Families Are Central to God’s Plan

God made it pretty clear that families are important when he created Adam and Eve. The Holy Bible calls them “man and … wife” (Genesis 2:25), and the first commandment God gave them was to have children (see Genesis 1:28).

A line of families stand in front of houses
A line of families stand in front of houses

The Purpose of Families

What is the purpose of a family?

Families are central to God’s plan for His children. They are the fundamental building block of strong societies. Families are where we can feel love and learn how to love others. Life is tough, and we need people we can lean on. Home is a safe haven where we can get love, advice, and support.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

In 1995, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released an official statement about the importance of families. The document outlines the responsibilities of fathers and mothers and addresses key topics such as marriage, gender, parenting, and sex. Read the highlights below, or read the entire text here.

Excerpts from The Family: A Proclamation to the World

Marriage

“Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God.” 

Eternal families

“The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave.”

Sex

“God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.”

Parenting

“Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another.”

Fidelity in marriage

“Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.”

Marriage responsibilities

“Fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.”

Accountability

“We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God.”

Strengthening families

“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.”

God is our Heavenly Father

Our family here on Earth is organized like our family in heaven. Much like we can go to our parents for advice, our Heavenly Father is always there to give us help. When we pray, He listens and He answers.

“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” —Matthew 21:22

God loves us so much. He loves us even when we make mistakes, and He always invites us with open arms to return to Him. We glimpse our Heavenly Father’s perfect love for us in the profound love many parents have for their children. We can all experience Heavenly Father’s love as we grow closer to Him, and we can share that love with our families.

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