Marriage and Family

If it were beautiful beyond our power to imagine, we wouldn't want to live there forever single, if we have even the dimmest memory of the faintest vision of a family with beloved parents and  children like the one from which we came to this earth and the one that is our destiny to form an to live in forever. There is only one place where the will be families- the highest degree of the celestial kingdom. That is where we want to be.

~ Henry B. Eyring, The Family BYU Address, November 5, 1995

I like to tell a young couple who are being married that in the marriage relationship they ought to look first to one another, as they do across the altar during their marriage not first to their parents, not first to their siblings, not first to their friends, but in solving all of their problems, they should look first to one another, because the unity between them under the presiding, loving authority of a Heavenly Father in that triangle… is what will get them over the inevitable problems of marriage.

~ Elder Oaks, Round table discussion, 2008 leadership Training Meeting: Building Up a Righteous Posterity.

Happiness does not consist of a glut of luxury, the world’s idea of a “good time” Nor must we search for it in faraway places with strange sounding names. Happiness is found at home.

~ Thomas S. Monson, Hallmarks of a Happy Home, Ensign October 2001

Some of our most important choices concern family activities. May breadwinners worry that their occupations leave too little time for their families. Here is no easy formula for that contest of priorities. However, I have never known of a man who looked back on his working life and said, “I just didn’t spend enough time with my job.”

~ Dallin H. Oaks, Good Better Best, October 2007 conference.

Mothers who know do less. They permit less of what will not bear good fruit eternally. They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home. Mothers who know are willing to live on less an consume less of the world’s goods in order so spend more time with their children- more time eating together, more time talking, laughing, singing, and exemplifying. These mothers choose carefully and do not try to choose it all.

~ Julie B. Beck, Mothers Who Know,

There are multitudes of pure and holy spirits waiting to take tabernacles, now what is or duty? To prepare tabernacles for them; to take a course that will not tend to drive those spirits into the families of the wicked, where they will be trained in wickedness, debauchery, and every species of crime. It is the duty of every righteous man and woman to prepare tabernacles for all the spirits they can.

~ Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young by John A. Widtsoe

Being one in a family carries a great responsibility of caring, loving, lifting an strengthening each member of the family so that all can righteously endure to the end in mortality and dwell together throughout eternity. It is not enough just to save ourselves. It is equally important that parents, brothers, and sisters are saved in our families.

Robert D. Hales, The Eternal Family, Conference October 1997

No other success can compensate for failure in the home.

~ David O McKay, conference April 1935 

Allow marriage and family to be a great source of happiness to you by being completely faithful to your spouse, speaking uplifting to them, expressing to them your feelings of love, and spending great time with your children.

~ Elder Richard G. Scott, The Eternal Blessing of Marriage, Conference April 2011

Marriage should not be treated as a contract entered by pleasure from both partners that can be easily broken if it “ doesn't work out” without even regarding the children. Children need families with a mother and a father with a strong conviction to the gospel

~ Dallin H. Oaks, Protect the Children, Conference October 2012

My Own Thoughts and Testimony:

The family is ordained of God and marriage between a man and woman are essential for His eternal plan. God has given us families on this earth for many reasons, one is so that we may receive many of the richest sources of happiness while we are here. Another is so that we can have the opportunity to provide physical bodies for each of Gods spirit children. We are responsible to teach our children the truth and to raise them in righteousness. Marriage is sacred and beautiful and therefore the powers of procreation should only be employed within marriage. I know with all my heart that these things are true and that although the standards of the world might be changing, Gods laws do not change and I will proudly stand as a witness of these truths.