The Lord’s prophets proclaimed the importance of children in Heavenly Father’s plan. Wives and husbands can participate in God’s plan by bringing children into the world and raising them in love and righteousness. This lesson can help students understand the importance of having and caring for children in Heavenly Father’s plan.
Possible Learning Activities
Divine direction from the family proclamation
Consider beginning class by sharing the following scenario or something similar that best meets the needs of your students. You could arrange them into pairs to discuss the question after the scenario.
Kristen and her two friends are discussing their futures and what they want out of life. As the topic turns to families, Kristen says she’s excited to get married and have children when she’s older. One of her friends says, “I want to get married, but there’s no way I’m going to try raising children in this crazy world.” The other friend says, “I wouldn’t mind having a baby someday, but I don’t think I want to get married.” After listening to her friends’ opinions, Kristen wonders why her feelings about having children seem so different.
Why might Kristen’s friends feel the way they do?
Ask several pairs of students to share some of their responses. You might also invite them to share additional concerns or questions they have about children and parenting. Provide copies of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” for students to use. Invite each partnership to study paragraphs 4–6, looking for words or phrases that declare the Lord’s doctrine concerning children and parenting. Encourage students to mark meaningful words or phrases as they study. If needed, point out that the phrase “multiply and replenish the earth” refers to having children and the phrase “the sacred powers of procreation” refers to sexual relations. Consider asking questions like the following.
What truths about children and parenting did you discover?
Why do you think the Lord desires husbands and wives to have children if they are able?
What are some reasons a married couple might not want to have children?
Before moving on, you could invite students to record some of their own thoughts and feelings about the Lord’s doctrine concerning children and parenting. Encourage students to seek the influence of the Holy Ghost to help them understand the importance of having and caring for children as a part of Heavenly Father’s plan.
Searching other divine sources for understanding
Consider displaying the following three statements of truth from the family proclamation. Explain that students will use these statements to practice searching divinely appointed sources for additional understanding. You could organize students into groups of three, with each student studying a different truth. Perhaps students could choose their statements in a creative way; for example, the youngest or the tallest student in each group could have first choice of which one to study.
“God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force.”
“The sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.”
“Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness.”
Encourage students to use resources like the Guide to the Scriptures or the Gospel Library app to find additional information about their statements of truth. If they need guidance, suggest search terms like “multiply and replenish,” “powers of procreation,” or “righteous parents.” Invite them to look for statements by Church leaders, scripture passages, or Church magazine articles that deepen their understanding.
When students are finished preparing, encourage them to share with their group what they learned. Consider asking some of the following questions.
What did you learn about these statements of truth that you feel is significant?
Why does it take faith in Jesus Christ to live these truths in today’s world?
What examples have you seen of how living these truths can lead to more love, while disregarding these truths can lead to pain or regret?
What can you do now to prepare to live these truths faithfully in the future?
Eternal doctrine about children
Consider testifying of the importance of children in God’s eternal plan and sharing the following statement.
President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency explained the importance of children in God’s plan.
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President Dallin H. Oaks
Eternal doctrine … provides a distinctive perspective on children. Through this perspective we see the bearing and nurturing of children as part of the divine plan. It is a joyful and sacred duty of those given the power to participate in it. Therefore, we are commanded to teach and contend for principles and practices that provide the best conditions for the development and happiness of children under God’s plan. (Dallin H. Oaks, “Divine Love in the Father’s Plan,” Liahona, May 2022, 102)
How have you seen children bless your family or others you know?
How can bringing children into the world and raising them in love help you become more like our heavenly parents?
Consider displaying the following prompts and inviting students to quietly assess their understanding about what they learned today.
Evaluate your understanding of the following statements by responding in your study journal with strongly agree, agree, somewhat agree, or not sure. Briefly write why you selected each response.
I understand why God’s commandment to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force today.
I understand why the sacred powers of procreation are only to be used between a woman and man who are lawfully married.
I understand why parents are to raise their children in love and righteousness.
If students have additional questions or concerns about the Lord’s doctrine concerning children or about the law of chastity, encourage them to follow up with parents or Church leaders.
To conclude, invite a few students to summarize what they learned about the importance of having and caring for children as part of Heavenly Father’s plan.