The Proclamation: A guide, a Banner, and a Doctrinal Summary of the Church's Emphasis on the Family (Chapter 29)

Elder Russel M. Nelson sated that "The proclamation on the family helps us realize that celestial marriage brings greater possibilities for happiness than does any other relationship." In the text it sates that "The proclamation has served as a guide for individuals and families, a banner to communities and nations and a doctrinal summary of the Church's emphasis on the family." (Newell, 2012, p. 313). I think that the proclamation to the family has served as a guide especially during this particular time in our world today where the family unit is being torn apart.

The text sates that "More than ever, families are under attack. A culture of throwaway relationships; familial apathy and permissive values; and secularism, selfishness, and immorality has made the responsibility to build strong families more challenging and more important. The eternal truths in the proclamation counteract this culture and provide individuals and families with guide and a standard, a kind of Liahona or compass to chart their course." (Newell, 2012, p. 313).

We abide by the precepts of the proclamation because it is our mission to build eternal families and put our families first and to identify specific ways to strengthen their individual families. "The proclamation’s clear and simple language stands in stark contrast to the confused and convoluted notions of a society that cannot even agree on a definition of family, let alone supply the help and support parents and families need. " (M. Russell Ballard).




References:

• Newell, L. D. (2012). The Proclamation: A Guide, a Banner, and a Doctrinal Summary of the Church's Emphasis on the Family. In Successful marriages and families: Proclamation principles and research perspectives (pp. 313-3-18). Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University.
• Nelson, R. M. (2008, October). Celestial Marriage - Russell M. Nelson. Retrieved July 23, 2014, from https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/celestial-marriage?lang=eng&query=importance+of+the+Proclamation
• Ballard, M. R. (2005, October). What Matters Most Is What Lasts Longest - M. Russell Ballard. Retrieved July 23, 2014, from https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2005/10/what-matters-most-is-what-lasts-longest?lang=eng&query=The+importance+of+the+proclamation