Fifteen Years Later . . . The Family Proclamation

Like many of you, I remember well the night "The Family, A Proclamation To The World" was presented during the Relief Society broadcast by then president of the church, Gordon B. Hinckley. But although I remember the reading of it, I had no idea at that moment how important the document would become to my family, nor how threatened the principles it teaches would become in our nation.



Today, September 23, 2010 marks the fifteen anniversary of that day. To commemorate the occasion, I wanted to share a few of my feelings, as well as some quotes from an article by Elder Henry B. Eyring, in the October 1998 Ensign.



During this past year our stake was asked to memorize the proclamation. This is the second time we have been asked to do this. Later, at stake conference, all who were willing to stand in defense of the family stood, and those who had memorized the proclamation recited it. It was a powerful moment, as hundreds joined their voices together in one voice and proclaimed the sanctity of life and the family.



I have come to love the proclamation. One thing that strikes me, is it teaches us that the family unit is eternal. Not just in the sense that we can be married here for all eternity, but that we ourselves belong to a spiritual family. And we always have. We have a heavenly mother and a heavenly father and we are their children. The family we have here is patterned after what we had there, and is also a type of what is to come. The family unit existing of a mother and a father has always existed and will always exist.


Everything about this life is to teach us about our heavenly parents so we can become like them, and we want to become like them so we can live with them again. Since they live in a family unit, having a family here is the best way for us to learn what they are like.


The world might teach us that the family unit is archaic, that fathers are unnescessary, that a woman's work is only valued outside the home, or that material possessions are what matter, but the proclamation helps us to know differently. And although achieving the ideal may be difficult, it is not impossible.

I love what Elder Eyring teaches us about that.

"Whoever we are, however difficult our circumstances, we can know that what our Father requires of us if we are to qualify for the blessings of eternal life will not be beyond our ability. What a young boy said long ago when he faced a seemingly impossible assignment is true: “I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them” (1 Ne. 3:7).


We may have to pray with faith to know what we are to do, [to improve our family and prepare for eternal life] and after obtaining such knowledge we must pray with a determination to obey. But we can know what to do and be sure that the way has been prepared for us by the Lord. As we read what the proclamation tells us about the family, we can expect—in fact, we must expect—impressions to come to our minds as to what we are to do. And we can be confident it is possible for us to do according to those impressions."


The Family Proclamation is truly a blue print for eternal life. It teaches us who we are, where we come from and where we are going. It teaches the importance of making sacred temple covenants and what we must to do keep them.


Basically it teaches us how to return to live with our Heavenly Father.


How grateful I am for inspired leaders who show the way. And for a Heavenly Father who loves us enough to allow us to be in families here, and families in the eternity.


For there is nothing my life that brings greater . . . joy to my journey, than my family.

Fun, fun, fun!!

Life has been busy, but also filled with a lot of fun.

Last night for family night we invited our friends the Holmes family to share the evening with us. We had yummy Chinese/Japanese food for dinner (complete with chop sticks) and then a lesson on the Family Proclamation.

Following the lesson, the Holmes' put on a very cute musical performance for us. They had put a shortened version of the proclamation to song and choreographed a dance to go with it. It was such a riot to see them all marching/dancing across our back porch with their plastic guitars and microphones singing their hearts out.

We loved it!!



And Wes couldn't help but be caught up in the excitement. He started "rock'n out" to the music as well.

Another fun part of the evening was the readiness activity for the lesson. Kristen wrote a skit that was so cute! She told the story of Nephi building the ship and how his brothers called him a fool and didn't want to help out. Then the story was redone--applying the proclamation, and this time his brothers offered their help. (All of this was acted out by all the kids)

But what was so cute is she did it like a news broadcast. The news network was called "ABC" which stood for "Another Brother Conflict" She had very cute lines like when the reporter commented to Nephi how he quickly got to building after being commanded by the Lord and Nephi responded, "I never wait before I go and do." (1 Nephi 3:7)

And when the reporters signed off they said, "Stay tuned for our story on Able's trek through Cain's Canyon." Of course we know that one isn't going to end very well. :-)

If anyone wants a really cute skit for FHE or for anything else--email me and I will send you her script.

IN OTHER NEWS . . .

Last Saturday was also the wedding of my very darling and talented niece Ronilyn to her high school sweetheart, Justin. She is pictured below with all of her cousins who were there to celebrate with her. We had so much fun at her wedding, luncheon and the reception at the Wright House in Mesa that night. It was all very beautiful--and I really need to get the recipe for her wedding cake. The lemon raspberry layer was delicious!!

And continuing with my update . . .

Michelle has discovered that having both of her older sisters home has been hazardous to the health of her gas tank. So she is trying to rectify that with the jar below. So far I think Wes and I have been the major contributors however, so I am not sure how well it is working. :-)

And lastly . . . Anyone have a clever caption for the picture below? I think it is begging for one.

(And I promise she was not left unattended.)

We are taking care of our sweet little grand baby, Carly, while her parents are having some much needed time alone in California.

We have had a lot of fun with her, but I have also realized that babies are SO MUCH WORK!! How do mothers do it? How did I do it? She seems to keep all of us hopping at all times.

One cute story. In church my husband sits on the stand. When Carly saw him sitting there, she wanted to be with him. About half way through the meeting she escaped and started running up the aisle as quickly as she could towards him, waving the entire time.

It was so funny to see Wes up there--a very proud grandpa, but also trying to be discreet while waving back.

We grabbed her and took her out--screaming. We thought that was preferable to having her up there with him, all eyes on them, and no one listening to the poor high councilor who was speaking.

So that is some of what has been happening with us.

Many good and fun things that are all bringing great . . . joy to our journey!