The LDS Daily WOOL© Archive - Family

(10/26/97)
"Some Latter-day Saint families are what we refer to as the 'traditional family,' consisting of parents and children all together in a permanent relationship, with both mother and father sharing in the responsibility of caring for children. Others have witnessed the loss of one of the parents and become one of the many single-parent families. I am one who grew up in a single-parent home. My father lost his life as a result of a construction accident when I was two years old, leaving my mother with seven children to raise. Even in single-parent families, the family continues on, for families are forever. Perhaps few human challenges are greater than that of being good parents. Yes, even with the best intentions, conscientious, good parents sometimes experience feelings of despair, failure, and hurt when children do not make right choices and turn out the way we would like. Even in those circumstances it is so important for parents to love, pray for, and never give up hope for a son or daughter who may have strayed or brought disappointment. Elder Howard W. Hunter stated: 'The responsibilities of parenthood are of the greatest importance. The results of our efforts will have eternal consequences for us and the boys and girls we raise. Anyone who becomes a parent is under strict obligation to protect and love his children and assist them to return to their Heavenly Father' (ENSIGN, Nov. 1983, p. 65)."— Ben B. Banks, Take Time For Your Children, General Conference, October 1993

(10/27/97)
"The Brethren have said to push the world back. We are many more than the ten needed to save Sodom and Gomorrah. How will we fight this battle as it continues? The faithful Saints of God, with the undergirding of His holy priesthood, are the most powerful force on earth. We must hold fast to forceful proclamations from God regarding the sanctity of life, His eternal and never-ending instruction to be chaste and pure. His loving counsel that families are ordained of God with a father, mother, and children to live together forever was not intended to be the exception, but the rule. A return to Christ by an individual will bring peace of mind in place of turmoil, tranquility to replace strife, courage and optimism in place of fear."— Durrel A. Woolsey, A Strategy for War, General Conference, October 1995

(10/28/97)
"We must recognize that the family is the cornerstone of civilization and that no nation will rise above the caliber of its homes. The family is the rock foundation of the Church. We therefore call on the head of every household to strengthen the family."— Ezra Taft Benson, Counsel to the Saints, General Conference, April 1984

(10/29/97)
"I believe we must constantly nourish the seeds of love, harmony, and unity in our homes and families. Fathers are to preside over their families in kindness, remembering that "no power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned" (D&C 121:41). Husbands and wives are to love each other with a pure love that transcends selfishness. In a single-parent family, the parent presides. Parents are to nurture their children and teach them the principles of right living. Regardless of the help other individuals or institutions may give, the Lord has placed this responsibility ultimately with parents. Children are to honor their parents (see Exodus 20:12) by obeying them, living as they are taught, and fostering peace in the home."— Joseph B. Wirthlin, Seeds Of Renewal, General Conference, April 1989

(10/30/97)
"In the plan of salvation, all families are precious instruments in the Lord's hands to help direct His children toward a celestial destination. The righteous molding of an immortal soul is the highest work we can do, and the home is the place to do it. To accomplish this eternal work, we should make our homes gospel centered. When peace and harmony abound, the Holy Spirit will ever be present. The storms of the evil one can be stopped at the very entrance of our homes."— Joseph B. Wirthlin, Spiritually Strong Homes And Families, General Conference, April 1993

(10/31/97)
"Be true to your families, loyal to them. Protect your children. Guide them, not arbitrarily, but through the kind example of a father, and so contribute to the strength of the Church by exercising your priesthood in your home and in your lives."— David O. McKay, Conference Report, April 1969

(11/1/97)
"And so we plead with you fathers to return to your little kingdoms and, with kindness, justice, proper discipline, and love, to inspire your family. We appeal to mothers to help create that happy family relationship. We desire that our people strengthen their families according to the pattern set by Abraham. We need to prepare all within our homes to serve beyond our homes, as calls and opportunities come to provide leaven for the world that wants for what we have."—The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p.338

(4/25/02)
"Parents have a divine duty to teach their children to love the Lord. Children have an equal obligation to 'obey [their] parents in the Lord.' (Eph. 6:1.)" — Russell M. Nelson, "Listen to Learn," "Ensign," May 1991, p. 23

