Family Gems

Marital Relationships Must Be Rebuilt Everyday

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

“It is far more difficult to be of one heart and mind than to be physically one. This unity of heart and mind is manifest in sincere expressions of ‘I appreciate you’ and ‘I am proud of you.’ Such domestic harmony results from forgiving and forgetting, essential elements of a maturing marriage relationship. Someone has said that we ‘should keep [our] eyes wide open before marriage, and half shut afterward’ (Magdeleine Scudéry, in John P. Bradley and others, comps., The International Dictionary of Thoughts [1969], 472). True charity ought to begin in marriage, for it is a relationship that must be rebuilt every day.”

James E. Faust, “Fathers, Mothers, Marriage,” Liahona, Aug. 2004, 5

Topics: Marriage

Parents Must Make Their Convictions Apparent

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

“I think some parents may not understand that even when they feel secure in their own minds regarding matters of personal testimony, they can nevertheless make that faith too difficult for their children to detect. We can be reasonably active, meeting-going Latter-day Saints, but if we do not live lives of gospel integrity and convey to our children powerful heartfelt convictions regarding the truthfulness of the Restoration and the divine guidance of the Church from the First Vision to this very hour, then those children may, to our regret but not surprise, turn out not to be visibly active, meeting-going Latter-day Saints or sometimes anything close to it.”

Jeffrey R. Holland, “A Prayer for the Children,” Liahona, May 2003, 86

Topics: Parenthood

Fathers Need to Be Strengthened

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:00:00 MST

“In order to strengthen the father in the home, I make two simple suggestions: first, sustain and respect the father in his position; second, give him love, understanding, and some appreciation for his efforts. . . . “In terms of giving fathers love and understanding, it should be remembered that fathers also have times of insecurity and doubt. Everyone knows fathers make mistakes—especially they themselves. Fathers need all the help they can get; mostly they need love, support, and understanding from their own.”

James E. Faust, “The Father Who Cares,” Liahona, Sept. 2006, 4

Topics: Fatherhood, Melchizedek Priesthood

Family Prayer

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:00:00 MST

“Family prayer—that is a practice, once very common, that is largely disappearing. I believe that the very act of people supplicating the Lord in prayer, night and morning, would have a most salutary effect upon our civilization and our lives.”

Gordon B. Hinckley, “Inspirational Thoughts,” Ensign, Apr. 2002, 5

Topics: Prayer

Happy Marriages Require Selflessness

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Meanwhile, mortal misunderstandings can make mischief in a marriage. In fact, each marriage starts with two built-in handicaps. It involves two imperfect people. Happiness can come to them only through their earnest effort. Just as harmony comes from an orchestra only when its members make a concerted effort, so harmony in marriage also requires a concerted effort. That effort will succeed if each partner will minimize personal demands and maximize actions of loving selflessness.”

Russell M. Nelson, “Celestial Marriage,” Liahona, Nov. 2008, 94

Topics: Temple Work, Marriage

There Has Never Before Been a Greater Need to Teach Prayer

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Perhaps there has never been a time when we had greater need to pray and to teach our family members to pray. Prayer is a defense against temptation. It is through earnest and heartfelt prayer that we can receive the needed blessings and the support required to make our way in this sometimes difficult and challenging journey we call mortality.”

Thomas S. Monson, “Three Goals to Guide You,” Liahona, Nov. 2007, 119–20

Topics: Prayer

Our Family Is the Focus of Our Greatest Work and Joy

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Brethren and sisters, material possessions and honors of the world do not endure. But your union as wife, husband, and family can. The only duration of family life that satisfies the loftiest longings of the human soul is forever. No sacrifice is too great to have the blessings of an eternal marriage. To qualify, one needs only to deny oneself of ungodliness and honor the ordinances of the temple. By making and keeping sacred temple covenants, we evidence our love for God, for our companion, and our real regard for our posterity—even those yet unborn. Our family is the focus of our greatest work and joy in this life; so will it be throughout all eternity, when we can ‘inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities … powers, dominions … exaltation and glory’ (D&C 132:19).”

