Line upon Line:
The Family: A Proclamation to the World, Paragraph 3

President Gordon B. Hinckley first read “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” at the General Relief Society meeting on September 23, 1995.

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.

Follow this scripture chain to learn about what it means to be a son or daughter of God:
Moses 6:36, 51; Psalm 82:6; Hebrews 12:9; Acts 17:29; Romans 16.

Could you explain the plan of salvation to a friend of another faith? Get an overview from the following general conference talks in the Gospel Library at www.lds.org:

• Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004), “The Great Plan of the Eternal God,” Ensign, May 1984.

• Elder Richard G. Scott, “Truth Restored,” Ensign, Nov. 2005.

How do temples fit into the plan of salvation? Read 3 Nephi 25:5–6; D&C 128:15; and D&C 137:7.
Make a commitment to always be worthy of a temple recommend. Work on your own family history, and, if possible, plan a trip to the temple to do baptisms for your deceased ancestors. Write in your journal about your experience and your commitment.

Families are forever (see D&C 130:2), but they’re also for right now. How can you be a better family member? Write in your journal three ways you can improve, and work on them one at a time until you feel you have mastered these changes.

“The gift of a physical body is priceless. Without it, we cannot attain a fulness of joy (see D&C 138:17).”
—Elder Russell M. Nelson, “We Are Children of God,” Ensign, Nov. 1998, 86.

perpetuated=continued forever

“An eternal bond doesn’t just happen as a result of sealing covenants we make in the temple. How we conduct ourselves in this life will determine what we will be in all the eternities to come. To receive the blessings of the sealing that our Heavenly Father has given to us, we have to keep the commandments and conduct ourselves in such a way that our families will want to live with us in the eternities. The family relationships we have here on this earth are important, but they are much more important for their effect on our families for generations in mortality and throughout all eternity.”
—Elder Robert D. Hales, “The Eternal Family,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 65.

Editors’ note: This page is not meant to be a comprehensive explanation of the selected passage, only a starting point for your own study.