The Family is Ordained of God

God has established families to bring happiness to his children, to allow them to learn correct principles in a loving atmosphere, and to prepare them for eternal life. -Family Guidebook (pamphlet, 1992), iv.

The home is the great laboratory of love. There the raw chemicals of selfishness and greed are melded in the crucible of cooperation to yield compassionate concern and love one for another. -Russell M. Nelson, Our Sacred Duty to Honor Women, April 1999

Understanding the eternal nature of the family is a critical element in understanding Heavenly Father’s plan for His children. The adversary, on the other hand, wants to do everything in his power to destroy Heavenly Father’s plan. In his attempt to defeat God’s plan, he is leading an unprecedented attack on the institution of the family. Some of the more powerful weapons he uses in his attack are selfishness, greed, and pornography. Our eternal happiness is not one of Satan’s objectives. He knows that an essential key to making men and women miserable like himself is to deprive them of family relationships which have eternal potential. Because Satan understands that true happiness in this life and in the eternities is found in the form of family, he does everything in his power to destroy it. -Richard J. Maynes, Estabilishing a Christ-Centered Home, April 2011

The home and family have vital roles in cultivating and developing personal faith and testimony. The family is the basic unit of society; the best place for individuals to build faith and strong testimonies is in righteous homes filled with love. Love for our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ is greatly enhanced when the gospel is taught and lived in the home. True principles of eternal life are embedded in the hearts and souls of young and old alike when scriptures are read and discussed, when prayers are offered morning and night, and where reverence for God and obedience to Him are modeled in everyday conduct. Just as the best meals are home cooked, the most nourishing gospel instruction takes place at home. Strong, faithful families have the best opportunity to produce strong, faithful members of the Church. The recent proclamation to the world on the family issued by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles makes very clear that the family is ordained of God. The proclamation warns that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets. -M. Russell Ballard, Feasting at the Lord's Table, April 1996

Scriptures:

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. -John 15:15, Holy Bible

At the same time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. -Jeremiah 31:1, Holy Bible

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. -Ephesians 3:14-15, Holy Bible

And after Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit they were driven out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth. And they have brought forth children; yea, even the family of all the earth. -2 Nephi 2:19-20, Book of Mormon

Definitions:

family - a husband and wife and their children.
ordain - to consecrate, to decree, to appoint, to establish, to enact with authority.
God - the one Supreme Being, the creator and ruler of the universe. -Dictionary.com

family- As used in the scriptures, a family consists of a husband and wife, children, and sometimes other relatives living in the same house or under one family head. A family can also be a single parent with children, a husband and wife without children, or even a single person living alone.

ordain - To appoint or confer authority or office. To use authority in the Lord’s Church, a person must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority. Although a person may receive authority by ordination, he uses it under the direction of those who hold the particular keys for that authority. -Bible Dictionary

Sacred Ordinances and Covenants Available in Holy Temples make it possible for Individuals to Return to the Presence of God and for Families to be United Eternally.

Temples are places of learning. Their principal purpose is to provide ordinances necessary for the children of God to enable them to return to dwell with Him. Temple ordinances lead to the greatest blessings available through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Everything in the Church—the meetings and activities, the missionary efforts, the lessons taught and the hymns—all lead to the work done in holy temples. One ordinance received in the temple is called the endowment. The word endowment means “gift,” and the temple endowment truly is a gift from God. The ordinance consists of a series of instructions and includes covenants to live righteously and follow the requirements of the gospel. The endowment focuses on the Savior, His role in Heavenly Father's plan, and the personal commitment of each member to follow Him. Another temple ordinance is celestial marriage. In this ordinance husband and wife are sealed to one another for eternity. A sealing performed in the temple continues forever if the husband and wife are faithful to the covenants they make. -True to the Faith (2004), 170-74

No Church-built facility is more important than the temple... We are grateful for these edifices and the blessings they bring into our lives. -Thomas S. Monson, October 6, 2012

Scriptures:
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. -Isaiah 2:2-3, Holy Bible

 
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. -Malachi 4:5-6, Holy Bible

And it came to pass that when they came up to the temple, they pitched their tents round about, every man according to his family, consisting of his wife, and his sons, and his daughters, and their sons, and their daughters, from the eldest down to the youngest, every family being separate one from another. And they pitched their tents round about the temple, every man having his tent with the door thereof towards the temple...-Mosiah 2:5-6, Book of Mormon

The elements are the tabernacle of God; yea, man is the tabernacle of God, even temples; and whatsoever temple is defiled, God shall destroy that temple. -Doctrine & Covenants 93:35

And Malachi, the prophet who testified of the coming of Elijah—of whom also Moroni spake to the Prophet Joseph Smith, declaring that he should come before the ushering in of the great and dreadful day of the Lord—were also there. The Prophet Elijah was to plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to their fathers, Foreshadowing the great work to be done in the temples of the Lord in the dispensation of the fulness of times, for the redemption of the dead, and the sealing of the children to their parents, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse and utterly wasted at his coming. -Doctrine & Covenants 138: 46-48

 

Definitions

Sacred - entitled to veneration or religious respect by association with divinity or divine things; holy; regarded with reverence

Ordinances - an established rite or ceremony; communion; sacrament

Covenants -an agreement, usually formal, between two or more persons to do or not do something specified.

