“The Family: A Proclamation to the World” is a prophetic statement written to help us understand Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ’s teachings on marriage and family. This lesson is intended to help students better understand the central role of families in Heavenly Father’s plan.
Possible Learning Activities
Before class, ensure that students will each have access to “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” either in digital format or as a hard copy. There may be a copy included in students’ study journals.
“The family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children”
Consider displaying the words from the preceding heading on the board in random order. Give students one minute to try to unscramble them in their minds. Then invite them to find and mark these words at the end of the first paragraph of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”
Then invite a discussion using questions such as the following:
Why is the family central to God’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children?
Knowing that every family faces trials and that we are all imperfect, what would you share about Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ’s Atonement, and the plan of salvation that could help teenagers worried about their family situations?
Consider listing the following words and phrases on the board before class. Invite students to read through the list.
The importance of marriage
Divorce
Abuse
Gender identity
Same-sex marriage
Having children
Sexual relations outside of marriage
Abortion
Happiness in families
Note: As you teach today’s lesson, be aware of the sensitive nature of the topics that will be addressed. You may want to remind students to strive to have Christlike love, sensitivity, and understanding as they discuss these topics.
Which of these topics do people have questions or concerns about today?
Where do you think people often go to find answers about these issues?
Consider giving students time to ponder their understanding of these issues and what questions they might have.
Why is it important to know what God has taught about these topics?
This lesson can help students find answers to some of their questions and concerns. Invite them to seek revelation from the Holy Ghost to guide them as they study “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” today and throughout the week.
The family proclamation
To help students understand some reasons for the Lord inspiring the writing of the family proclamation, consider sharing the following statement made when the proclamation was introduced.
Note: The word sophistry refers to deceitful teachings.
President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) stated:
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President Gordon B. Hinckley
With so much of sophistry that is passed off as truth, with so much of deception concerning standards and values, with so much of allurement and enticement to take on the slow stain of the world, we have felt to warn and forewarn. In furtherance of this we of the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles now issue a proclamation to the Church and to the world as a declaration and reaffirmation of standards, doctrines, and practices relative to the family which the prophets, seers, and revelators of this church have repeatedly stated throughout its history. (Gordon B. Hinckley, “Stand Strong against the Wiles of the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 100)
What stands out to you about why the family proclamation was issued?
Read paragraphs 1–3 of the family proclamation, looking for what God taught about some of the topics on the board.
Focus on truths that lead to conversion and build faith in Jesus Christ: The activity below suggests one way for students to state principles of conversion that they identify. For help in teaching this, see the training titled “Focus on truths that lead to conversion and build faith in Jesus Christ” in Teacher Development Skills: Teach the Doctrine. Consider practicing the skill “Ask questions that help students identify and state converting principles.”
Consider inviting students to write truths they find next to the related topic on the board. They could also share how the truth they wrote could help address the related topic.
The following are some truths students might mention:
Family is central to Heavenly Father’s plan for His children.
Gender is an essential characteristic of individual identity and purpose.
God’s plan enables family relationships to continue after death.
This could be a good opportunity for students to share insights or bring up questions they might have.
The following three sections of the lesson explore each of the above truths. Depending on available time and the needs of your students, choose one or more of these truths to focus on. Or you could study other truths that better address students’ questions and needs.
1. Family is central to Heavenly Father’s plan for His children.
Consider dividing students into pairs. Invite partners to take turns sharing everything they can about Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation in one minute. Encourage students to consider premortal, mortal, and postmortal parts of the plan.
How is family central to Heavenly Father’s plan in premortal existence? In mortality? In our postmortal lives?
If Satan knows this about the family, how do you think he might respond to truths about the family?
To help students further understand why family is central to God’s plan, consider inviting them to search for scriptures under “Family” in the Guide to the Scriptures. Additionally, you could distribute the following statement for students to read individually. Consider encouraging students to mark parts of the statement that stand out to them.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
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Elder D. Todd Christofferson
Knowing why we left the presence of our Heavenly Father and what it takes to return and be exalted with Him, it becomes very clear that nothing relative to our time on earth can be more important than physical birth and spiritual rebirth, the two prerequisites of eternal life. …
A family built on the marriage of a man and woman supplies the best setting for God’s plan to thrive—the setting for the birth of children, who come in purity and innocence from God, and the environment for the learning and preparation they will need for a successful mortal life and eternal life in the world to come. (D. Todd Christofferson, “Why Marriage, Why Family,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 51–52)
After they have had time to search the scriptures and the statement, students could discuss the following questions in pairs or small groups.
What did you learn about why family is central to Heavenly Father’s plan?
How have you seen families help individuals prepare “for a successful mortal life and eternal life in the world to come”?
How might these teachings help you answer questions and concerns about marriage and family?
2. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual identity and purpose.
Consider giving students time to individually study some of the sources below. The following questions can guide them as they study:
Why is gender an essential characteristic of individual identity and purpose?
How can we teach truths about gender with conviction while avoiding being insensitive or disrespectful to others?
“The Eternal Nature and Purpose of Gender” (The Eternal Family Class Preparation Material [2022], 29–33) (Note the three sections of this resource that begin with questions.)
If students don’t have access to these resources, consider making copies of lesson 7 of the institute manual The Eternal Family Class Preparation Material for students to study in class.
Once students have had sufficient study time, volunteers could share insights they gained.
As part of this discussion, consider sharing the statement by President Russell M. Nelson in “Additional Resources” and inviting students to share what it means to them.
Consider sharing how your life has been blessed by having an eternal perspective about your identity and purpose.
3. God’s plan enables family relationships to continue after death.
Before students read the following passages, you might tell them about someone you know who has struggled through the death of a family member. Or you could invite students to think of someone they know who has endured the death of a family member.
How might the truths of God’s plan in these verses give strength to someone suffering such a loss?
How could the teachings in the third paragraph of the family proclamation impact a person suffering the loss of a loved one?
To help students better understand the eternal nature of families in God’s plan, you might show the video “Plan of Salvation—We’re Still a Family” (4:47), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Consider inviting students to think about how the Savior’s teachings about family impacted this young man.
Conclusion
To conclude the lesson, you could invite students to quietly reflect on and record their responses to the following questions. Volunteers could share what they wrote.
What have you learned today that has helped you feel closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
What have you learned about the importance of the family in Heavenly Father’s plan?