The Importance of Marriage and Family and the Great Plan of Happiness (LDS Caucus)

“The Family: A Proclamation to the World”, Family Guidebook,iv

In 1995, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issued “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”

This proclamation is a declaration and reaffirmation of doctrines and practices that prophets have stated repeatedly throughout the history of the Church. It contains principles that are vital to the happiness and well-being of every family. Family members should study the proclamation and should live by its precepts.

“We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

“All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

“In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life.

The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

“The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife.

We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force.

We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

“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.

“Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. ‘Children are an heritage of the Lord’ (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

“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.

“We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God.

Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

“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” (Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102).

The LDS believe the Lord has define who he is and his Godhead and all are one in mind but are separate personages.

When reading the scriptures one should be observant of the different meanings how the word flesh is being used.

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Before the restoration of all of things was restored through Joseph Smith by our Lord Jesus Christ!

There was no discernment in reading the scriptures or to distinguish the quality of one Kingdom from another.

With the lack of this knowledge it would cause man to stumble in his understanding between the different of Kingdoms and things and this shaded one whole out come in reading the scriptures.

In Geneses 2 let us read and observed carefully for Adam and Eve are still in the Garden of Eden a kingdom (in an eternal state) whose laws that are different from earth which is corporal kingdom (subject to death).

In the Garden of Eden is a Body of Flesh and Bone (eternal), leaving the Garden of Eden one becomes subject to death and so the Body changes to Flesh and Blood (corporal subject to death).

Gen. 2
21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. (eternal promise)

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

In this eternal state before the fall Adam and Eve are still in the Garden of Eden so they are Flesh and Bone. So in verse 24 when they say one Flesh they are still in a perfect state unless they should fall than they receive a Body of Flesh and Blood.

When reading Eph 5 notice in verse 30 the Lord is not talking about the union as temporal flesh but in they make a covenant with the Lord and the promise of eternal body of Flesh and Bone

Eph 5
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one (*in mind) flesh.

32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

*While on earth our minds are to become one with Christ so someday our corporal bodies become eternal bodies and we are restored to our heritage of the resurrected body of Flesh and Bone to reside in the Celestial Kingdom only in the CK are eternal bodies of male and female.

Those who lived the lesser laws have no gender and are appointed as Angels subject to those who have been exhausted.

Matt. 22: 30

30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

Mark 12: 25

25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

Luke 20: 35

35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:

D&C 132: 16, 18
16 Therefore, when they are out of the world they neither marry nor are given in marriage; but are appointed angels in heaven, which angels are ministering servants, to minister for those who are worthy of a far more, and an exceeding, and an eternal weight of glory.

18 And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife, and make a covenant with her for time and for all eternity, if that covenant is not by me or by my word, which is my law, and is not sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, through him whom I have anointed and appointed unto this power, then it is not valid neither of force when they are out of the world, because they are not joined by me, saith the Lord, neither by my word; when they are out of the world it cannot be received there, because the angels and the gods are appointed there, by whom they cannot pass; they cannot, therefore, inherit my glory; for my house is a house of order, saith the Lord God.

So many have wrestled with D&C 132 and applying all kinds of means that were subject to man finite mind. in this LDS Caucus there is a talk given that explains these things what it means eternal covenant, some were trying to apply plural marriage as being mandatory for exaltation but as on listens carefully that really was not the case, the covenant marriage is between man and God covenant.

By listening carefully one will have a clearer understanding!

The Importance of Marriage and Family and the Great Plan of Happiness (LDS Caucus)

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