Russell M. Nelson, “Set in Order Thy House,” Liahona, Jan. 2002, 82

Topics: Fatherhood, Motherhood

Family Experiences Provide Important Development Opportunities

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Now is the time for each of us to work toward our personal conversion, toward becoming what our Heavenly Father desires us to become. As we do so, we should remember that our family relationships—even more than our Church callings—are the setting in which the most important part of that development can occur. The conversion we must achieve requires us to be a good husband and father or a good wife and mother. Being a successful Church leader is not enough. Exaltation is an eternal family experience, and it is our mortal family experiences that are best suited to prepare us for it.”

Dallin H. Oaks, “The Challenge to Become,” Liahona, Jan. 2001, 41

Topics: Family

Parents’ Lives Are an Open Book for Children

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 MST

“As parents, we should remember that our lives may be the book from the family library which the children most treasure. Are our examples worthy of emulation? Do we live in such a way that a son or a daughter may say, ‘I want to follow my dad,’ or ‘I want to be like my mother’? Unlike the book on the library shelf, the covers of which shield its contents, our lives cannot be closed. Parents, we truly are an open book in the library of learning of our homes.”

Thomas S. Monson, “Dedication Day,” Liahona, Jan. 2001, 78

Topics: Parenthood

Cultivate Family Relationships

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Let us not live a life … that would bring regret. … It is not going to matter very much how much money you made, what kind of a house you lived in, what kind of a car you drove, the size of your bank account—any of those things. What is going to matter is that dear woman who has walked with you side by side as your companion through all of the years of life and those children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren and their faithfulness and their looking to you … with respect and love and deference and kindness.”

Gordon B. Hinckley, “Inspirational Thoughts,” Liahona, Mar. 2006, 3–4

Topics: Marriage

Parents Are Divinely Mandated to Teach Their Children

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Not only are parents to cling to the word of the Lord, but they have a divine mandate to teach it to their children. Scriptural direction is very clear: ‘Inasmuch as parents have children in Zion … 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.’ “That commandment places responsibility and accountability for the teaching of children squarely upon the shoulders of the parents. The proclamation to the world regarding the family warns that individuals ‘who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God.’ Today I solemnly reaffirm that reality.”

Russell M. Nelson, “Set in Order Thy House,” Liahona, Jan. 2002, 81

Topics: Children, Teaching

Set Your Homes in an Order Pleasing to the Lord

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 MST

*!*“To set our house in an order pleasing to the Lord, we need to do it His way. We are to employ His attributes of ‘righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, [and] meekness’ (1 Tim. 6:11). Each father should remember 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).*!* “Parents are to be living examples of ‘kindness, and pure knowledge, which … greatly enlarge the soul’ (D&C 121:42). Each mother and father should lay aside selfish interests and avoid any thought of hypocrisy, physical force, or evil speaking (see 1 Pet. 2:1).” *!**!*

Russell M. Nelson, “Set in Order Thy House,” Liahona, Jan. 2002, 80–81

Topics: Righteousness, Example

Within Families Children Learn to Cope with This World

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Let us . . . honor the special place of the family. As James Q. Wilson wrote:“ ‘We learn to cope with the people of this world because we learn to cope with the members of our family. Those who flee the family flee the world; bereft of the [family’s] affection, tutelage, and challenges, they are unprepared for the [world’s] tests, judgments, and demands’ (The Moral Sense [1993], 163).”

Neal A. Maxwel, “The Tugs and Pulls of the World,” Liahona, Jan. 2001, 44

Topics: Family

Parents Should Cultivate a Spirit of Love in the Home

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Have we cultivated a spirit of love in our homes? Observed President David O. McKay, ‘A true Mormon home is one in which if Christ should chance to enter, he would be pleased to linger and to rest’ (in Conference Report, Oct. 1947, 120). “What are we doing to ensure that our homes meet this description? Do we ourselves meet it?”

Thomas S. Monson, “Dedication Day,” Liahona, Jan. 2001, 79

Topics: Motherhood, Love, Fatherhood

Families Should Give Priority to Worthwhile Activities Together

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Good choices are especially important in our family life. For example, how do family members spend their free time together? Time together is necessary but not sufficient. Priorities should govern us in the precious time we give to our family relationships. Compare the impact of time spent merely in the same room as spectators for television viewing with the significance of time spent communicating with one another individually and as a family.”

