The 2nd Paragraph

The second paragraph of The Family: A Proclamation to the Word states:

"All human beings--male and female-- are created in the image of God. 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 premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose."

There is a reason why God created both male and female.  In his talk, For Time and All Eternity, Elder Boyd K. Packer taught:

"The plan of happiness requires the righteous union of male and female, man and woman, husband and wife. Doctrines teach us how to respond to the compelling natural impulses which too often dominate how we behave.

"A body patterned after the image of God was created for Adam, and he was introduced in the Garden. At first, Adam was alone. He held the priesthood, but alone, he could not fulfill the purposes of his creation.

"No other man would do. Neither alone nor with other men could Adam progress. Nor could Eve with another woman. It was so then. It is so today.

"Eve, an help meet, was created. Marriage was instituted, for Adam was commanded to cleave unto his wife [not just to a woman] and 'to none else.'"

Another man could not do for Adam.  He needed Eve.  He needed a woman.  This brings us to the topic of marriage--eternal marriage to be exact.  Elder David A. Bednar in his talk, Marriage is Essential to His Eternal Plan, gives us two compelling doctrinal reasons to help us understand why eternal marriage is essential to the Father's plan.

"Reason 1: The natures of male and female spirits complete and perfect each other, and therefore men and women are intended to progress together toward exaltation."

 Elder Bednar goes on to explain:

 "By divine design, men and women are intended to progress together toward perfection and fullness of glory. Because of their distinctive temperaments and capacities, males and females each bring to a marriage relationship unique perspectives and experiences.  The man and the woman contribute differently but equally to a oneness and a unity that can be achieved in no other way.  The man completes the woman and the woman completes and perfects the man as they learn from and mutually strengthen and bless each other."

Reason number two is pretty much a given, but in Elder Bednar's words he states:

"Reason 2: By divine design, both a man and a woman are needed to bring children into mortality and to provide the best setting for the rearing and nurturing of children."

Our gender is essential to God's plan and our eternal destiny as His spirit sons or daughters.  We were not just born the way we are.  There is no mistake in our gender.  There is no need to have an expensive operation to change your gender.  God gave us the gender that we have for a purpose, and it's up to us to learn what that purpose is and to work towards achieving it.

As always feel free to share with others.

The 1st Paragraph

The first paragraph of the document The Family: A Proclamation to the World states this:

"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."

 Right now this subject is quite controversial.  But I do have a testimony this this statement is true.  I have a testimony that the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles are prophets, seers, and revelators.  I know that they foresaw this day back in 1995 when this Proclamation was revealed.  I know this has come from God.

In BYU address given on November 5, 1995 titled The Family, President Henry B. Eyring said:

"A little child would feel safe hearing the words that marriage between a man and woman is ordained of God.  The child would know that the longing to have the love of both father and a mother, distinct by somehow perfectly complementary, exists because that is the eternal pattern, the pattern of happiness.  The child would also feel safer knowing the God would help mother and father resolve differences and love each other, of only they ask for his help and try. Prayers of children across the earth would go up to God, pleading for his help for parents and for families."

A child needs both a mother and a father.  Though circumstances may arise in life that would prevent a child to have both a mother and a father at home as stated later on in the Proclamation, but it's important that they have both as long as possible.

In the same address, President Henry B. Eyring said:

"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 honor 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."

 I'd like to point out "Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ."  I understand that there are members of the church that really struggle with same-sex attraction, but as long as they don't follow through with that temptation, then they have not sinned.   Families that have members in their family that struggle with this need to still love them.  If they will embrace them with love, then happiness in the family can still be achieved.

3 Aspects About the Title

It is important to know three aspects about the title.

1. The Subject
2. The Audience
3. Those who Proclaim

The title of the proclamation reads: "The Family: A Proclamation to the World--The First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

An address given at BYU on November 5, 1995 titled, The Family, President Henry B. Eyring states this concerning the title of the proclamation:

"Three things about the title are worth our careful reflection. First, the subject: the family.  Second, the audience, which is the whole world.  And third, those who proclaimed are those we sustain as prophets, seers and revelators.  That means that the family must be as important to us as anything we can consider, that what the proclamation says could help anyone in the world, and that the proclamation fits the Lord's promise when he said, "Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same" (D&C 1:38).

The world is losing it's sight on the family and what it means to be a family.  I hope you join with me in sharing the importance of this document to the world.

The Family: A Proclation to the World

My Project

My name is Charity Jacob and this semester I'm taking a class called Family Foundations at BYU-I online.  As a part of this class I'll be blogging my insights on what I'm learning from my class based on The Family: A Proclamation to the World, any videos or memes I might find that talk about the family, or I might post personal examples from my family that help emphasize the Proclamation.  Feel free to share anything you read here on social media.  My main goal for this project is to help share to the world the meaning of the family unit.