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“We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society” (The Family: A Proclamation to the World, paragraph nine).
Thought: “One example of great importance for humanity is strengthening our own families. The principle of family home evening was given to us in 1915. President McKay reminded parents again in 1964 that ‘no other success can compensate for failure in the home.’ In 1995 the prophets of our day called upon all the world to strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society. . . . However worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace the divinely appointed duties that only parents and families can adequately perform.” —President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency
Song: “A Happy Family,” Children’s Songbook #198
Scripture: “According to the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles;” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:77).
Lesson:
Read the paragraph together.
Watch the Mormon Messages video, Families Can Be Together Forever. Ask family members what they felt from watching the video.
Discuss the following questions: “Why is the family so important?”; “What does ‘fundamental unit of society’ mean, and why does and should the family fit this description?”; “How can we encourage government leaders and other citizens to protect the family?”
Give each family member a copy of The Family: A Proclamation to the World to hang on their wall.
Encourage family members to share the principles found in the family proclamation with friends.
Testify of the truth of the teachings found in the family proclamation. Encourage other family members to share their testimonies as well.
Activity: Family Proclamation Memory
Now that you’ve explored the entire family proclamation, test how much your family remembers!
1. Create a set of memory cards. Choose a sentence or phrase from the family proclamation (such as “Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan”). Write the first half of the sentence on one card (“Marriage between man and woman . . .”) and the second half on the other card (“. . . is essential to His eternal plan”). Do the same thing for other sentences and phrases.
2. Mix up the cards and place them face down in rows.
3. On their turn, a family member picks up two cards. If the card is a completed sentence, they found a match; they leave the cards face up and get to have another turn (and can keep going until the two cards are not a match). If the cards are not a match, they must turn them back over and let someone else have a turn.
Refreshments: Mud Pie
1 cup flour
½ cup butter
1 cup chopped pecans
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 18-oz. tub frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
2 small pkg. instant pudding (try mixing 1 butterskotch with 1 chocolate)
2 ½ cups cold milk
1. Preheat oven to 300.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, butter, and pecans thoroughly; press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.
3. Bake for 15–20 minutes. Cool completely.
4. In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, and half the whipped topping until completely blended; spread over the crust.
5. In a medium bowl, combine instant pudding mix and milk; beat for 2 minutes and spread over cream cheese mixture.
6. Top with remaining whipped topping and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Serves 12.