Dallin H. Oaks, “Focus and Priorities,” Liahona, July 2001, 101

Topics: Family Home Evening

Seek to Create the Ideal Family

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Through the restored gospel we learn there is an ideal family. It is a family composed of a righteous Melchizedek Priesthood bearer with a righteous wife sealed to him and children born in the covenant or sealed to them. With a mother in the home in an environment of love and service, the parents teach their children, through example and precept, the ways of the Lord and His truths. They fulfill their divinely appointed roles mentioned in the family proclamation. Their children mature by living teachings instilled from birth. They develop characteristics of obedience, integrity, love of God, and faith in His holy plan. In due course, each of those children seeks a companion with similar ideals and aspirations. They are sealed in the temple, bear children, and the eternal plan continues, with generation strengthening generation.”

Richard G. Scott, “First Things First,” Liahona, July 2001, 7

Topics: Melchizedek Priesthood, Example, Family

Family Scripture Study Will Protect Children

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 MST

“A study of the scriptures will help our testimonies and the testimonies of our family members. Our children today are growing up surrounded by voices urging them to abandon that which is right and to pursue, instead, the pleasures of the world. Unless they have a firm foundation in the gospel of Jesus Christ, a testimony of the truth, and a determination to live righteously, they are susceptible to these influences. It is our responsibility to fortify and protect them.”

Thomas S. Monson, “Three Goals to Guide You,” Liahona, Nov. 2007, 118

Topics: Scripture, Testimony

Families Are Strengthened through Gospel Activities

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:00:00 MST

“One example of great importance for humanity is strengthening our own families. The principle of family home evening was given to us in 1915. President McKay reminded parents again in 1964 that ‘no other success can compensate for failure in the home’ (Quoted from J. E. McCulloch, Home: The Savior of Civilization (1924), 42; in Conference Report, Apr. 1964, 5). In 1995 the prophets of our day called upon all the world to strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society (see “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Liahona, Oct. 2004, 49; Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102).”

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Heeding the Voice of the Prophets,” Liahona, July 2008, 5

Topics: Example, Family

Families Are Central to God’s Plan

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 MST

“That proclamation on the family helps us realize that celestial marriage brings greater possibilities for happiness than does any other relationship. The earth was created and this Church was restored so that families could be formed, sealed, and exalted eternally.”

Russell M. Nelson, “Celestial Marriage,” Liahona, Nov. 2008, 93

Topics: Marriage

Career Choices Impact Family Life

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Each of you has the agency to prayerfully and humbly choose how to approach your career opportunities. Every choice has a consequence. You cannot have everything and do everything. You must choose with eternal priorities in mind. I would hope that you will understand that there are no glamorous careers. Every form of employment has its own innate challenges. Many choices available in the world today compete with eternal goals and responsibilities. Many choices could persuade you to delay or limit the number of children you invite into your family. Many choices could rob you of critical time and energy necessary to adequately care for your spouse, your children, and your responsibilities in the Lord’s kingdom. These decisions are between you and the Lord. He knows the desires of your heart and your unique situation.”

Julie B. Beck, “Unlocking the Door to the Blessings of Abraham,” CES Fireside for Young Adults, Mar. 2, 2008

Topics: Family

Fathers Have Responsibility to Prepare Their Sons Spiritually and Temporally

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:00:00 MST

“As fathers, we also have the sacred responsibility to set a worthy example for our children to help them to become better parents and leaders in their own homes. Quoting Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve: ‘May we ask all priesthood leaders, especially you fathers, to help prepare your sons. Prepare them both spiritually and temporally, to look and to act as servants of the Lord’ (M. Russell Ballard, “Prepare to Serve,” Ensign, May 1985, 43).”

