“Lesson 114: Marriage and Family (Part 1),” Old Testament Seminary Student Material (2018)
“Lesson 114: Marriage and Family (Part 1)”
Lesson 114
Marriage and Family (Part 1)
Prepare to Learn
Prepare your mind and heart to be taught by the Holy Ghost. Eliminate any distractions that could interrupt your learning experience.
Begin your study with prayer.
If you could speak to the world about the happiness we can find in family life, what would you say?
President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency had the opportunity to teach religious leaders from around the world at a conference about marriage and family. What did President Eyring choose to share?
Happiness
How can belonging to a family contribute to a person’s happiness?
Read paragraphs 8.1–8.4 of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document, looking for teachings that describe the Lord’s pattern for the family and how it relates to happiness.
What words or phrases help you see that family can contribute to a person’s happiness?
The Lord’s Pattern
Some people might feel discouraged when comparing their family situation to the pattern for the family outlined by the Lord. Read the following statement by Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson, former Young Women General President, looking for the counsel she offers.
“May I point out something obvious? Life rarely goes exactly according to plan for anyone, and we are very aware that not all [individuals] are experiencing what the proclamation [on the family] describes. It is still important to understand and teach the Lord’s pattern and strive for the realization of that pattern the best we can.
Each of us has a part to play in the plan, and each of us is equally valued in the eyes of the Lord. We should remember that a loving Heavenly Father is aware of our righteous desires and will honor His promises that nothing will be withheld from those who faithfully keep their covenants” (Bonnie L. Oscarson, “Defenders of the Family Proclamation,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 15).
How can we strive to promote the Lord’s pattern for the family, even if our current circumstances do not match the Lord’s pattern?
The Family’s Role in the Plan of Salvation
In paragraph 8.1 of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document we can identify the following key statement of doctrine: Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God, and the family is central to His plan of salvation and to our happiness.
Watch this video of Elder Robert D. Hales (1932–2017) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Listen for what Elder Hales teaches about the family being central to the plan of salvation and to our happiness.
Read the following statement by Elder Robert D. Hales (1932–2017) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, looking for how the family is central to the plan of salvation and to our happiness.
“While our individual salvation is based on our individual obedience, it is equally important that we understand that we are each an important and integral part of a family and the highest blessings can be received only within an eternal family. When families are functioning as designed by God, the relationships found therein are the most valued of mortality. The plan of the Father is that family love and companionship will continue into the eternities. Being one in a family carries a great responsibility of caring, loving, lifting, and strengthening each member of the family so that all can righteously endure to the end in mortality and dwell together throughout eternity. It is not enough just to save ourselves. It is equally important that parents, brothers, and sisters are saved in our families” (Robert D. Hales, “The Eternal Family,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 65).
1. Answer the following question:
In your own words, what did Elder Hales say are responsibilities or opportunities we have as members of a family? How might these responsibilities or opportunities contribute to finding happiness?
Marriage as Ordained of God
The Old Testament doctrinal mastery passage Genesis 2:24 helps teach this doctrine: Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God, and the family is central to His plan of salvation and to our happiness (Doctrinal Mastery Core Document [2018], 8.1). Find this passage in your scriptures, and consider marking it in a distinctive way if you have not already so you can locate it more easily.
Read Genesis 2:24, looking for what it teaches about marriage. The word cleave in this context means to cling to or to be strongly joined together.
Man and Woman
Read the following statement by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Why is marriage between a man and a woman ordained of God?
“After the earth was created, Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden. Importantly, however, God said ‘it was not good that the man should be alone’ (Moses 3:18; see also Genesis 2:18), and Eve became Adam’s wife and helpmeet. The unique combination of spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional capacities of both males and females was needed to enact the plan of happiness. ‘Neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord’ (1 Corinthians 11:11). The man and the woman are intended to learn from, strengthen, bless, and complete each other.
“… Marriage between a man and a woman is the authorized channel through which premortal spirits enter mortality” (David A. Bednar, “We Believe in Being Chaste,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 41–42).
2. Consider the following questions, and answer two of them:
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What are some of the reasons that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God?
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How have you seen that a husband and wife can strengthen and bless each other in marriage and family life?
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What will you do to be worthy to marry in the temple?
