Strengthening Families: My Family Can Be Forever September 2003 Open House Coleen K. Menlove Primary General President A Time to Celebrate This year we are celebrating children and the commitment of those past and present who teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ and how to live it with joy. The Primary general presidency and general board members are grateful for your enthusiasm and dedication as you fulfill your callings to do the Lord’s work. Your love for the Savior and His little ones has made this 125th year of Primary a time to rejoice. It is also a time to reaffirm and rededicate ourselves to the faith of the past and a “brightness of hope”1 for the future. Primary’s 125th year has been a celebration of gladness. We have heard the voice of gladness as we witness the children saying with conviction, “I Belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”Children are “not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.”2 Children heard testimonies of faith as they participated in the Special Satellite Broadcast for Children, “I’ll Follow Him in Faith.”Children listened and understood as President Hinckley spoke to them about who they are, what they are to do, and who they can become. Two new songs, “I’ll Follow Him in Faith” and “Holding Hands Around the World,” are being sung by children in many lands. Parents and Primary teachers have new resources to help children live the gospel. The Faith in God guidebooks, with the revised “My Gospel Standards” poster, emphasize daily gospel living in order to develop lifelong gospel habits. In your stakes and wards, you have gathered children together and helped them connect to the faithful saints of the past. Activity days have been filled with opportunities for children to have fun, learn of those who established Primary, and give service in their homes and neighborhoods. Children are contributing to building the Kingdom of God. The children’s sacrament meeting presentation in the last quarter of this year will provide an opportunity for children to share their experiences and testimonies of what it means to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Priesthood and Auxiliaries Assist Families Sisters who receive a calling to serve as a leader in Primary, Young Women, or Relief Society are part of the leadership of their stake and ward. They are called auxiliary leaders. The word auxiliary is defined as giving help or support.3 Auxiliary leaders assist priesthood leaders in watching over the Church and strengthening the home. Those who are called to serve in Primary have a specific responsibility to teach children the gospel of Jesus Christ and how to live it. In addition to our responsibilities in Primary, we also have opportunities to be part of building the kingdom of God on earth. In the Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2, we read, “Quorums, auxiliaries, programs, and activities in the Church should strengthen and support the family.”4 The purpose of Primary from its very beginning was to assist parents in teaching their children and thus to strengthen their families. Elder M. Russell Ballard reminds us, “God never intended that His children should stand alone. Children have parents, and parents have the Church, with the scriptures, living prophets and Apostles, and the Holy Ghost, to help them understand proper principles and act upon those principles in fulfilling their parental responsibilities.”5 I would like to suggest three ways auxiliary leaders can build the kingdom of God and help bring families unto Christ. First, seek the Spirit to feed others spiritually; second, work in unity with priesthood and other auxiliary leaders; and third, counsel together to plan and resolve concerns. First, seek the Spirit to feed others spiritually. Elder Melvin F. Hammond wrote a variation on the parable of the great supper to help leaders understand their responsibility to be prepared spiritually. He writes: A certain man possessing many riches and desiring to share them with all his friends planned a feast with food and drink. His servants were given instructions, and preparations were made. In the evening the guests arrived hungry, looking forward to being fed. The hall was spacious and the tables beautifully set. But the cups were empty and only crumbs were spread upon the plates. The guests left hungering and thirsting, their loyalty shaken, not anxious to return. And the king wept because his servants, they who had professed total allegiance and obedience to him, did not perform their duties as expected. Elder Hammond continues: We who have the responsibility to serve, train, and teach in the home or at church sometimes come to our tasks unprepared. Our children or students want to be spiritually fed but frequently go away still hungering and thirsting for the things of the Spirit of God. . . . However, when adequate preparation is made and the Spirit is invited, everyone may leave the meeting edified and rejoicing in the Lord.6 Our daily prayers and scripture study will invite the Spirit into our lives and prepare us to lead by the Spirit. Second, work in unity with priesthood and other auxiliary leaders. Elder Ballard reminds us: In these perilous times, we need the cooperative effort of men and women officers in the Church because absolute vigilance is required on the part of all who have been