Claudio R. M. Costa, “Priesthood Responsibilities,” Ensign, May 2009, 57

Topics:

Children Can Learn Principles of Provident Living

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 MST

“We should regularly review our family income, savings, and spending plan in family council meetings. This will teach our children to recognize the difference between wants and needs and to plan ahead for meaningful use of family resources. . . . Whenever we want to experience or possess something that will impact us and our resources, we may want to ask ourselves, ‘Is the benefit temporary, or will it have eternal value and significance?’ Truthfully answering these questions may help us avoid excessive debt and other addictive behavior.”

Robert D. Hales, “Becoming Provident Providers Temporally and Spiritually,” Ensign, May 2009, 9–10

Topics: Family

The Temple and the Home Are Intertwined

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:00:00 MST

“There exists a righteous unity between the temple and the home. Understanding the eternal nature of the temple will draw you to your family; understanding the eternal nature of the family will draw you to the temple. President Howard W. Hunter stated, ‘In the ordinances of the temple, the foundations of the eternal family are sealed in place’ (Howard W. Hunter, “A Temple-Motivated People,” Liahona, May 1995, 4; Ensign, Feb. 1995, 2).”

Gary E. Stevenson, “Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples,” Ensign, May 2009, 102

Topics: Temple

Family Home Evening Is a Time for Strengthening Families

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 MST

“It is during the family home evening and in other family settings that we prepare our children to receive the blessings of the Lord. . . .“Family home evening is a very special time for us to strengthen ourselves and each family member. It is important to include the whole family in assignments for family home evening. A child could share the Primary lesson that he or she had last Sunday. Family home evening strengthened the faith and testimony of my own family.”

Claudio R. M. Costa, “Priesthood Responsibilities,” Ensign, May 2009, 56

Topics: Family Home Evening

Family Prayer Should Be Practiced with Faith and Trust

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:00:00 MST

“The practice of Church members is to kneel in family prayer each morning and evening, plus having daily personal prayers and blessings on our food. President Monson said, ‘As we offer unto the Lord our family and our personal prayers, let us do so with faith and trust in Him.’ And so, in praying for temporal and spiritual blessings, we should all plead, as did Jesus in the Lord’s Prayer, ‘Thy will be done.’ ”

Russell M. Nelson, “Lessons from the Lord’s Prayers,” Ensign, May 2009, 48

Topics: Prayer

Parents Teach Reverence through Example

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 MST

“We can exemplify reverence as we pray humbly, use the proper language of prayer, and speak the names of Deity appropriately. We can handle the scriptures with respect and teach doctrine from them with conviction.”

Margaret S. Lifferth, “Respect and Reverence,” Ensign, May 2009, 12

Topics: Humility

Avoiding Coveting Brings Freedom and Enjoyment

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Being provident providers, we must keep that most basic commandment, ‘Thou shalt not covet’ (Exodus 20:17). Our world is fraught with feelings of entitlement. Some of us feel embarrassed, ashamed, less worthwhile if our family does not have everything the neighbors have. As a result, we go into debt to buy things we can’t afford—and things we do not really need. Whenever we do this, we become poor temporally and spiritually. We give away some of our precious, priceless agency and put ourselves in self-imposed servitude. Money we could have used to care for ourselves and others must now be used to pay our debts.”

Robert D. Hales, “Becoming Provident Providers Temporally and Spiritually,” Ensign, May 2009, 8

Topics: Financial Management

Men and Women Were Created to Complement One Another

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:00:00 MST

“In His grand design, when God first created man, He created a duality of the sexes. The ennobling expression of that duality is found in marriage. One individual is complementary to the other. As Paul stated, ‘Neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord’ (1 Corinthians 11:11). “There is no other arrangement that meets the divine purposes of the Almighty. Man and woman are His creations. Their duality is His design. Their complementary relationships and functions are fundamental to His purposes. One is incomplete without the other.”

Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Women in Our Lives,” Ensign, Nov. 2004, 84

Topics: Family

There Is a Great Need to Strengthen and Safeguard Our Families

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:00:00 MST

“[A] very important message is the need to strengthen and safeguard our families. Far too many families are breaking up. This heartbreaking trend has an endless train of consequences. Happiness in marriage begins with husband and wife living together in love, kindness, and mutual respect, walking righteously and humbly before the Lord. It is contingent on being faithful to all vows and covenants.”

