THE FAMILY – A PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLD

I wrote this in 2004 and gave it my understanding of the proclamation as proclaimed by Gordon B. Hinckley the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at the time. Needless to say, I believe in the principles of the document.

“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.”

With the beginning of this proclamation, the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles are establishing the basis of the topic of the proclamation.  This proclamation centers on marriage and family and Heavenly Father’s purpose for them.  We are going to take a short look at The Proclamation and see what we can learn.

In the second paragraph, we read: “All human beings – male and female – are created in the image of God.”  We are taught this in Genesis 1:27. “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created he them.”  The book of Moses 2:27 confirms this: “And I, God, created man in mine own image; in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him; male and female created I them.:  Abraham adds his witness also, in Abraham 4:27: “So the Gods went down to organize man in their own image, in the image of the Gods to form they him, male and female, to form they them.”  Thus, in the mouths of two or three witnesses is the truth established. 

As we go back to the proclamation, we read: “Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.  Gender is an essential characteristic of individual pre-mortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.” So, according to the Proclamation and all that we have been taught as members of this Church, we are literally spirit children of a loving Heavenly Father.

We are taught that our purpose here on earth is to become more like our Father in Heaven and to attain Godhood just as our Father before us attained Godhood.  Psalms 82:6 reads: “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the Most High.”  And when we die, Ecclesiastes 12:7 tells us what will happen: “Then shall dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return to God who gave it.”  The Apostle Paul also taught this doctrine to the Greeks of being off spring of our Heavenly Father in Acts 17:28-29: “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your poets have said.  For we are also his offspring.  For as much then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.”

Going again to the Proclamation, we read, “In the Premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress towards perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life.”  In this, we are taught several things.  First and foremost, there is a premortal life.  If we are spiritual children of a Father in Heaven, we had to have lived in this premortal life.  The premortal life is where our intelligences were organized to become the children of God.  We recognized that Heavenly Father did this for us.  Scripturally, we learn from Abraham 3:22: “Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones.  And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.”

Now that we have established that we did indeed live in the spiritual realm, we had to have progressed as spirits, learning all that we could.  As we learned all that we could as spirits, we began to long to become more like our Father who had a physical body.  Our Father wanted us to progress and become like Him.  He recognized that there were many things that we needed to experience and learn.  He also recognized that we all had different talents and abilities and that in order to succeed, we had to learn to exercise our free agency.  We had to be free to choose to follow correct teachings.

With acknowledging the fact that there is a spiritual world or a premortal life, we then must take the step that a physical world needed to be created.  Once again, we need to examine the books of Genesis, Moses, and Abraham in order to get an account of the creation.  These references are Genesis Chapter 1, Moses Chapter 2, and Abraham Chapter 4 respectively, including the creation of our ancient ancestors, Adam and Eve.  I will leave you to compare these scriptures to discover the similarities of these accounts for yourselves since the actual creation is not my topic but necessary to mention in relation to the Proclamation.  In order to become an heir of eternal life, we need to experience life as a mortal and to be tried.

Going back to the proclamation, we read: “The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave.  Sacred ordinances available in Holy Temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.”

What was it that attracted you to the Gospel?  Was it the revelation that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are separate personages or was it the promise of eternal marriage with your spouse and the promise of being a family forever?  In Doctrine and Covenants 132:19, the Lord says:  “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 fullness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever.”

In the Proclamation, we find: “The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife.”  In Genesis 1:28, we find that commandment: “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.”

The First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve make a number of declarations in regards to the family in this proclamation: “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.  President Spencer W. Kimball taught that marriage and family should not be postponed for any reason.  He said in The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball page 328: “Supreme happiness in marriage is governed considerably by a primary factor – that of the bearing and rearing of children.”  President Kimball also said something very important about marriage.  He said, “It is not enough to refrain from adultery.  We need to make the marriage relationship sacred, to sacrifice and work to maintain the warmth and respect which we felt during courtship.  God intended for marriage to be eternal, sealed by the power of the priesthood in the temples of the Lord.  Daily acts of courtesy and kindness, conscientiously planned for, are part of what the Lord expects.”

President Kimball went on to say: “If two people love the Lord more than their own lives and then love each other more than their own lives, working together in total harmony with the gospel program as their basic structure, they are sure to have this great happiness.  When a husband and wife go together frequently to the holy temple, kneel in prayer together in their home with their family, go hand in hand to their religious meetings, keep their lives wholly chaste, mentally and physically, so that their whole thoughts and desires and love are all centered in one being, their companion, and both are working together for the upbuilding of the kingdom of God, then happiness is at its pinnacle.”