entrusted to help watch over the kingdom. . . . We need the officers and members of all of these inspired organizations to work together, assisting each other as needed for the benefit of individuals and families. This is not man’s work, nor woman’s work; it is all God’s work, which is centered on the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ.7 When we act in a united effort, we create spiritual synergism, which is increased effectiveness or achievement as a result of combined action or cooperation, the result of which is greater than the sum of the individual parts.8 As Primary leaders and teachers, we care about what other leaders care about. For example, even though sisters may not be able to attend Sunday’s Relief Society meeting while serving in Primary, we are still Relief Society sisters. We read the Relief Society lessons. We attend and fellowship sisters at home, family, and personal enrichment night. We look forward to joining with others in attending the Relief Society general meetings. We watch care over other sisters and look forward to being part of visiting teaching. A few months ago, Sister Parkin suggested in a general auxiliary meeting that we each speak with our ward Relief Society presidents and offer to be visiting teaching companions to new 18-year-old Relief Society sisters to help them transition into Relief Society and visiting teaching. I spoke with my ward Relief Society president about this possibility. She said she was impressed to ask me to be a companion to a 19-year-old sister who had never been a visiting teacher. I now had an opportunity to mentor a sister in this responsibility. When I called her on the phone, we discussed the visiting teaching lesson from the Ensign and decided how to divide the lesson so each of us would have an opportunity to add our own personal experience to the topic. When we met we started with a prayer and went on our way to a delightful visit and an opportunity to share our testimonies with another sister. The word got back to the ward Relief Society president that we made a great team, which resulted in an offer we couldn’t resist. An additional sister was added to our list of those to visit. I am grateful to Sister Parkin for her suggestion and for my new visiting teaching companion. Together we have an opportunity to watch over other sisters and magnify the joy of sisterhood. As Primary leaders and teachers, we care about the youth. We call the youth in our wards by name and care about them and their family. These youth are the girls and boys who transitioned into Young Men and Young Women from Primary not so many months ago. When they were under our care in Primary, we diligently worked to help prepare them to be righteous youth. Even now we remind the Primary children to be and stay worthy so they will be able to do baptisms for the dead when they turn 12 and enter the youth program. We teach and testify of the joy of keeping “My Gospel Standards” and how such obedience will prepare them to keep the standards in For the Strength of Youth. We set an example for the Primary children and youth by how we dress and how we act. We help the boys prepare to go to the temple and to serve missions. We lovingly look at the young women in our ward and the deacons on the front row and can feel confident that their Primary years were filled with love and nurturing by the word of God. Third, counsel together in councils to resolve concerns. Elder Ballard teaches that “We each have large individual responsibilities, but just as important is the responsibility we share with others to come together in council in a united effort to solve problems and bless all of our Church members.”9 As part of helping individuals and families come unto Christ, we have the opportunity and responsibility to recognize concerns that affect our stake and ward, seek to know how to best resolve these concerns, make recommendations, and work with other leaders to implement decisions. Primary began with this process. The first thoughts of Primary evolved after Sister Aureila Rogers listened to her bishop, John W. Hess, counsel the parents of the Farmington Utah Ward to look after their children. As she listened to the concerns of her bishop, she pondered what might be done. She shared her thoughts with Eliza R. Snow, the general Relief Society president, “Could there not be an organization for little boys, and have them trained to make better men?”10 Sister Snow presented the idea to President John Taylor. President Taylor then directed Bishop Hess to organize the first Primary. He called Sister Rogers to be the first ward Primary president. This process of listening to the concerns of our priesthood leaders, studying them out in our minds and hearts, making recommendations, and supporting decisions, follows the council system of the Church and the Lord’s kingdom. Elder Ballard reminds us, “The Lord’s church is organized with councils at every level, beginning with the Council of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and extending to stake, ward, quorum, auxiliary, and family councils.”11 Stake and ward councils are ideal settings for leaders of all organizations to converse and assist in the work of bringing individuals and families unto Christ. Elder Ballard shared a story about the importance of working together in councils: Recently a stake president shared