(4/26/02)
"Some of the greatest lessons of gospel principles about the eternal nature of the family are learned as we observe how members of the Church, when faced with adversity, apply gospel principles in their lives and in their homes." — Robert D. Hales, "The Eternal Family," "Ensign," Nov. 1996, p. 65-66

(4/27/02)
"Parents have the glorious opportunity of being the most powerful influence, above and beyond any other, on the new lives that will bless their homes. Look around you, and you will soon discover that the greatest joy in this life, and the most comforting hope for the eternities to come, is found in the uniting of eternal family units. Whether we are married or single, we are a part of a family which can be eternal." — L. Tom Perry, "Proclaim My Gospel from Land to Land," "Ensign," May 1989, p. 14

(4/28/02)
"No sacrifice is too great to have the blessings of an eternal marriage. To most of us, a temple is easily accessible, perhaps so conveniently that the blessing is taken too casually. As with other matters of faithfulness in gospel living, being married the Lord's way takes a willingness to deny yourself ungodliness, worldliness, and a determination to do our Father's will. By this act of faith, we show our love to God and our regard for a posterity yet unborn. As our family is our greatest source of joy in this life, so it may well be in the eternity." — Ezra Taft Benson, "This Is a Day of Sacrifice," "Ensign," May 1979, p. 33-34

(4/29/02)
"The followers of the divine Christ have to be weighed on the scales of what their actions are rather than on solemn professions of belief. The true measure is found in Matthew: 'Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these..., ye have done it unto me' (Matt. 25:40). A wise man observed, 'The man who lives by himself and for himself is apt to be corrupted by the company he keeps' (Charles Henry Parkhurst, quoted in The International Dictionary of Thoughts [1969], 659)." — James E. Faust, "That We Might Know Thee," "Ensign," Jan. 1999, p. 2, 4

(1/9/04)
"At a time when families all across the world are falling apart, let us solidify our own, let us strengthen them, let us nurture them in righteousness and truth." - Gordon B. Hinckley, "True to the Faith," General Conference, April 1997

(4/26/04)
"Benjamin was not an 'I told you so' leader. He was genuinely concerned with whether or not his words had been received and applied. He also recognized the role of the family in teaching and implementing the commitments of discipleship. (See Mosiah 2:5-6; Mosiah 6:3.) He apparently did as the Savior did when He taught intensively and then directed His hearers to go and discuss with their families that which had been taught. (See 3 Ne. 17:3.)" - Neal A. Maxwell, "King Benjamin's Manual of Discipleship," Ensign, January 1992, p. 13

(5/18/04)
"Brethren, there is too little religious devotion, love, and fear of God, in the home; too much worldliness, selfishness, indifference, and lack of reverence in the family, or it never would exist so abundantly on the outside. Then, the home is what needs reforming. Try today, and tomorrow, to make a change in your home." - Joseph F. Smith, "Worship in the Home," Improvement Era, December 1903, p. 138

(5/30/04)
"In a world of turmoil and uncertainty, it is more important than ever to make our families the center of our lives and the top of our priorities. Families lie at the center of our Heavenly Father's plan.... We need to make our homes a place of refuge from the storm, which is increasing in intensity all about us. Even if the smallest openings are left unattended, negative influences can penetrate the very walls of our homes." - L. Tom Perry, "The Importance of the Family," General Conference, April 2003

(6/10/04)
"Faithful attendance at Church, together with careful attention to the needs of the family, is a near-perfect combination. In Church we are taught the Great Plan of Happiness. (See Alma 12:32.) At home we apply what we have learned. Every call, every service in the Church brings experience and valuable insights which carry over into family life." — Boyd K. Packer, "Parents in Zion," Ensign, November 1998, p. 23