Holy - specially recognized as or declared sacred by religious use or authority; consecrated.

Temples -an edifice or place dedicated to the service or worship of a deity or deities.

Return - to go or come back, as to a former place, position, or state.
United - to join, combine, or incorporate so as to form a single whole or unit.
Eternally - without beginning or end; lasting forever; always existing.

The Divine Plan of Happiness Enables Family Relationships to be Perpetuated Beyond the Grave.

Strengthening marriages and families is of utmost importance to Latter-day Saints. Families can be together forever. -Russell M. Nelson, Ask the Missionaries, Oct 2012

In a recent stake conference, the Lord’s tender mercies were evident in the touching testimony of a young wife and mother of four whose husband was slain in Iraq in December of 2003. This stalwart sister recounted how, after being notified of her husband’s death, she received his Christmas card and message. In the midst of the abrupt reality of a dramatically altered life came to this good sister a timely and tender reminder that indeed families can be together forever. With permission I quote from that Christmas card: “To the best family in the world! Have a great time together and remember the true meaning of Christmas! The Lord has made it possible for us to be together forever. So even when we are apart, we will still be together as a family. “God bless and keep y’all safe and grant this Christmas to be our gift of love from us to Him above!!! “All my love, Daddy and your loving husband!” Clearly, the husband’s reference to being apart in his Christmas greeting referred to the separation caused by his military assignment. But to this sister, as a voice from the dust from a departed eternal companion and father, came a most needed spiritual reassurance and witness. As I indicated earlier, the Lord’s tender mercies do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Faithfulness, obedience, and humility invite tender mercies into our lives, and it is often the Lord’s timing that enables us to recognize and treasure these important blessings. -David A. Bednar, The Tender Mercies of the Lord, Feb 2012

 
Celestial Marriage, Russell M. Nelson

Scriptures:

And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise. -Moroni 1:41, Book of Mormon

And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God. -Doctrine & Covenants 7:14

Definitions:

divine - of, related to, or proceeding directly from God
happiness - prosperity; joy
enables - to provide with the means of opportunity
perpetuated - to cause to last indefinitely
grave - death
-Meriam-Webster Dictionary
 

In the Premortal Realm, Spirit Sons & Daughters Knew & Worshipped God as their Eternal Father & Accepted His Plan by which His Children could obtain a Physical Body & gain Earthly Experience to Progress Toward Perfection & ultimately realize their Divine Destiny as Heirs of Eternal Life.

"Our physical bodies make possible a breadth, a depth, and an intensity of experience that simply could not be obtained in our premortal estate. President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has taught, “Our spirit and our body are combined in such a way that our body becomes an instrument of our mind and the foundation of our character.” Thus, our relationships with other people, our capacity to recognize and act in accordance with truth, and our ability to obey the principles and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ are amplified through our physical bodies. In the classroom of mortality, we experience tenderness, love, kindness, happiness, sorrow, disappointment, pain, and even the challenges of physical limitations in ways that prepare us for eternity. Simply stated, there are lessons we must learn and experiences we must have, as the scriptures describe, “according to the flesh” (1 Nephi 19:6; Alma 7:12–13)." -David A. Bednar, Things as They Really Are 

“We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the celestial kingdom. The great principle of happiness consists in having a body. The devil has no body, and herein is his punishment. He is pleased when he can obtain the tabernacle of man, and when cast out by the Savior he asked to go into the herd of swine, showing that he would prefer a swine’s body to having none. All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not. …The devil has no power over us only as we permit him; the moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes power.” -Joseph Smith

Scriptures:

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. -Holy Bible, Romans 8:16-17

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. -Holy Bible, 1 John 3:2

And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters. And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives. -Book of Mormon, Mosiah 5:7-8

Definitions:

realm - kingdom, sphere, domain
knew - to be acquainted with; to be aware of the truth or factuality of
worshipped - reverence offered to a divine being;
plan - method for achieving an end; goal
experience - direct observation of or participation in events as a basis of knowledge; the conscious events that make up a person's life
progress - a forward or onward movement; goal; advance; gradual betterment
perfection - freedom from fault or defect; flawlessness; maturity; the quality or state of being saintly
heirs - one who inherits or is entitled to succeed to a hereditary rank, title, or office; one who receives or is entitled to receive some endowment or quality from a parent or predecessor

Gender is an Essential Characteristic of Individual Premortal, Mortal, & Eternal Identity & Purpose

 “[Gender] in large measure defines who we are, why we are here upon the earth, and what we are to do and become. For divine purposes, male and female spirits are different, distinctive, and complementary. … The unique combination of spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional capacities of both males and females were needed to implement the plan of happiness.” -David A. Bednar, Marriage Is Essential to His Eternal Plan, Liahona, June 2006, 51; Ensign, June 2006, 83