with me a tender story demonstrating the power of the council system in building up the Church. He said that both the Relief Society and the priesthood had been working with a family in their stake but had failed to make progress with the parents. Primary leaders found the answer. Permission was given by the parents for their young daughter to attend Primary. Their one condition was that she had to want to go badly enough to get there on her own. Rides to church could not be provided. Because she had to go through a rough part of town, the ward council saw to it that someone would drive along beside her as she rode an old bicycle to church. Through summer heat, through rain and even snow, she persisted in going to church. One young man, who with his family was assigned to escort her on a snowy morning, was so touched as he watched the commitment of this little girl pedaling through the snow and cold that he decided to serve a full-time mission, citing this experience as the turning point in his life. At Christmastime, a family in the ward gave this faithful little girl a new 10-speed bicycle. This so touched the parents that they too began attending church. In May 1999 this young girl was baptized. What made the baptism even more special was that it was performed by the newest priest in the ward, her recently activated father.”12 We who serve in the auxiliaries have the sacred responsibility to bless and strengthen families, both the families of those we serve and our own family. As we meet together in presidency and in stake, ward and family councils, we can discuss questions such as: How can we better teach the doctrine of eternal families? How can we work together as a ward family to help others prepare to go to the temple and be sealed to their families? How can we protect family time and minimize the time parents are required to be out of the home to fulfill their callings? How can we encourage youth and children to strengthen their own families? Strengthening Families Even as early as 1940, the First Presidency issued a memorandum to the auxiliaries of the Church: “The home is the basis of a righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place nor fulfil its essential functions; the utmost the auxiliaries can do is to aid the home.”13 My husband and I have a framed picture that says, “It all begins at home.” What a powerful lesson is in this simple statement. As parents we are grateful for the auxiliaries and all they do, but a testimony and the reality of a forever family begins and continues in the home. President Spencer W. Kimball said: Our success, individually and as a church, will largely be determined by how faithfully we focus on living the gospel in the home. Only as we see clearly the responsibilities of each individual and the role of families and the home can we properly understand that the priesthood quorums and the auxiliary organizations . . . exist primarily to help members live the gospel in the home. . . . Church programs should always support and never detract from gospel-centered family activities.14 We are waging a war on all fronts, and we must not look the other way. Politically, the world wants to redefine the family and the roles of family members in ways contrary to God’s eternal plan. Economically, the laws of some countries penalize married couples and place a financial burden on parents with children. Socially, in many settings, the traditional family is looked at as an unnecessary inconvenience. Emotionally, some parents indulge or rule over their children rather than teach and discipline them in a nurturing environment. Think about the world’s view of the family and what our children might come to understand about a typical family if their examples come from the television screen or from their peers. Statistics “indicate that Americans have become less likely to marry, and that fewer of those who do marry have marriages that they consider to be ‘very happy.’”15 There is a separation between marriage and parenthood. “More and more, young people view marriage ‘as a couples relationship, designed to fulfill the emotional needs of adults, rather than an institution for bringing up children.’”16 The number of children in the home has declined significantly since 1960, and “indicators suggest that this decline has reduced the child centeredness of our nation.”17 “The percentage of children who grow up in fragile—typically fatherless—families has grown enormously over the past four decades.” Children’s lives have become more turbulent, insecure, and filled with anxiety. Due to increased divorce, out-of-wedlock births, and unmarried cohabitation, youth are becoming more pessimistic about being able to have a long-term marriage.18 If the children in your Primaries are not adopting this attitude, they are probably spending time at school and play with children who are feeling this pessimism about marriage and family. President Hinckley has declared that home and family security is needed throughout the world. He has spoken out often and vigorously that it will require saving and securing homes in order to save society. In the year 2004, Primary will join priesthood and other auxiliary leaders in a continued Church-wide focus on the family. The doctrine of family was part of the Council in Heaven and will continue throughout eternity. The 2004 Outline for Sharing Time and