The proclamation continues with “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.”  Everything that we have learned by studying the Gospel tells us this.  The scriptures teach us this.  This is taught in one of the ten commandments, “Thou shalt not kill.”

“Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children.  ‘Children are an heritage of the Lord’ (Psalms 127:3).  Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteous ness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens where they live.  Husbands and wives – mothers and fathers – will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.”  Adam and Eve were righteous examples of parenthood.  They tried to teach their children about the Gospel.  Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob followed in their footsteps in teaching their children.  There are many examples throughout the scriptures, all the scriptures, including Lehi and Sarah, Nephi and his wife, Mary and Joseph.  Latter day prophets have all taught that training children in the way that they should go is very, very necessary.

“The family is ordained of God.  Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan.  Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honour marital vows with complete fidelity.  Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.  By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families.  Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.  In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.  Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation.  Extended families should lend support when needed.”

The First Presidency message for the month of August 2004 was about Fathers, Mothers, and marriage.  It goes into greater detail about this and the roles of parents in a family.  This is very important to them and to the Lord.  The Lord created family units starting with Adam and Eve and this is emphasized throughout the scriptures.  Even though Moses grew up not knowing his natural family or heritage, he was inspired by the Lord to learn about his family and return to them.  Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants gives us precise instructions regarding marriage.  In this section, the Lord uses Abraham, David, Solomon, and Moses as examples.

The proclamation also pronounces a warning: “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 before God.  Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring on individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.”  This warning has been given by modern prophets such as Brigham Young.  He taught that children needed to be taught with love and not harshness.  We see the evidence of some of these warnings now with more broken homes and young people with no respect for anyone including themselves.  The First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles conclude with an appeal: “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.”

These men have not pronounced anything new.  They have just re-iterated what the prophets have taught for millennia.  This is what the Lord wants for us and for all mankind.  We need to teach this to our friends and neighbours wherever we are.  The Lord demands this of us.  He wants us to set the examples for our neighbours and the rest of the world.  He wants a righteous people.  We need to work with our children and parents need to realize the tremendous responsibility that they have to the Lord and to their children.  Life is not complete without a spouse, without children.  The responsibilities that we undertake now will help prepare us for eternal life where we will have greater responsibilities.  This life does prepare us for the next life.

A Mighty Change of Heart

What does this mean, a mighty change of heart?  Is it when you go to the hospital and replace your heart with another one?  Or are we talking figuratively?  What will a mighty change of heart do for us?  How do we go about getting a mighty change of heart?  Do we only need to do this once in our lives?  These are some of the questions that I will attempt to answer this morning.

A mighty change of heart.  This implies that something needs to change.  Could it be that our thinking processes need to change?  or, is it the way we feel about life?  Aren't we okay as we are?

Many of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are converts.  We obviously thought that there was more to life than what our parents and those around us taught us.  We wanted to be closer to God and have God in our lives the same way that the prophets of Old Testament times and the apostles of New Testament times did.  They gave us examples that most people thought impossible to live because technology had gone much further than the prophets and apostles lived with.  We have more free time because our work days are now 35 to 40 hours long instead of from when the sun rises to when the sun sets.  We have more wealth than our ancestors who struggled to feed and clothe their families.  We can travel faster and farther in a day than our ancestors with either their horses or their own two feet.  Yes, our lives have more efficient tools, more education, and more recreation than our ancestors ever dreamed of.  We have a tendency to spoil our children by giving them almost everything they want. And, when we do this, we wonder why they don't appreciate the sacrifices that we make for them.

Do we ever think to thank Heavenly Father for the blessings of being born into the world at this time?  We know that because of the way we've grow up, we would find day to day living very hard if we were suddenly transported back in time to 200 years ago.  Some of us would find it difficult to live the way life was even just 50 years ago.  We depend on all the conveniences that we have acquired over the years.  I admit that I am extremely hooked on my laptop and being able to find the information that I want on the internet.  I seriously think that I wouldn't know what to do with myself without the internet.

So, back to the mighty change in heart.  As I mentioned earlier, we chose to join this Church because we saw that we had the opportunity of living a life that is close to Heavenly Father and our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  We were baptised and expected to feel differently right away.  We learned that we need to learn line upon line, precept upon precept.  We grew to our present level of understanding bit by bit.  We should be continuing to learn until the day we go home to Heavenly Father.

