A Family

            Families, communities, and nations are stronger when individuals recognize the importance of families and what a family should be. A family should not be just a related or unrelated group of people living together in a house. The ideal family is described as a husband, wife, and children. However, we all know successful families with a single parent and loving couples who are unable to have children. Single parents should receive support from extended family, and many childless couples “parent” nieces, nephews, and other young people.

            In September 1995 President Gordon B. Hinckley presented “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” to the women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This document is the combined work of fifteen Apostles of the Lord. It describes a family in the following paragraph. 

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

            The above paragraph teaches us what a family should be. This is the type of family that Heavenly Father desires for all of His children. However, we know that all families to not measure up to this description. Please compare the attributes in the paragraph above to the characteristics given by a foster child in Oklahoma that he/she wanted in their family (from Facebook).

I want food and water.

Don’t hit on me.

A house with running water and light.

I want love.

Mom and dad don’t fight.

I want no drugs.

Don’t kill my pets.

Help with school.

Nice clean clothes.

No lice. No bug in house.

Clean house.

Clean bed with covers.

Don’t sell my toys.

Treated fair.

Don’t get drunk.

TV in house.

Let me keep my games.

School stuff.

Nice shoes.

My own comb.

Soap.

Nice house and safe.

Air conditioner and heater.

Coat.

Toothbrush.

            Anyone with eyes to see should be able to see the great difference between what a family should be and the type of lives that many children endure. We must recognize what a real family is and then work to develop such a family. We can strengthen our communities and nations by creating strong families.