Elder Russell M. Nelson
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"With the Lord, families are essential. He created the Earth that we could gain physical bodies and form families. He established his church to exalt families. He provides temples so that families can be together forever.
"Etched in scripture is a commandment to 'set in order thy house.'
"To set our house in an order pleasing to the Lord, we need to do it his way. We are to employ his attributes of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience and meekness . . . . Parents are to be living examples of kindness and pure knowledge which greatly enlarge the soul. Each mother and father should lay aside selfish interests and avoid any thought of hypocrisy, physical force or evil speaking.
"Not only are parents to cling to the word of the Lord, but they have a divine mandate to teach it to their children . . . . That commandment places responsibility and accountability for the teaching of children squarely upon the shoulders of the parents . . . we need both the church and the family. They work hand in hand to strengthen each other. The church exists to exalt the family. And the family is the fundamental unit of the church.
"Scriptures direct parents to teach faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Parents are to teach the plan of salvation and the importance of living in complete accord with the commandments of God.
"Because the evil one is ever at work, our vigilance cannot be relaxed, not even for a moment . . . material possessions and honors of the world do not endure, but your union as wife, husband and family can."