the Children’s Sacrament Meeting Presentation, “My Family Can Be Forever,” is based on the scriptures and on “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” The family proclamation gives us a way to declare to all and especially to children, correct principles about the family and its eternal nature. The scriptures declare the nature of eternal families and are located in important places throughout the scriptures. In the Old Testament we learn that one of the first things God did was establish families beginning with Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were sealed in marriage for time and all eternity: “And thus all things were confirmed unto Adam, by an holy ordinance.”19 The last scripture in the Old Testament in the Book of Malachi testifies of the return of Elijah to fulfill the binding of families and the “turning of hearts lest the earth be cursed.”20 In the first book of the New Testament, the book of Matthew, the Savior reaffirms this sacred marriage covenant when He gave His disciples the authority to bind in heaven sacred covenants made on earth, “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”21 In Luke we read again of the importance of the turning of the hearts of the fathers to the children “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”22 In the Joseph Smith History we read that Angel Moroni appeared to Joseph and quoted from Malachi this slightly different version, “And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.”23 In Third Nephi in the Book of Mormon, the Savior promises He will send Elijah to turn the hearts of the children to the fathers, and the hearts of the fathers to the children.24 We are again reminded of the Lord’s purpose at the opening of this last dispensation in Doctrine & Covenants 1:110. We learn the ordinance for eternal families was restored to the earth in 1829 in the Kirtland Temple along with the powers of the Melchizedek Priesthood and that the Lord is near, “even at the doors.”At the close of the Doctrine and Covenants we read, “The Prophet Elijah was to plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to their fathers, Foreshowing the great work to be done in the temples of the Lord in the dispensation of the fulness of times, for the redemption of the dead, and the sealing of the children to their parents, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse and utterly wasted at his coming.”25 The restoration of priesthood authority and its accompanying keys give to all who are worthy the opportunity to receive the blessing of eternal families. We must go beyond just strengthening families—we are called to help prepare families to make and keep temple covenants. “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” contains doctrine and counsel for us right now—this year, this day. It will help us combat the voices of the world. President Gordon B. Hinckley introduced this proclamation at the Relief Society general meeting in 1995 with these words: 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.26 2004—“My Family Can Be Forever” The gospel principles taught in the 2004 theme, “My Family Can Be Forever,” are critical to the happiness of children and their families now and eternally. In the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin called his people to gather at the temple so he could teach them. As the people arrived, they pitched their tents together in family units from the eldest to the youngest, “Every man having his tent with the door thereof towards the temple that. . . . they might . . . hear the words which King Benjamin should speak unto them.”27 “When we [gather] our family together, is the door of our tent facing the temple?”28 In Primary we add our testimony of eternal truths about the family to those of their parents. For some of the children, it may be the first time they learn of the great blessings and joy of becoming an eternal family. Our personal witnesses of the importance of families and our examples of families striving to be forever will be a great blessing to them. As a Primary general presidency and board, we individually selected one of the gospel standards to practice living more fully. We shared with each other why we choose the standard and what we planned to do. What do you think most of us selected? The majority of us selected honoring parents and strengthening family. Why? Because regardless of our stages in life, family relationships are critically important, and when strong bonds are nurtured, these relationships can bring eternal joy. In February of 2004 the family proclamation will help children learn the doctrine, “The family is central to the Creator’s plan. . . . The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan.”29 The doctrine of the family begins with heavenly parents. Our highest aspiration is to be like them. The Apostle Paul taught that God is the father of our spirits.30 In the proclamation we read, “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.”31 “Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness.”32 “President Brigham Young explained that, “Our families are not yet ours. The Lord has committed them to us to see how we will treat them. Only if we are faithful will they be given to us forever. What we do on earth determines whether or not we will be worthy to become heavenly parents.”33 In April 2004 the focus will