Star, March 15, 1848, p. 85) TLDP:452
quoted by Mormon
Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed. (The resurrected Jesus commands the Nephite people to pray, A.D. 34) 3 Nephi 18:21
216. Parents are commanded to correct and discipline their children (in the spirit of love).
Discipline is probably one of the most important elements in which a mother and father can lead and guide and direct their children. It certainly would be well for parents to understand the rule given to the priesthood in section 121. Setting limits to what a child can do means to that child that you love him and respect him. If you permit the child to do all the things he would like to do without any limits, that means to him that you do not care much about him. (Sydney Australia Area Conference, Feb. 1976) DGSM:81-82
The necessity, then, of organizing the patriarchal order and authority of the home rests upon principle as well as upon the person who holds that authority, and among the Latter-day Saints family discipline, founded upon the law of the patriarchs, should be carefully cultivated, and fathers will then be able to remove many of the difficulties that now weaken their position in the home, through unworthy children. (March 1902, Gospel Doctrine, pp. 288) TLDP:505
May I suggest . . . ways to enrich family life:
1. Hold family prayer night and morning. . . .
2. Study the scriptures. All of us need the strength that comes from daily reading of the scriptures. . . .
3. Teach children to work. . . .
4. Teach discipline and obedience. . . .
5. Place a high priority on loyalty to each other. . . .
6. Teach principles of self-worth and self-reliance. One of the main problems in families today is that we spend less and less time together. Some spend an extraordinary amount of time, when they are together, in front of the television, which robs them of personal time for reinforcing feelings of self-worth. Time together is precious time—time needed to talk, to listen, to encourage, and to show how to do things. . . .
7. Develop family traditions. Some of the great strengths of families can be found in their own traditions. . . .
8. Do everything in the spirit of love. . . .
. . . . As direction is given in the Church and in our homes, there should be no spirit of dictatorship and no unrighteous dominion. CR1983Apr:57-60
quoted by Mormon
And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.
15. But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another. (King Benjamin addresses his people, about 124 B.C.) Mosiah 4:14-15
Related Witnesses:
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. Proverbs 19:18
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Letter to the Saints at Ephesus in Asia Minor, about A.D. 62) Ephesians 6:4
In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.
13. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. (The Lord speaks to the child Samuel) 1 Samuel 3:12-13
Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; (Revelation received in Liberty Jail, March 20, 1839; the priesthood should be used only in righteousness) D&C 121:43
My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
12. For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. Proverbs 3:11-12
Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee. (The Lord reminds Israel of their forty year test in the wilderness) Deuteronomy 8:5
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. (Letter to the Jewish members of the Church, about A.D. 60) Hebrews 12:11
Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul. Proverbs 29:17
The Wintry Day, Descending to Its Close
HYMNS:37
The wintry day, descending to its close,
Invites all wearied nature to repose,
And shades of night are falling dense and fast,
Like sable curtains closing o'er the past.
Pale through the gloom the newly fallen snow
Wraps in a shroud the silent earth below
As tho 'twere mercy's hand had spread the pall,
A symbol of forgiveness unto all.
I cannot go to rest, but linger still
In meditation at my window sill,
While, like the twinkling stars in heaven's dome,
Come one by one sweet memories of home.
And wouldst thou ask me where my fancy roves
To reproduce the happy scenes it loves,
Where hope and memory together dwell
And paint the pictured beauties that I tell?
Away beyond the prairies of the West,
Where exiled Saints in solitude were blest,
Where industry the seal of wealth has set
Amid the peaceful vales of Deseret,
Unheeding still the fiercest blasts that blow,
With tops encrusted by eternal snow,
The tow'ring peaks that shield the tender sod
Stand, types of freedom reared by nature's God.
The wilderness, that naught before would yield,
Is now become a fertile, fruitful field.
Where roamed at will the fearless Indian band,
The templed cities of the Saints now stand.
And sweet religion in its purity
Invites all men to its security.
There is my home, the spot I love so well,
Whose worth and beauty pen nor tongue can tell.
