The Centrality of Family In the Restored Gospel and Other Faiths

1. The Centrality of FamilyIn the Restored Gospel and Other Faiths “The family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of his children..” Proclamation, ¶ 1

2. “Birth into a family was the way God chose to send His spirit children to earth.” WHY a FAMILY? Why not some other way? • We are, by our very nature, relational beings. • We are not whole without the characteristics and strengths of others. • Relationships provide the best means for individual growth and development. • Our greatest joy comes from our connection to others. • The family structure provides the best system for relationships. • Family ties are close, intimate, enduring. • Parents can be personal, life-long, invested guides. • The family structure is an eternal structure. • It is how we were organized before earth life. • It is the organization of exalted life beyond. “Family life here is the schoolroom in which we prepare for a family life [in the eternities]. And to give us the opportunity for family life there was and is the purpose of creation.” Elder Henry B. Eyring

3. Proclamation Truth Affirmed by World Religions The beautiful, eternal truths of the Proclamation are affirmed by the central teachings of world religions about the nature and character of the family. Indeed, there is a striking consistency across disparate faiths in the perspective that: • The human family derives from deity. • Marriage and family life is divinely appointed. • Parents and children have deep and lasting commitments to each other. • Sexuality is a gift to be exercised within divinely established limits. • The family is the central institution of society. • The family is the most important source of mortal joy and fulfillment. These shared convictions, properly understood, help bring all peoples of the earth together and help us join in defending families against the forces that would weaken and destroy them. (Text, p. 379-80.)

4. The Family Theology of the Restored Gospel “We are his offspring. We were spirit children: he was glorified and exalted in the life that went before. We could tell the difference between our spirit bodies and the glorified and exalted body which he possessed. He taught us eternal truths: there came into our hearts the great desire to progress and advance and become like him so that we could have glorified and exalted bodies and so that we could live in the family unit as he lived in the family unit. And as a consequence, he ordained and established what is called a plan of salvation. The Prophet Joseph Smith said, ‘God, himself, finding he was in the midst of spirits and glory’ ordained laws whereby they progress and become like him.” Elder Bruce R. McConkie Brisbane Area Conference, 1974

5. The Three Pillars of the Plan • Creation • Fall • Atonement First family unit formed, but could not grow Family could grow here, but could not be as family forever Family can be re-united and continue to grow forever

6. Unique Doctrine Unlike traditional Christianity, we believe the fall was a necessary partof the plan. And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and thy must have remained forever, and had no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.2 Nephi 2:22-23 (Our first parents, like us, needed children to grow--in both quantity and quality.) Unlike other world faiths, we believe the full eternal plan for families is made possible only through Jesus Christ. [Families are] made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood. D&C 76:69

7. The Eternal Plan IS Eternal Family To receive eternal life is to receive the fullness of the glory of God (whose glory is His family!) and is reserved only for families. For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Moses 1:39) These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all… (D&C 76-71) And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the parenthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; And if he does not, he cannot obtain it. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase. (D&C 131:2-4) “We must have the goal of eternal life not just in our minds but in our hearts. What we want is eternal life in families. We don’t just want it if that is what happens to work out, nor do we want something that might seem to be only approaching eternal life. We want eternal life, whatever its cost in effort, pain, and sacrifice.” Elder Henry B. Eyring Ensign, February 1998, p. 13

8. The Family Theology of the Abrahamic Faiths And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (The Lord speaking to Abraham, Genesis 12:3) And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. (The Lord speaking to Jacob-Israel, Genesis 28:14) For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true. (Alma 29:8) Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men; yea, even upon all the nations of the earth? (2 Nephi 29:7)

9. Judiasm: Marriage is holy and parenthood is a commandment. Jewish holy days are home and family centered. An orthodox Jewish novelist stated that, “One of the three questions in the world to come will be ‘Did you raise a family?’ The single life is in our faith a misfortune; childless marriage, a disaster; and a good wife, the chief delight a man can hope for.” Christianity: Jesus clearly taught the sacred and binding nature of marriage. Early Roman and Orthodox Christianity were influenced by Greek (Platonic) thought that saw marriage as worldly and sinful but later thought influenced by Aristotle and Aquinas allowed marriage to become sacred again. Most major Protestant faiths regard marriage as positive and sacred. Islam: In Islam, parental duty to children and a child’s responsibility to parents are core doctrines. The Qur’an stresses righteous marriage as sanctioned by God (Allah). Serving one’s parents is a duty second only to worshiping. Islamic belief suggests that the righteous will enjoy family relationships in the afterlife.

10. The Family Theology of Other World Faiths The great religious leaders of the world such as Mohammed, Confucius, and the Reformers, as well as philosophers including Socrates, Plato, and others, received a portion of God’s light. Moral truths were given to them by God to enlighten whole nations and to bring a higher level of understanding to individuals . . . . [A]ll men and women, regardless of religious belief, race, or nationality, . . . are truly [our] brother and sisters because we are sons and daughters of the same Eternal Father. 1978 statement by the First Presidency of the Church The Native Religions of India Hinduism: Has no single founder or belief system; has a complex amalgamation of primitive rituals and hymns, elaborate religious doctrines, folk traditions, and codes of social and political behaviors. In it, the ideal life follows a family-based path of four stages, including one in which “grand-parenting” is emphasized. Buddhism:Requires a life of moderation and rightness thought, speech, and action, sometimes referred to as the Middle Path; demands respect for and compassionate service to family members and others.

11. The Native Religions of China and Japan (Note: in China and Japan, most people practice “syncretism” or the synthesis of different religious beliefs.) Confucianism: Confucianism is a “quasi-religious philosophical tradition” that is especially concerned with the family relationships between husband and wife, parent and child, and living family members and ancestor. One overriding metaphor is that of filial piety, a child’s genuine respect for and devotion to parents. Taoism: Taoism means “the Way” and seeks to explain the natural order of things and insists that humankind should live in harmony with the universe and one another. Followers look to the ideal marriage relationship for understanding, seeing a world of complements, where each complementary pair forms a whole, rather than the more Western view of seeing a world of conflict, opposites, or chaos. Shinto: Shinto means, “the way of the gods.” Shinto (the native faith of Japan is a loosely organized collection of beliefs, customs, rituals and superstitions; it has no founder, no fixed doctrines, and no official scriptures. It includes the belief that all Japanese are connected by blood and consciousness as an immense family.

12. Oral Traditions of Africa and the Americas Africa: Socio-religious narratives often focus on heroic (often divine) male who defeats evil powers and establishes his people, marrying, and becoming a father figure to his people. Representative Native American Faiths Quiché-Maya:The central religious text of the Quiché-Maya is the Popol Vuh, which is first and foremost a family narrative, as well as a sacred text of counsel and prophecy. It shows how both gods and mortals are rewarded for family loyalty and chastity. Navajo:Tied to the landscape of the Southwest. In the Diné Bahanè, the First Man and First Woman gave birth to Changing Woman, who in turn, bore twin sons, the sons who, following their own marriages, established this people.