be on the statement, “Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.”34 Elder Jeffery R. Holland explained: Some parents may not understand that even when they feel secure in their own minds regarding matters of personal testimony, they can nevertheless make that faith too difficult for their children to detect. We can be reasonably active, meeting-going Latter-day Saints, but if we do not live lives of gospel integrity and convey to our children powerful, heart-felt convictions regarding the truthfulness of the Restoration and the divine guidance of the Church . . . then those children may, to our regret but not surprise, turn out not to be visibly active, meeting-going Latter-day Saints or sometimes anything close to it. Moms and dads can do everything right and yet have children who stray. Moral agency still obtains. But even in such painful hours it will be comforting for you to know that your children knew of your abiding faith in Christ, in His true Church, in the keys of the priesthood, and in those who hold them. . . . Live the gospel as conspicuously as you can. Keep the covenants your children know you have made . . . And bear your testimony!35 In August, sharing time is focused upon the statement, “Successful families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, [and] forgiveness,” and in September we complete this statement by adding “respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.”36 Successful families do not just happen as a result of the 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.”37 In addition to scriptures and “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” there are an abundance of Church-produced resources to help us raise the bar in our efforts to strengthen families. Some of these include: A new publication Three Simple Ways to Become a Happier Family Church magazines, such as the Friend Church Web site—www.lds.org Family Guidebook Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2, Section 16, “Gospel Teaching and Leadership” Family Home Evening Resource Book Families First Church videos and DVDs Faith in God guidebooks, along with the “My Gospel Standards” poster Elder Ballard tells of occasions when representatives from other faiths have asked about the programs of the Church and how they are used to strengthen families. He shares with them the materials we have developed and then tells them these materials will not work for them because they do not have the ordinances that bind—the authority and Spirit to guide individuals and families. These materials will not work for us either if we do not have the gospel truths to guide us, and the priesthood authority to administer the binding ordinances. “My” Now let us look at the 2004 outline for sharing time, “My Family Can Be Forever,” beginning with the word my. For children, my probably represents their families now. Yet for some, their families may not be prepared right now to be forever families. Read the message to Primary presidencies in the 2004 Outline for Sharing Time and the Children’s Sacrament Meeting Presentation booklet and underline the following sentence: “Please be sensitive to the circumstances of each child and leader as you teach the principles in this outline.”Think of the children in your Primary and their families. Remember that families come with a variety of circumstances. There are no perfect families here on earth, despite what we may think. We can increase our ability to be sensitive to the circumstances of each child when we do the following: Learn enough about each child’s situation to be able to respond in appropriate and encouraging ways. Many children in our Primaries are living with only one parent or with a grandparent or others. Listen with charity in our hearts and strive to understand the emotion behind a person’s words. We all share a responsibility to help by giving assistance and encouragement. Listen to the Spirit before, during, and after we act. Remember, we don’t have to be amateur psychologists; we just need to follow the Savior and develop Christlike love for others. Elder Robert D. Hales reminds us “ . . . with the help of the Lord and His doctrine, all the hurtful effects from challenges a family may meet can be understood and overcome. Whatever the needs of family members may be, we can strengthen our families as we follow the counsel given by prophets. The key to strengthening our families is having the Spirit of the Lord come into our homes.”38 What about our own families? Some serving in Primary have not yet been sealed in the temple to a spouse, children, or parents. We can encourage all to work as a family to receive temple blessings and set temple goals. We look to the future with hope for our own families. The teachings of Primary can strengthen our desire to be eternal families. We can help children understand that they can be a positive influence in their families. Elder Neal A. Maxwell says that even though children may be too young for a formal Church calling, they “have been called to serve as exemplifiers” (examples). Elder Maxwell encourages children with these words, “As you try to do what the Savior wants you to do, the quiet goodness of your lives will strengthen, comfort, and inspire your family members, neighbors, and friends.”39 “Family” “A house is built of wood, stone, or brick. A family is made of love, sacrifice, and