As violence continues to grow in our schools, on streets, in neighborhoods, and among gangs, it becomes more clear that there is a great need for strong spiritual guidance by parents in safe and secure homes.

Good parent-child relationships will not solve every problem, and not every act of violence can be prevented by a strong family life, but it can help so much that it cannot be overlooked as society strives to find answers to a culture being torn apart by evil forces.

That there would be evils to contend with in the world was understood by the Lord Himself when He revealed the following:

"Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments;" (D & C 1:17.)

What a profound, yet simple declaration.

It is through keeping the commandments of God, taught by nurturing parents in the home, with the help of Church leaders, that youth are prepared to cope with the calamities that God knew would face them in the world.

Such teaching and preparation must begin in the home for the basic structure of the Church is centered in the family. In 1995, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issued a proclamation to the world affirming that ". . .the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children."

Every effort must be made to create strong marriages between men and women of faith who can then bring children to this earth to continue the eternal plan of life and exaltation.

To Moses, God said, "For behold, this is my work and my glory — to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39.) Spirit children of God are given mortal bodies by earthly parents who progress with their children through life, ultimately to live an everlasting life patterned after the life that God our Father lives. The 1995 Proclamation by today's living prophets offers the following elements of successful family living:

"The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."

These are principles for all the world to heed, and they cannot be ignored by Latter-day Saints.

The success of families is greatly enhanced by regular weekly family home evenings. This helps immeasurably in building homes of security and spiritual safety. Children need to hear their parents pray for them. Children need to know that their parents love each other, and love them. Children need to be taught from the scriptures. Every family needs to establish a pattern of spiritual growth that includes, among other things, appropriate ordinances, regular attendance at Church meetings, prayer, payment of tithes and offerings, moral purity, and nurturing experiences between parents and each child individually.

With busy schedules and time pressures, family home evenings are sometimes difficult, but as with all good things, persistence pays. One parent, who wondered if his words ever got through to a teenager who objected to "ruining an otherwise good Monday night football game," wept with joy when the child, away at college, telephoned one Monday night and said how much he missed being with the family on family night.

Another parent who never gave up on family nights in spite of reluctant children was both taken aback and gratified when he needed to call a married child and heard: "Dad, why are you calling on Monday night? Don't you know it's family night?"

Rearing righteous children in today's world may seem a daunting challenge, and having any kind of impact in the world may seem beyond our grasp. But with the help of the Lord and by following the counsel of His prophets, parents can provide a strong spiritual foundation that will help strengthen their children against the wiles of the adversary.