"Understanding these truths ought to make it easier for us to feel like a little child, not just as we read the proclamation but throughout our lives, because we are children—but in what a family and of what parents! We can picture ourselves as we were, for longer than we can imagine, sons and daughters associating in our heavenly home with Parents who knew and loved us. Also, we know that in the premortal world we were men or women with unique gifts because of our gender and that the opportunity to be married and to become one was necessary for us to have eternal happiness. But now that we are here we can picture ourselves home again with our Heavenly Parents in that wonderful place, not only as sons and daughters but as husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers, grandsons and granddaughters, bound together forever in loving families." -Henry B. Eyring, The Family, Ensign, Feb. 1998

Scriptures:

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. - Genesis 1:27

Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. - 1 Corinthians 11:11


Definitions:

essential - of the utmost importance: basic, indispensable, necessary
characteristic - a distinguishing trait, quality, or property
identity - the distinguishing character or personality of an individual
purpose - something set up as an object or end to be attained : intention
-Meriam-Webster Dictionary

premortal - life before this life
mortal - this life
eternal - life after this life
-Michael's definitions

Each is a Beloved Son or Daughter of Heavenly Parents & as such Each has a Divine Nature & Destiny

Live up to the great and magnificent inheritance which the Lord God, your Father in Heaven, has provided for you. Rise above the dust of the world. Know that you are daughters of God, children with a divine birthright. Walk in the sun with your heads high, knowing that you are loved and honored, that you are a part of his kingdom, and that there is for you a great work to be done which cannot be left to others. -Gordon B. Hinckley, Live Up to Your Inheritance, Ensign, Nov. 1983, 84

Brothers and sisters, the most powerful Being in the universe is the Father of your spirit. He knows you. He loves you with a perfect love. God sees you not only as a mortal being on a small planet who lives for a brief season—He sees you as His child. He sees you as the being you are capable and designed to become. He wants you to know that you matter to Him. May we ever believe, trust, and align our lives so that we will understand our true eternal worth and potential. -Dieter F. Uchdorf, You Matter to Him, October 2011

Scriptures:

The worth of souls is great in the sight of God. -Doctrine & Covenants 18:10

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. -1 Corinthians 2:9

Definitions:

beloved - dearly loved; dear to the heart
heavenly - celestial, beatific, delightful
divine - of, relating to, or proceeding directly from God; directed to deity; heavenly, godlike
nature - the inherent character or basic constitution of a person; essence
destiny - something to which a person or thing is destined; fortune
-Meriam-Webster Dictionary

All Human Beings - Male and Female - are Created in the Image of God

While I was serving as a young bishop, Sister McKee, a widow in my ward, passed away. Among her things were three pet canaries. Two, with perfect yellow coloring, were to be given to her friends. The third, Billie, had yellow coloring marred by gray on his wings. Sister McKee had written in a note to me: “Will you and your family make a home for Billie? He isn’t the prettiest, but his song is the best.”

Sister McKee was much like her yellow canary with gray on its wings. She was not blessed with beauty, gifted with poise, or honored by posterity. Yet her song helped others to more willingly bear their burdens. We are sons and daughters of a living God in whose image we have been created. Think of that: created in the image of God. In our world, moral character ofttimes seems secondary to beauty or charm. But from long ago the Lord’s counsel to Samuel the prophet echoes: “The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). When the Savior sought a man of faith, He did not select him from the throng of the self-righteous who were found regularly in the synagogue. Rather, He called him from among the fishermen of Capernaum. Doubting, unschooled, impetuous Simon became Peter, Apostle of faith. A yellow canary with gray on his wings qualified for the Master’s full confidence and abiding love.

The Redeemer calls you and me to serve Him here below. May a true song come from our hearts as we do so. -Thomas S. Monson, “Canaries with Gray on Their Wings,” Ensign, June 2010, 4.

Scripture:

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. -Genesis 1:26-27

And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances? -Alma 5:14, 19

Definitions:

create - to bring into existence; design
image - a reproduction or imitation of the form of a person or thing; exact likeness; semblance
-Meriam-Webster Dictionary

Family is Central to the Creator's Plan for the Eternal Destiny of His Children

"Our family is the focus of our greatest work and joy in this life; so will it be throughout all eternity.” -Russell M. Nelson

"Our most important and powerful assignments are in the family. They are important because the family has the opportunity at the start of a child’s life to put feet firmly on the path home.” -Henry B. Eyring, Help Them on Their Way Home

Near the end of his life, one father looked back on how he had spent his time on earth. An acclaimed, respected author of numerous scholarly works, he said, ‘I wish I had written one less book and taken my children fishing more often.’ Time passes quickly. Many parents say that it seems like yesterday that their children were born. Now those children are grown, perhaps with children of their own. ‘Where did the years go?’ they ask. We cannot call back time that is past, we cannot stop time that now is, and we cannot experience the future in our present state. Time is a gift, a treasure not to be put aside for the future but to be used wisely in the present.” -Thomas S. Monson, Dedication Day

Scripture:

What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. -Mark 10:9

And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy. -Doctrine & Covenants 130:2


Definitions:

central - of primary importance: essential, principal

plan - a method for achieving an end. Goal, aim. An orderly arrangement of parts of an overall design or objective.

destiny - something to which a person or thing is destined: fortune
-Meriam-Webster Dictionary