Principles of Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge
Review the following principles from the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document.
Quiz 1
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Match the principle to the correct description.
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A Scenario
Imagine the following scenario:
Kayla is a member of your seminary class. As class begins, Kayla explains to the class that she has a friend on social media named Eric who is not a member of the Church. Eric has asked questions about what Kayla believes, and Kayla and Eric have had positive conversations as Kayla has shared the gospel with him.
Kayla says, “Last night Eric asked a question that I wasn’t sure how to respond to, and I’d like to talk about it as a class before I answer him. He wants to know why the Church opposes gay marriage, because he believes that any two people who love each other should be able to marry. What could I say to help Eric understand what we believe and why we believe it?”
How can Kayla choose to act in faith as she responds to Eric’s questions?
Different Perspectives
Eric has the following questions: Why does the Church oppose gay marriage? Should any two people who love each other be able to marry?
To examine Eric’s questions from an eternal perspective, it might help to understand the assumptions Eric might have. Then we can compare those assumptions to God’s purposes for marriage.
3. Answer two of the following questions:
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What views or assumptions might Eric have that have led him to ask these questions?
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How might our understanding of the plan of salvation give us a perspective that differs from the assumptions Eric might have?
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How might Kayla use Genesis 2:24 to help answer Eric’s questions?
Learning Truths
If Eric had come to you for help, would you be ready to answer his questions related to the doctrine of marriage and family?
There are many divinely appointed sources we can use to learn truth and resolve questions or concerns. For example, President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency taught how the plan of salvation is the source of important doctrinal truths that help us see the reason for God’s commandments concerning the family:
“Latter-day Saints who understand God’s plan of salvation have a unique worldview that helps them see the reason for God’s commandments, the unchangeable nature of His required ordinances, and the fundamental role of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our Savior’s Atonement reclaims us from death and, subject to our repentance, saves us from sin. With that worldview, Latter-day Saints have distinctive priorities and practices and are blessed with the strength to endure the frustrations and pains of mortal life. …
“The gospel plan each family should follow to prepare for eternal life and exaltation is outlined in the Church’s 1995 proclamation, ‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World’ [see “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 145]. Its declarations are, of course, visibly different from some current laws, practices, and advocacy of the world in which we live. In our day, the differences most evident are cohabitation without marriage, same-sex marriage, and the raising of children in such relationships. Those who do not believe in or aspire to exaltation and are most persuaded by the ways of the world consider this family proclamation as just a statement of policy that should be changed. In contrast, Latter-day Saints affirm that the family proclamation defines the kind of family relationships where the most important part of our eternal development can occur.
“We have witnessed a rapid and increasing public acceptance of cohabitation without marriage and of same-sex marriage. The corresponding media advocacy, education, and even occupational requirements pose difficult challenges for Latter-day Saints. We must try to balance the competing demands of following the gospel law in our personal lives and teachings, even as we seek to show love for all [see Dallin H. Oaks, “Love and Law,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2009, 26–29]. …
“Converted Latter-day Saints believe that the family proclamation, issued nearly a quarter century ago and now translated into scores of languages, is the Lord’s reemphasis of the gospel truths we need to sustain us through current challenges to the family” (Dallin H. Oaks, “The Plan and the Proclamation,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 29–30).
Divinely Appointed Sources
The teachings you have read from President Oaks are just a small example of what you can learn from studying divinely appointed and trustworthy sources. Being familiar with these materials will help you to find answers to your questions and to help others do the same. Here are some specific talks and links that you might find helpful:
Dallin H. Oaks, “The Plan and the Proclamation,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 28–31.
Bonnie L. Oscarson, “Defenders of the Family Proclamation,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 14–17.
L. Tom Perry, “Why Marriage and Family Matter—Everywhere in the World,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 39–42.
David A. Bednar, “Marriage Is Essential to His Eternal Plan,” Ensign, June 2006, 82–87.
Dallin H. Oaks, “Same-Gender Attraction,” Ensign, Oct. 1995, 6–14.
“Same-Sex Attraction” and “Same-Sex Marriage,” Gospel Topics, topics.lds.org.
“The Divine Institution of Marriage,” mormonnewsroom.org.
Answer Key
Quiz 1: (1) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
Reference for Quiz 1
(1) Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2018), 4.