respect.”40 There are many complicated issues that determine why one family is strong and another one is weak. Over the past several years, our priesthood leaders have taught us basic behaviors that will help build strong, effective families. We can emphasize and be examples of these teachings in Primary. In a strong family: There is genuine love between the father and mother, and the eternal nature of the family is the guiding force in family decisions. The family and the care of the children are the parents’ highest priority, and children know they are loved and are taught they are children of a Heavenly Father who also loves them. The parents love and live the gospel and have a strong commitment to obeying the commandments and teaching the gospel plan of salvation to their children. Prayer and faith in the home invite the presence of the Spirit. All members of the family are valued, respected, and appreciated for their individual talents and contributions. All members of the family understand that they are crucial to the unity and survival of the family. The family honors the power and gift of the priesthood in the home. Primary can help teach these family attitudes and behaviors of love, faith, and support, as well as build gospel habits for the future. “Can Be” “I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.”41 President James E. Faust tells us, “Perfection is an eternal goal. While we cannot be perfect in mortality, striving for it is a commandment which ultimately, through the Atonement, we can keep.”42 This year we will teach correct principles and behaviors, encouraging children to live as though they are part of an eternal family. “True teachers and leaders see children as they may become.”43 The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news for all. There is a “brightness of hope” for all. The message to Primary presidencies in the 2004 outline for sharing time also contains this hopeful statement, “Heavenly Father’s plan insures that all His worthy children will be sealed together in families.” Help others desire the “can be” promises of the gospel. Recently I attended a Cub Scout pack meeting. As I was greeting some of the families, I noticed a mother and her son enter the room. I felt impressed to introduce myself and to learn a little more about them. I felt this might be an important fellowshipping opportunity. The extended family members of this mother and son soon followed them into the room. I sensed they were not members of the Church. As I met each family member, I learned they had been to dinner and were enjoying being together so much they decided to come to the pack meeting as part of their evening. The mother made an interesting comment as she introduced her older sister and brother. She said, “This is my family—this is all we have.”What an opportunity to fellowship. Family closeness seemed to be important to them. They were interested in supporting each other. I was so glad they had chosen to come, and I hoped this would be an opportunity for them to feel welcome and to feel the Spirit. As the meeting progressed I evaluated everything that happened on the basis of what this family might learn about what “can be” for their family eternally. We have so many children who come to Sunday Primary and activity days who will not know what “can be” for their family unless we love and teach them as would the Savior. “Forever” What does forever mean to a child? Recently President Hinckley introduced Sister Hinckley to a group of children. He took her hand in his and held their hands up for all to see. Then he said, “We’ve been married for 66 years. See if you can top that.”I think for many of the children, 66 years might seem like forever. A forever family begins when a couple kneels at the altar in the holy temple of God and makes covenants with each other and with God. They then, if worthy, will receive God’s greatest promises within an eternal marriage. President Hinckley has said, “This gift [eternal marriage], precious beyond all others, comes only with a price—with self-discipline, with virtue, with obedience to the commandments of God.”44 Jesus Christ makes an eternal future possible. The Church assists families by teaching and providing the necessary priesthood ordinances that make forever families possible through Jesus Christ. How can Primary be more helpful in strengthening families? The Primary theme for the year 2004, “My Family Can Be Forever,” will give Primary leaders an opportunity to help turn the hearts of children to their parents and parents to their children. Here are some suggestions on how we can help strengthen families: Communicate to parents and other family members the yearly Primary theme early in the year. Share the scriptures and Primary songs that will be used in during the year. Work closely with parents in helping children memorize scriptures and the Articles of Faith. Remember to encourage, lift, and assist parents without burdening them with requests that are time consuming. Take a personal interest in each child and learn from the parents the interests and talents of their children. Ask parents how Primary can support them in teaching the gospel to their children. Invite parents to attend Primary on a rotation basis. Parents can be invited to participate in the presentation of a sharing time or a class lesson. Encourage parents or