Sanctity of Life

                We can strengthen our families, communities, and nations by studying the document titled “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” and by following its precepts. One way to study the proclamation is one paragraph at a time. This is the sixth article in this series.

                The fifth paragraph of the proclamation states, “We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.”

                This paragraph clearly tells us that mortal life is sacred and should be revered and protected. It applies to human beings from the time they are conceived until the time they pass from this life into eternity. It warns against both abortion and murder.

                As president of Brigham Young University, Jeffrey R. Holland delivered a devotional address titled “Of Souls,Symbols, and Sacraments” to the student body on January 12, 1988. In this address President Holland explains why The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints considers sexual sin so serious.

                “Setting aside sins against the Holy Ghost as a special category unto themselves, it is LDS doctrine that sexual transgression is second only to murder in the Lord’s list of life’s most serious sins. By assigning such rank to a physical appetite so conspicuously evident in all of us, what is God trying to tell us about its place in His plan for all men and women in mortality? I submit to you He is doing precisely that – commenting about the very plan of life itself. Clearly God’s greatest concerns regarding mortality are how one gets into this world and how one gets out of it. These two most important issues in our very personal and carefully supervised progress are the two issues that He as our Creator, Father, and Gide wishes most to reserve to Himself. These are the two matters that He has repeatedly told us He wants us never to take illegally, illicitly, unfaithfully, without sanction.”

                As you study the fifth paragraph of the proclamation, you may want to share what you learn in a family home evening. This site has a wonderful family home evening program all outlined with lesson, music, activity, and refreshments. I hope you will use this outline and strengthen your family, community, and nation by understanding the doctrine that life is mortal life is created by God, sacred, and important to God’s plan for our eternal happiness.