(8/6/04)
"The fact that some members do not have functioning traditional families is no reason to move in a direction that would diminish or abandon family activities among those who can and should foster them. With the increased onslaught of forces that cause families to disintegrate, we ought to dig in our heels to preserve all that is great and good in the family. We are reminded that in times of tribulations, the Nephites were not fighting for a political cause, such as monarchy or power; rather, they 'were inspired by a better cause.' For 'they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church.' (Alma 43:45.)" - James E. Faust, "Where Is the Church?" Ensign, August 1990, p. 66

(1/23/05)
"If a family loses its cherished human values and deteriorates into only the form of a family, it has lost what a family is for. Whatever changes are said to have occurred in our time, there is left to the family the most important purpose of all-the satisfaction of the basic emotional and spiritual needs of its members. In any era, one has written, society is a 'web of which the family forms the central strands.' In home, family, and love lie the resources that fulfill the life of the individual and the life of the community; indeed, the resources that would redeem our troubled world and bring it lasting peace. Children must be safeguarded and reared. Only in the home can children be assured of the love and direction they need to live life, and only parents who genuinely love can meet those needs. But it must be more than a preached or pronounced love; it must be love that takes time, makes the effort, listens patiently, gives freely, forgives generously, 'provides the amenities that will grace and adorn and make beautiful the relationships of family life.'" - Marion D. Hanks, "Practicing What We Preach," Ensign, June 1971, p. 92

(4/1/05)
"There is no spirit but what was pure and holy when it came here from the celestial world.... He is the Father of our spirits; and if we could know, understand, and do His will, every soul would be prepared to return back into His presence. And when they get there, they would see that they had formerly lived there for ages, that they had previously been acquainted with every nook and corner, with the palaces, walks, and gardens; and they would embrace their Father, and He would embrace them and say, 'My son, my daughter, I have you again;' and the child would say, 'O my Father, my Father, I am here again.'" - Brigham Young, "Journal of Discourses," 4:268

(4/27/05)
"The family is a creation of the Almighty. It represents the most sacred of all relationships. It represents the most serious of all undertakings. It is the fundamental organization of society." - Gordon B. Hinckley, "The Great Things Which God Has Revealed," General Conference, April 2005

(6/30/05)
"Sisters in Zion, could there be a more rewarding calling than to labor in the Lord's vineyard for the salvation of souls? We have the choice privilege of strengthening families and influencing those who have been placed in our care, as well as those who have preceded us beyond the veil. Lest we think the task is too hard, be reminded that angels will be round about us to bear us up if we are willing to do our part. The promised blessings are almost more than we can imagine.

"We have been blessed by a prophet of God in our day as he said: 'We pray for you. We sustain you. We honor you as you bear, nourish, train, teach, and love for eternity. I promise you the blessings of heaven and 'all that [the] Father hath' (see D&C 84:38) as you magnify the noblest calling of all' (Benson, To the Mothers in Zion, p. 13)." - Joanne B. Doxey, "Strengthening the Family," Ensign, Nov. 1987, 92

(8/6/05)
"Family home evenings are for everyone, whether it be in a two-parent home, a single-parent home, or in a single-member family unit. Home teachers, we call upon you in your regular visits to encourage and revitalize the holding of family home evenings." - L. Tom Perry, "Therefore I Was Taught," Ensign, May 1994, 38

1/21/06
"Husbands and wives who love each other will find that love and loyalty are reciprocated. This love will provide a nurturing atmosphere for the emotional growth of children. Family life should be a time of happiness and joy that children can look back on with fond memories and associations.

"Hear these simple admonitions from the Lord which may be applied to the marriage covenant.

"First: See that ye love one another; cease to be covetous; learn to impart one to another as the gospel requires. Cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another. (D&C 88:123-24.)

"Second: Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else. Thou shalt not commit adultery. (D&C 42:22, 24.)

"Third: He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention. (3 Ne. 11:29.)" - Ezra Taft Benson, "Fundamentals of Enduring Family Relationships," Ensign (CR), November 1982, p.59

10/31/07
"I know that many of you are concerned about raising your children during these difficult times and increasing their faith. When my wife and I were starting our family in the San Francisco Bay Area, we had that same concern. At a critical point our stake members were advised by Elder Harold B. Lee, then a member of the Twelve, that we could raise our families in righteousness if we would:

 
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