Lesson 114

Marriage and Family (Part 1)

Introduction

The teaching materials for this doctrinal mastery topic are divided into four parts. In part 1, students will study paragraphs 8.1–8.4 of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document and learn about marriage as it has been ordained by God. They will also study the doctrinal mastery passage Genesis 2:24. Part 1 contains a practice exercise intended to help students apply the doctrine they learned from the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document and Genesis 2:24.

Note: You could teach the segments of this lesson in a single class session or over the course of several class sessions, dividing class time between Doctrinal Mastery and a regular sequential scripture lesson. If you choose to teach the segments over the course of several class sessions, you may need to briefly review with students what they learned in previous segments before you teach a new segment.

Suggestions for Teaching

Understanding the Doctrine

Segment 1 (5 minutes)

Write the following question on the board: How can belonging to a family contribute to a person’s happiness? Invite students to share their thoughts about how family can contribute to a person’s happiness.

Invite a student to read the following statement by Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson, former Young Women General President. Ask the class to listen for what we need to understand and teach about the family.

“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.

“We should remember that a loving Heavenly Father is aware of our righteous desires and will honor His promises … [to] those who faithfully keep their covenants” (Bonnie L. Oscarson, “Defenders of the Family Proclamation,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 15).

• What did Sister Oscarson say we need to understand and teach about the family?

Divide students into pairs. Invite them to take turns reading paragraphs 8.1–8.4 of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document, looking for teachings that describe the Lord’s pattern for the family. Give students time to report what they find.

Segment 2 (15 minutes)

Note: This segment of the lesson may lead to a discussion about same-sex marriage or same-sex attraction. Help focus the class discussion by using the statements cited in this lesson. Additional statements can be found in the Commentary and Background Information section of the digital version of this lesson.

Discussing same-sex marriage and same-sex attraction

Discussing same-sex marriage and same-sex attraction requires great sensitivity. If your class discusses these topics, ensure that the discussion proceeds with kindness, compassion, and civility. For more information about the Church’s teachings regarding same-sex marriage or same-sex attraction, see LDS.org or mormonandgay.lds.org.

Write the following partial key statement of doctrine on the board: Marriage between a man and a woman , and the family is central to and to .

Ask students to fill in the blanks of this key statement of doctrine according to what is written in paragraph 8.1 of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document. The statement should read as follows: 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.

Point out that there are multiple concepts in this key statement of doctrine. To help students understand how the family is central to the plan of salvation and to our happiness, display the following statement by Elder Robert D. Hales (1932–2017) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Read the statement aloud, and invite one half of the class to look for ways in which the family is central to the plan of salvation and the other half to look for how the family is central to our happiness. Ask each group to report what they find.

“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).

After students share what they found, explain that the Old Testament doctrinal mastery passage Genesis 2:24 helps teach the key statement of doctrine on the board. Invite students to turn to this passage and to consider marking it in a distinctive way so they can locate it easily.

Invite students to read Genesis 2:24 aloud in unison, looking for what it teaches about marriage. You may want to explain that the word cleave in this context means to cling to or be strongly joined together.

• What does Genesis 2:24 teach about marriage?

• How does this passage help teach the key statement of doctrine on the board? (You might point out that this passage also demonstrates that marriage between a man and a woman has been ordained by God since the beginning of time.)

Point to the word “ordained” in the key statement on the board. Explain that the word ordain in this context means “to order, decree, or appoint by virtue of superior authority” (The Eternal Family Teacher Manual [Church Educational System manual, 2016], 30).

• What can we learn from the use of the word ordain in this key statement of doctrine?

Invite a student to read the following statement by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what Elder Bednar taught about marriage between a man and a woman.

“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).

• What did Elder Bednar say about marriage between a man and a woman? (Students may mention ideas such as marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God, that it is essential to the plan of happiness, and that a husband and wife can strengthen and bless each other.)

• How have you seen that a husband and wife can strengthen and bless each other in marriage and family life?

Conclude this segment by sharing your testimony of the role of the family and the importance of marriage between a man and a woman in God’s plan of happiness.

Practice Exercise (20 minutes)

Review the principles from the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document. You could do this by assigning each student a number from one to three. Invite students who have been assigned number one to review the first principle, “Act in Faith”; those who have been assigned number two to review the second principle, “Examine Concepts and Questions with an Eternal Perspective”; and those who have been assigned number three to review the third principle, “Seek Further Understanding through Divinely Appointed Sources.” As students review, ask them to look for an idea they feel is important to understand from their assigned principle. Invite students to report what they find.

(Note: You might want to adapt the following scenario according to your students’ needs. Consider substituting names that are more common where you live.)

Invite a student to read aloud 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?”

Write the following questions on the board: Why does the Church oppose gay marriage? Should any two people who love each other be able to marry?

To help students practice using the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge and the doctrinal mastery passage they studied in class, discuss the following question:

• How can Kayla act in faith as she responds to Eric’s questions? (She could pray about Eric’s questions and how to respond to them, and she could speak with her parents or Church leaders. You might point out that one way in which Kayla is acting in faith is asking the class for help.)

To help students examine Eric’s questions from an eternal perspective, draw a vertical line on the board below Eric’s questions, establishing space for two columns. Write Assumptions Eric might have at the top of one column and God’s purposes for marriage at the top of the other column.