James E. Faust, “Did You Get the Right Message?” Ensign, May 2004, 67–68

Topics: Unity

United Families Are Central to the Gospel

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 MST

“The ultimate purpose of all we teach is to unite parents and children in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they are happy at home, sealed in an eternal marriage, linked to their generations, and assured of exaltation in the presence of our Heavenly Father.”

Boyd K. Packer, “The Shield of Faith,” Ensign, May 1995, 8

Topics: Faith

Does Your Home Have a Place for Gospel Priorities?

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Imagine that you are opening your front door and walking inside your home. What do you see, and how do you feel? Is it a place of love, peace, and refuge from the world, as is the temple? Is it clean and orderly? As you walk through the rooms of your home, do you see uplifting images which include appropriate pictures of the temple and the Savior? Is your bedroom or sleeping area a place for personal prayer? Is your gathering area or kitchen a place where food is prepared and enjoyed together, allowing uplifting conversation and family time? Are scriptures found in a room where the family can study, pray, and learn together? Can you find your personal gospel study space? Does the music you hear or the entertainment you see, online or otherwise, offend the Spirit? Is the conversation uplifting and without contention? That concludes our tour. Perhaps you, as I, found a few spots that need some ‘home improvement’—hopefully not an ‘extreme home makeover.’ ” “Whether our living space is large or small, humble or extravagant, there is a place for each of these gospel priorities in each of our homes.”

Gary E. Stevenson, “Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples,” Ensign, May 2009, 102

Topics: Teaching

Raising a Family Requires Selfless Service

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 MST

“A familiar example of losing ourselves in the service of others—this one not unique to Latter-day Saints—is the sacrifice parents make for their children. Mothers suffer pain and loss of personal priorities and comforts to bear and rear each child. Fathers adjust their lives and priorities to support a family. The gap between those who are and those who are not willing to do this is widening in today’s world. . . .“We rejoice that so many Latter-day Saint couples are among that unselfish group who are willing to surrender their personal priorities and serve the Lord by bearing and rearing the children our Heavenly Father sends to their care. We also rejoice in those who care for disabled family members and aged parents. None of this service asks, what’s in it for me? All of it requires setting aside personal convenience for unselfish service. All of it stands in contrast to the fame, fortune, and other immediate gratification that are the worldly ways of so many in our day.”

Dallin H. Oaks, “Unselfish Service,” Ensign, May 2009, 93

Topics: Service

Use Every Opportunity to Strengthen Families

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Scriptures, family home evening, and family prayer will strengthen families. We need to take every opportunity to strengthen families and support one another to stay on the right path.”

Barbara Thompson, “His Arm Is Sufficient,” Ensign, May 2009, 84

Topics: Family

Do Not Let Anything Replace Monday Night Family Home Evening

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Concerning family home evening, [President Hinckley] said, ‘Keep Monday night sacred for family home evening’ (Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting, June 21, 2003, 23).“Our children, just like their parents, have time demands on them in every aspect of their lives. They have activities involving church and school and friends. Many of our children are attending schools where they are the minority. Frequently the schools schedule events on Monday evenings—activities like sports, rehearsals or practices, choirs, and other events. We need to keep Monday nights free of other commitments so that we can have our family home evenings. No other activity is more important for our family.”

Claudio R. M. Costa, “Priesthood Responsibilities,” Ensign, May 2009, 56

Topics: Family Home Evening

Wisdom Is Found in Lessons of the Past

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Learning the lessons of the past allows you to walk boldly in the light without running the risk of stumbling in the darkness. This is the way it’s supposed to work. This is God’s plan: father and mother, grandfather and grandmother teaching their children; children learning from them and then becoming a more righteous generation through their own personal experiences and opportunities. Learning the lessons of the past allows you to build personal testimony on a solid bedrock of obedience, faith, and the witness of the Spirit.”

M. Russell Ballard, “Learning the Lessons of the Past,” Ensign, May 2009, 33–34

Topics: Education

Parents Should Teach Reverence through Patience and Love

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Reverent behavior is not a natural tendency for most children. It is a quality that is taught by parents and leaders through example and training. But remember, if reverence is rooted in love, so is the teaching of it. Harshness in our training begets resentment, not reverence.”