When I mentioned that we are converts, I think about the conversion process.  We had to learn the First Principles of the Gospel before we could make any informed decision about whether we wanted any part of it.  The missionaries that taught us gave us the information that we required.  We had to learn about the worldly sacrifices that we needed to make.  We felt that the Church was important enough to make these sacrifices.  We learned about the temporal laws.  We agreed with the principles because we may have previously come across them in the scriptures and questioned why did our parents not follow them.  We knew that we needed the Church and its teachings in our lives in order to live the life that we wanted.

Then came the day when we actually joined the Church, the day of our baptism.  We began to follow what the scriptures had been teaching us that our world was not following.  We began our conversion process.  We began to have a "Mighty Change of Heart".  We began to live a life that was in accordance with the teachings of the prophets and apostles. 

We also learned that there was more to the "Mighty Change of Heart".  We began to change our attitudes with regards to the spiritual laws, and repent of the things that we had been doing which we shouldn't be doing.  We had learned right from wrong while growing up, but also learned about the different shades of gray.  If it's right, it's right.  If it's wrong, it's wrong.  We needed to learn to have this in our lives.  Most of us still have some problems with this and how to cope with it.  This is where repentance comes in.  Because we are striving to become a God-like people, when we make a mistake, we begin to feel like we can't do it.  We are supposed to be good.  But our Saviour has told us that He will help us.  All that he expects of us is that we do our best.  Not our second best, but our best.  He will help us to succeed.  All we need to do in return is do our best, and realize that He is helping us and to be grateful that we have the help that we need.  This is the way that we become converted.

In 2013, I went to see the movie "Les Miserables" with a friend.  At the beginning of this movie, one of the main characters, Jean Valjean, had been convicted for stealing a loaf of bread because his nephew was starving.  He ended up serving time for 19 years and turned into a very bitter man.  Upon his release, his paperwork stated that he was dangerous and not to be trusted.  Near the beginning of the movie, Jean Valjean experienced prejudice against him because of the notations on his paperwork and was blessed to be able to spend the night in a religious institution.  He repaid the hospitality given him by stealing the silver.  When Jean Valjean was caught and taken back to the church, the priest told the officials that he had given Jean the silver and added two more pieces to the things already taken.  Jean was set free.  The priest gave him the silver on the condition that he make something of his life.

Because Jean was given a chance to improve his life by the priest, he felt obligated to do so.  He raised money from the silver and kept a couple pieces for a reminder.  He used the money wisely, and helped others so that they would not end up in the same circumstances that he found himself in at the beginning of the movie.

In this story, we can relate it to the Gospel.  Jean had sinned when he had stolen the bread.  At the time, he had thought that he would not have to worry about such a little matter, but the punishment lasted years.  When we sin against God and our fellow man, we could be paying for it throughout eternity.  For God cannot have any unclean thing in His presence.  The little things are the things that will condemn many of us.  This list includes dishonest, selfishness, pride, anger, impure thoughts, and disobedience among other things.

When the priest supported Jean Valjean in his claim that he was given the silver, it made Jean think.  It made him realize just what he was doing.  It made him realize what kind of life that he was about to embark on after being in prison for so long.  And it also made him realize why he was doing this.  Jean had hated the situation that put him into prison.  Even more, he hated the guards and the system that he thought condemned him by blowing the situation out of context and forcing him into a life that he did not want to live.  The silver gave him a chance to think about what to do.  He changed his name and destroyed the paperwork that was destroying any chance of an honest life. 

When Jesus Christ worked out the Atonement for us in Gethsemane, He gave us the chance to have the type of life that we look forward to for the eternities.  He gave us the chance to return to our Father in Heaven.  The only thing that he requires from us is that we accept Him as our Saviour, take His name upon us and obey His commandments.  He has given us the chance to think about our eternal lives and how we want to live them.  He has given us the opportunity to take a look at the direction that our lives were taking without the Gospel and why we were doing what we were doing.  The Atonement that Christ provided for us gives us the opportunity to change the direction that our mortal lives are going so that we will be able to live the eternal life that we want.

When Jean Valjean made his decision to use the silver in the way that the priest wanted him to use it, it changed his outlook on life.  He became a man who sought to help others, to care about the conditions that they were forced to live in, and to deal with those he helped with fairness.  He had a "Mighty Change of Heart".  He took his hatred and changed it into something that would benefit not only himself but others, too.