• What views or assumptions might Eric have that have led him to ask these questions? (List students’ responses on the board under “Assumptions Eric might have.” Students’ responses might include that opposing same-sex marriage is not fair to everyone or that love should be the only requirement for two people to get married.)

• What do you know and understand about God’s purposes for marriage? (List students’ responses on the board in the second column.)

• How might our understanding of the plan of salvation give us a perspective that differs from the assumptions Eric might have?

• How might Kayla use Genesis 2:24 to help answer Eric’s questions?

• What other divinely appointed or trustworthy sources could Kayla use to help answer Eric’s questions? (Some of these sources might include “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” general conference addresses, or articles from the Mormon Newsroom [mormonnewsroom.org]. You might want to share the statements found in the Commentary and Background Information section in the digital version of this lesson. Consider showing students how to locate and use these resources in a digital format.)

As time permits, divide students into pairs and invite them to role-play how Kayla could respond to Eric. Ask students to share insights they learned through this practice exercise.

Commentary and Background Information

Prophetic commentary on marriage and family

President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency taught:

“Knowledge of God’s plan for His children gives Latter-day Saints a unique perspective on marriage and family. We are correctly known as a family-centered church. Our theology begins with heavenly parents, and our highest aspiration is to attain the fulness of eternal exaltation. We know this is possible only in a family relationship. We know that the marriage of a man and a woman is necessary for the accomplishment of God’s plan. Only this marriage will provide the approved setting for mortal birth and to prepare family members for eternal life. We look on marriage and the bearing and nurturing of children as part of God’s plan and a sacred duty of those given the opportunity to do so. We believe that the ultimate treasures on earth and in heaven are our children and our posterity. …

“There are many political and social pressures for legal and policy changes to establish behaviors contrary to God’s decrees about sexual morality and contrary to the eternal nature and purposes of marriage and child-bearing. These pressures have already authorized same-gender marriages in various states and nations. Other pressures would confuse gender or homogenize those differences between men and women that are essential to accomplish God’s great plan of happiness.

“Our understanding of God’s plan and His doctrine gives us an eternal perspective that does not allow us to condone such behaviors or to find justification in the laws that permit them. And, unlike other organizations that can change their policies and even their doctrines, our policies are determined by the truths God has identified as unchangeable.

“Our twelfth article of faith states our belief in being subject to civil authority and ‘in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.’ But man’s laws cannot make moral what God has declared immoral. Commitment to our highest priority—to love and serve God—requires that we look to His law for our standard of behavior. For example, we remain under divine command not to commit adultery or fornication even when those acts are no longer crimes under the laws of the states or countries where we reside. Similarly, laws legalizing so-called ‘same-sex marriage’ do not change God’s law of marriage or His commandments and our standards concerning it. We remain under covenant to love God and keep His commandments and to refrain from serving other gods and priorities—even those becoming popular in our particular time and place.

“In this determination we may be misunderstood, and we may incur accusations of bigotry [treating others with hatred and intolerance], suffer discrimination, or have to withstand invasions of our free exercise of religion. If so, I think we should remember our first priority—to serve God—and, like our pioneer predecessors, push our personal handcarts forward with the same fortitude they exhibited” (Dallin H. Oaks, “No Other Gods,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 73, 74–75).

President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency stated:

“[Heavenly Father] wants His children to come to earth, following the eternal pattern of families that exists in heaven. Families are the basic organizational unit of the eternal realms, and so He intends for them also to be the basic unit on earth. Though earthly families are far from perfect, they give God’s children the best chance to be welcomed to the world with the only love on earth that comes close to what we felt in heaven—parental love. Families are also the best way to preserve and pass on moral virtues and true principles that are most likely to lead us back to God’s presence” (Henry B. Eyring, “Gathering the Family of God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 20).

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

“For His work to succeed … God ordained that men and women should marry and give birth to children, thereby creating, in partnership with God, the physical bodies that are key to the test of mortality and essential to eternal glory with Him. He also ordained that parents should establish families and rear their children in light and truth [see D&C 93:36–40], leading them to a hope in Christ. …

“The social science case for marriage and for families headed by a married man and woman is compelling. … But our claims for the role of marriage and family rest not on social science but on the truth that they are God’s creation. It is He who in the beginning created Adam and Eve in His image, male and female, and joined them as husband and wife to become ‘one flesh’ and to multiply and replenish the earth [see Genesis 1:26–28; 2:7, 18, 21–24]. … It is in the matrimonial union of male and female as one that we attain perhaps the most complete meaning of our having been made in the image of God—male and female. Neither we nor any other mortal can alter this divine order of matrimony. It is not a human invention. Such marriage is indeed ‘from above, from God’ and is as much a part of the plan of happiness as the Fall and the Atonement” (D. Todd Christofferson, “Why Marriage, Why Family,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 51, 52).

The following resources provide additional prophetic counsel and information about the doctrine of marriage and family:

“The Divine Institution of Marriage,” mormonnewsroom.org.

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.

mormonandgay.lds.org.

“Same-Sex Attraction” and “Same-Sex Marriage,” Gospel Topics, topics.lds.org.