Margaret S. Lifferth, “Respect and Reverence,” Ensign, May 2009, 11

Topics: Reverence

Principles of Provident Living for Provident Providers

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 MST

“All of us are responsible to provide for ourselves and our families in both temporal and spiritual ways. To provide providently, we must practice the principles of provident living: joyfully living within our means, being content with what we have, avoiding excessive debt, and diligently saving and preparing for rainy-day emergencies. When we live providently, we can provide for ourselves and our families and also follow the Savior’s example to serve and bless others.”

Robert D. Hales, “Becoming Provident Providers Temporally and Spiritually,” Ensign, May 2009, 8

Topics: Financial Management

Parents and Children Are Admonished to Express Love to One Another

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 MST

“To you parents, express your love to your children. Pray for them that they may be able to withstand the evils of the world. Pray that they may grow in faith and testimony. Pray that they may pursue lives of goodness and of service to others.“Children, let your parents know you love them. Let them know how much you appreciate all they have done and continue to do for you.”

Thomas S. Monson, “Until We Meet Again,” Ensign, May 2009, 113

Topics: Children, Parenthood

The Temple and the Home Have Equal Importance

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Temple. One other word is equal in importance to a Latter-day Saint. Home. Put the words holy temple and home together, and you have described the house of the Lord!”

Boyd K. Packer, “The Temple, the Priesthood,” Ensign, May 1993, 20–

Topics: Temple

Our Homes Should Be Filled with Gospel Treasures

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 MST

“We may be well-advised to consider together, in family council, standards for our homes to keep them sacred and to allow them to be a ‘house of the Lord.’ The admonition to ‘establish . . . a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God’ (D&C 88:119) provides divine insight into the type of home the Lord would have us build. Doing such begins the construction of a ‘spiritual mansion’ in which we all may reside regardless of our worldly circumstance—a home filled with treasure that ‘neither moth nor rust doth corrupt’ (see Matthew 6:19–20; 3 Nephi 13:19–20).”

Gary E. Stevenson, "Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples,” Ensign, May 2009, 102

Topics: Family

We Can Make Our Homes as Sacred as the Temple

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Under the definition of ‘Temple’ in the Bible Dictionary, we read the following: ‘It is the most holy of any place of worship on the earth,’ followed by this insightful statement: ‘Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness.’ For me this suggests a sacred relationship between the temple and the home. Not only can we turn the doors of our homes to the temple, or the house of the Lord; we can make our homes a ‘house of the Lord.’ ”

Gary E. Stevenson, “Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples,” Ensign, May 2009, 101

Topics: Temple

No Matter Our Situation, We All Bear the Responsibility to Strengthen Families

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 MST

“It is the responsibility and blessing of each of us to strengthen our families and homes. Each of us is in a different family situation. Some families have a mother and father with children at home. Some couples no longer have children at home. Many members of the Church are single, and some are single parents. Others are widows or widowers living alone.“No matter what our family looks like, each of us can work to strengthen our own families or help in strengthening others.”

Barbara Thompson, “His Arm Is Sufficient,” Ensign, May 2009, 84

Topics: Family

Fathers Have a Sacred Responsibility to Lead Their Families

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 MST

“It is our responsibility as fathers to lead our families in daily family prayer, daily study of the scriptures, and in family home evening. We must prioritize and preserve these opportunities to build and strengthen the spiritual underpinnings of our families. President Hinckley said: ‘Try not to let anything interfere. Consider it sacred’ (Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting, June 21, 2003, 22).”

Claudio R. M. Costa, “Priesthood Responsibilities,” Ensign, May 2009, 56

Topics: Melchizedek Priesthood

Parents Can Offer Great Wisdom to Their Children

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 MST

“When you are willing to listen and learn, some of life’s most meaningful teachings come from those who have gone before you. They have walked where you are walking and have experienced many of the things you are experiencing. If you listen and respond to their counsel, they can help guide you toward choices that will be for your benefit and blessing and steer you away from decisions that can destroy you. As you look to your parents and others who have gone before you, you will find examples of faith, commitment, hard work, dedication, and sacrifice that you should strive to duplicate.”

