Parents' sacred duty to love, teach
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"The Family: A Proclamation to the World" reminds mothers and fathers of their sacred duty to love and care for each other and their children.
"We live in a day and age in which this counsel is indeed very important," said Elder Claudio R.M. Costa, a newly sustained member of the Presidency of the Seventy, in his Sunday morning address. "Many parents argue they don't have time for their families. The fast-paced lifestyle of modern day life and excessive amounts of work are curbing parents' attention from what is most important: to give time, to give of oneself to one's family."
Beyond providing for the temporal needs of children, parents are also obligated to teach the gospel in their homes.
"We know God has taught us for centuries how to protect and take care of our families," Elder Costa said. "We also know and can see that the adversary has been attacking the family. Now is the time to use all those teachings. Now is the time to perform our God-given duties concerning the family."
Elder Costa repeated President James E. Faust's three-pronged checklist that parents can follow to protect and strengthen their families.
1. Family prayer.
2. Family home evening
3. Personal and family scripture study.
"As we follow President Faust's wise counsel, we will be protecting the family against Satan's attacks, as well as strengthening (children's) faith and testimony in the Lord Jesus Christ," Elder Costa said.
Great love is necessary to teach and guide a family. When children are taught to worship God in their homes, a spirit of worship extends into each of their lives. "This will prepare them to do whatever sacrifice is necessary to be able to return to God's presence and stay together as a family for all eternity."
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, he added. So family members are wise to express their love today.
