Week 1: A Proclamation to the World

In 1995, President Gordon B. Hinckley, prophet and seer of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, spoke in a General Relief Society meeting and read the document "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" to the church for the first time. President Hinckley said that he and the brethren had felt impressed to declare directly and simply the beliefs of the church regarding the family and its sanctity. I'm grateful that the brethren followed their inspiration and gave us such clear counsel to guide us as we respectfully defend our beliefs to others.

President Boyd K. Packer said:

"True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior."

I believe that this is the purpose of the Proclamation to the Family; to present true doctrine in the hopes of improving the attitude towards and perception of the family in today's society. I have a testimony that the principles taught in the Proclamation are true and of the utmost importance - to ourselves, to our own families, and to the world. I believe the family to be God's greatest glory. I know He loves us and wants us to return to Him as a family. I'm grateful for my family and the knowledge that I can be with them forever.

President Gordon B. Hinckley said:

"God is the designer of the family. He intended that the greatest of happiness, the most satisfying aspects of life, the deepest joys should come in our association together and our concerns for one another as fathers and mothers and children."

I love that quotation. I love that the happiest and most satisfying aspects of life occur within the home and family. I know that our pathway to exaltation is not an individual journey; we are meant to travel together, to support each other, to freely give love where it is needed, and to befriend those that feel they are alone. Elder Maxwell said that too often we behave as if we were in a massive competition with other's for God's love. But we have His love, freely and unequivocally. It is our love of Him and others that remains to be proven.

It is my prayer that we may learn together to love the Savior more and the admiration of men less. I pray that through this experience my testimony of the family may become stronger and that we may all be better able to defend this most precious blessing to those that would tear it down. Our class this week ended with a youtube clip of Brian Stoke's Mitchell singing "The Impossible Dream" with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I've posted it below, and I hope that you'll take the time to watch it and listen to the lyrics. They embody what I think our mission as church members should be - to fight with all our courage for what we know to be right, to reach the unreachable star, and to march into hell itself for a heavenly cause.

God lives and loves us. He believes in us. I pray that we might believe in His ability to help us. Have a wonderful week! :)