M. Russell Ballard, “Learning the Lessons of the Past,” Ensign, May 2009, 31

Topics: Parenthood

Parents Offer Examples of Respect and Reverence for Youth

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 MST

“As parents and leaders, our examples of respect for each other are critical for our youth and children because they are watching not only the media—they are watching us! Are we the examples we need to be? . . .“As parents and leaders exemplify and teach respect for others, we confirm in the hearts of our children that each of us is truly a child of God and all are brothers and sisters through eternity. We will focus on the things we have in common—on the qualities of heart that bind the family of God together, rather than on our differences.”

Margaret S. Lifferth, “Respect and Reverence,” Ensign, May 2009, 11

Topics: Children, Parenthood

Economic Adversity Brings Vital Lessons

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 MST

“Our children are growing up in times of economic uncertainty. Just as our grandparents and great-grandparents learned vital lessons through economic adversity, what we learn now, in our present circumstances, can bless us and our posterity for generations to come.”

Robert D. Hales, “Becoming Provident Providers Temporally and Spiritually,” Ensign, May 2009, 7

Topics: Adversity

Marriage between a Man and Woman Is Sacred and Ordained of God

Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 MST

"The subject of marriage is debated across the world, where various arrangements exist for conjugal living. My purpose in speaking out on this topic is to declare, as an Apostle of the Lord, that marriage between a man and a woman is sacred—it is ordained of God. I also assert the virtue of a temple marriage. It is the highest and most enduring type of marriage that our Creator can offer to His children."

Russell M. Nelson, "Celestial Marriage," Ensign, Nov. 2008, 92

Topics: Marriage

Blessings Will Come When We Make Our Home a Sanctuary

Mon, 25 May 2009 00:00:00 MST

"Let us make our homes sanctuaries of righteousness, places of prayer, and abodes of love that we might merit the blessings that can come only from our Heavenly Father. We need His guidance in our daily lives."

Thomas S. Monson, "To Learn, to Do, to Be," Ensign, Nov. 2008, 61

Topics: Righteousness

Priesthood Holders Should Honor the Women in Their Lives

Fri, 22 May 2009 00:00:00 MST

"Of our wives, mothers, grandmothers, and sisters and other important women in our lives, President Hinckley declared: 'Of all the creations of the Almighty, there is none more beautiful, none more inspiring than a lovely daughter of God who walks in virtue with an understanding of why she should do so, who honors and respects her body as a thing sacred and divine, who cultivates her mind and constantly enlarges the horizon of her understanding, who nurtures her spirit with everlasting truth' (Gordon B. Hinckley, "Our Responsibility to Our Young Women," Ensign, Sept. 1988, 11). . . ."I know the immense joy and happiness that come from loving, cherishing, and respecting my precious wife with all my heart and soul. May your use of the priesthood and treatment of the important women in your life bring you the same satisfaction."

Richard G. Scott, "Honor the Priesthood and Use It Well," Ensign, Nov. 2008, 46–47

Topics: Womanhood

Pray for Others

Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 MST

"Do our spouses, children, and other family members . . . feel the power of our prayers offered unto the Father for their specific needs and desires? Do those we serve hear us pray for them with faith and sincerity? If those we love and serve have not heard and felt the influence of our earnest prayers in their behalf, then the time to repent is now. As we emulate the example of the Savior, our prayers truly will become more meaningful."

David A. Bednar, "Pray Always," Ensign, Nov. 2008, 44

Topics: Prayer, Family

Instruction in the Home

Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 MST

"The final desire of the Prophet Joseph Smith was to build a community of spiritual Saints. This begins in the home. The most important instruction our children will ever receive will be that which parents give to them in their own home, if parents diligently teach their children the way our Father in Heaven would like them to follow. One instruction our leaders have given us is to hold regular family home evenings where we can meet together weekly, learn gospel principles, and build family unity. Here we can counsel together, read the scriptures, pray together, and play together. Our greatest goal is to become an eternal family. We build a community of Saints one family at a time."

L. Tom Perry, "Building a Community of Saints," Ensign, May 2001, 37

Topics: Joseph Smith, Spirituality