When we were baptised and confirmed members of the Church, we started on the road to increasing our faith and developing our testimonies.  We changed our lives so that not only we benefited from the change, but others also benefited through the service that we perform.  Those of us who learned to give service to help others rather than what we would gain from it also experienced a "Mighty Change of Heart".

Should we only experience one "Mighty Change of Heart"?  Did Jean Valjean experience only one "Mighty Change of Heart"?  The answer to both questions is no.

Jean Valjean became concerned and distracted when it looked like his past caught up to him.  He thought that the police official was in his office to arrest him.  However, the official did not fully recognize him until Jean helped free a man who had been trapped under his wagon.  Jean learned that a vagrant had been arrested and accused of being Jean Valjean and was about to be sent to prison for failing to keep his probation.  Jean worried about the situation, because if he gave himself up, his employees would lose their jobs and their incomes, but if he didn't, the man would lose his life.  Jean wanted the truth to come out, not only about the life that he was leading but also about the length of time that he served for what he thought was a small matter.

During this time of distraction, one of his employees was let go because she wanted to keep her modesty.  Because she was let go, she ended up in a situation that was not good.  She had a daughter whose life was at stake and she tried to make good choices but was finally convinced to make a bad choice, one that she paid for with her life.  Jean tried to rectify the problem by providing medical care and then promised her that he would look after her daughter.  Only when Jean took guardianship of the girl, did he learn to love.  He developed this love because the girl was dependent on him for love and support.  Jean had another "Mighty Change of Heart".  He learned to love.

As we go through our lives, we have the things that we need to sustain us.  We have the Gospel in our lives.  But do we live the Gospel fully?  Have we learned to love as the Saviour loves us?  Do we go out of our way to help others that desperately need our help?  Do we pray, study our scriptures, attend our meetings, and do all the things that the prophets have taught us?  Do we honestly try to become more Christ-like?

We are taught that we must endure to the end.  If we do not progress in our learning after our baptism and confirmation, are we enduring to the end?  The Gospel has principles that we need to learn about and to learn to incorporate into our lives.  These principles will replace the principles that Satan would have us follow.  These principles will teach us to love not only Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, but each other as well. 

It may be hard to learn the things that we need to learn, but we have the time.  The best way to learn is "line upon line and precept upon precept".  We will not be able to master all of the principles at the same time.  This learning will take time.  That is why we have been given this time for our mortal lives.  This is where we can make our mistakes.

Because we have been baptised does not mean that we cannot sin.  We are not a perfect people, yet.  We will still make our mistakes and we will still commit sins.  However, we have been given a gift through the Atonement.  We have the opportunity to repent when we make our mistakes and commit our sins.  We have the opportunity of confessing our sins to the Lord and others if necessary and redressing the wrong that we have done to others, by restitution if possible.  Often, we will remember what we have done.  The scriptures do not teach us that we will forget our sins, but they teach us that the Lord will forget our sins if we repent.  Sometimes, the Lord will have us remember what we have done so that we learn to avoid doing it again.  Once we have learned our lesson, the memory will fade.

As we increase our faith in Jesus Christ, we learn to accept His will.  We learn to trust that the Lord knows what is good for us and what we need to help us to grow spiritually.  We may think that we do, but as time passes by, we realize that we know nothing of the kind.  Life was not meant to be easy.  We often learn the most when we have challenges to overcome.  It is our challenges that help us grow and develop in the way that we are meant to develop.  If we use these challenges in a positive way, we will grow closer to the Lord.  Rather than thinking of them as challenges, we can think of them as opportunities.  As we grow closer to the Lord, our hearts will change in ways that will be phenomenal.  Only as we look back on our lives will we be able to see how far we have come.  Only the Lord knows how far we need to go yet.

If we will follow the Lord and do his will, we will be blessed and our children and posterity will also be blessed.  We will become humble, confident, eager to please God, grow in the capacity of love for Christ, others and ourselves, and become a Christ-like people.  We will have more "Mighty Changes in Heart" throughout our lives as we do the things that we should be doing in the manner and attitude that we need to have.  After all, once in the Celestial Kingdom, we will have great works to do.  We need to prepare for the eternities by following the Gospel in our mortal lives.

Let us let the Lord perform the operation of replacing our hearts of stone for hearts of flesh.  Let us keep our hearts of flesh healthy by assessing them periodically to be sure that we are on the right path and that we continue to grow in the Gospel and in the love of Christ.  Let us endure to the end so that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.

Will we be like Jean Valjean and have numerous "Mighty Changes of Heart" as we live our mortal lives or will we not grow but stagnate instead?