other family members to visit Primary and share an experience and their testimonies. Inform parents of assignments given for prayers, talks, scriptures, and class presentations, and invite parents to attend. Give children opportunities in Primary to share special home experiences, such as the birth of a new baby or the call of a new missionary. Before teaching a particular gospel principle, you may wish to call and ask parents how well children are living a principle. This could help structure the lessons to meet the needs of the children. Use positive examples of children living the gospel principle. Encourage Faith in God progress and share plans for activity days. Encourage parents to do the following: Have Sunday discussions about what their children are learning in Primary, how they feel about it, and what they plan to do during the week to practice what they have learned. Help their children write letters of appreciation to their teachers. Sing Primary songs with their children. Have children share a story or activity in family home evening. Help children prepare for Primary by having adequate sleep and nutrition. Elder Robert D. Hales said, “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 that 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. 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.”45 Dwelling together throughout eternity is our ultimate goal. Conclusion This year we have enjoyed celebrating the past 125 years of Primary and the blessing of not only being part of Primary but, more importantly, being members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As we look to the future, we look forward to uniting in Church councils to strengthen families, and rejoice in our testimony that “My Family Can Be Forever.” The people in the Book of Mormon pitched their tents with the doors facing the temple so they could hear the words of King Benjamin. If we pitch our families’ tents with the doors facing the temple, we will hear the words of President Hinckley counseling us to strengthen our families and the families of our Primary children. In a conference talk, President Hinckley counseled, “Parents, love your children. Cherish them. They are so precious. They are so very, very important. They are the future.”46 Think how great will be our joy and the joy of families and children as together we make and keep temple ordinances and strive to become eternal families. We, like the Savior, love the children, pray for them, and teach them so they will be able to bear testimony of who they are, what they are to do, and who they can become. The Savior sees them as the hope of the world. This is the vision that motivates all of us, whether we are parents, leaders, or teachers. References 1. 2 Nephi 31:20. 2. Romans 1:16. 3. See Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed. (2003), “Auxiliary,” 84. 4. See Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2: Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders(1998), 299. 5. In Conference Report, Oct. 1993, 104; or Ensign, Nov. 1993, 77. 6. “Parables of Jesus: The Great Supper,” Ensign,Apr. 2003, 52–53. 7. In Conference Report, Oct. 1993, 103–4. 8. In Conference Report, Oct. 1993, 103. 9. In Conference Report, Oct. 1993, 103. 10. Aurelia Spencer Rogers, in Life Sketches of Orson Spencer and Others, and History of Primary Work (1898), 208. 11. In Conference Report, Oct. 1993, 102. 12. In Conference Report, Oct. 2000, 99; or Ensign, Nov. 2000, 76. 13. In Conference Report, Apr. 1963, 82; or Improvement Era, June 1963, 502. 14. In Conference Report, Apr. 1979, 115; or Ensign, May 1979, 83. 15. “The State of Marital Unions in the U.S.,” Information Center News,20 August 2003, 1. 16. “The Disconnect Between Marriage and Parenthood,” Information Center News, 29 July 2003, 1. 17. Information Center News, 20 August 2003, 1. 18. Information Center News, 20 August 2003, 1. 19. Moses 5:59. 20. Malachi 4:6. 21. Matthew 16:19. 22. Luke 1:17. 23. Joseph Smith History 1:39. 24. 3 Nephi 25:5–6. 25. D&C 138:47–48. 26. “Stand Strong Against the Wiles of the World,” Ensign,Nov. 1995, 100–101. 27. Mosiah 2:5–6. 28. Heidi S. Swinton, “Holiness for the Homeward Journey,” The Rock of Our Redeemer, Talks from the 2002 BYU Women’s Conference, (2003), 67. 29. “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign,Nov. 1995, 102. 30. Hebrews 12:9. 31. Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102. 32. Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102. 33. In Gospel Principles (1978), 221. 34. Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102. 35. In Conference Report, Apr. 2003, 91–92; or Ensign, May 2003, 86. 36. Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102. 37. Robert D. Hales, in Conference Report, Oct. 1996, 87; or Ensign, Nov. 1996, 65. 38. In Conference Report, Apr. 1999, 40–41; or Ensign, May 1999, 33. 39. “Intents of Your Heat,” Friend, Sept. 1997, inside front cover. 40. Thomas S. Monson, “Heavenly Homes—Forever Families,” Ensign,June 1986, 3. 41. 3 Nephi 12:48. 42. In Conference Report, Apr. 1999, 22; or Ensign, May 1999, 19. 43. Russell M. Ballard, in Conference Report, Apr. 1991, 105; or Ensign, May 1991, 78. 44. In Conference Report, Apr. 1974, 32; or Ensign, May 1974, 23. 45. In Conference Report, Oct. 1996, 87–88; or Ensign, May 1999, 65. 46. In Conference Report, Oct. 1995; or Ensign, Nov. 1995, 89.