In October 1995, President Gordon B. Hinckley introduced a proclamation that reaffirmed “standards, doctrines, and practices” about the family which Church leaders have taught “throughout its history.” The Family: A Proclamation to the World didn’t introduce new doctrine, but it consolidated a number of related teachings into a single document.
The proclamation teaches that we are children of heavenly parents who sent us to earth to progress and “ultimately realize [our] divine destiny.” It declares that God established marriage and that He wants us to raise children “in love and righteousness.” It affirms that husbands and wives “are obligated to help one another as equal partners.” And it warns of calamitous consequences if we fail to “strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.”
After sharing this proclamation, President Hinckley testified:
No other work reaches so close to divinity as does the nurturing of the sons and daughters of God.
“Stand Strong against the Wiles of the World,” October 1995 general conference
Each of us can learn and remember important principles from the proclamation to help us be better parents, spouses, siblings, and children. As our friends, Clark and Christine Gilbert recently testified, “As you look for the Savior in the family proclamation, you will see yourself in God’s plan for His family and learn more of His plan for your eternal family” (“Finding the Savior in the Proclamation,” Brigham Young University—Idaho Devotional Address, 23 September 2025).
Here are some lessons I’ve learned from the proclamation with relevant blog posts and Book of Mormon connections.
Scripture Highlights and Related Blog Posts
1. Marriage is ordained of God.
We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.
Blog Posts
📄 A Proclamation
Prophets proclaim messages from God with divine authority.
Book of Mormon connection: Mosiah 12:3; 17:9
📄 “Marriage Is Ordained of God”
God established marriage, and He wants to help us build strong and happy relationships.
Book of Mormon connection: Jacob 3:7
📄 By Me or by My Word
Eternal marriages are established by God, because only He can create eternal things.
Book of Mormon connection: Jacob 2:27-30, 35; 3:5
2. We are created in God’s image.
All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.
Blog Posts
📄 The Image of God
We can take confidence from a recognition of our similarity with God and strive to treat everyone with the respect they deserve as children of God.
Book of Mormon connection: Mosiah 7:27; Alma 18:34; 22:12; Ether 3:15
📄 Divine Nature
God is willing to share His divine nature with us; in fact, it is already within us, albeit in embryonic form, because of our divine parentage.
Book of Mormon connection: Mosiah 5:2
📄 His Offspring
Remember your divine heritage, and take confidence in the fact that God knows and loves you.
Book of Mormon connection: 3 Nephi 14:11
3. We lived with God before we were born.
In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped 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 their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life.
Blog Posts
📄 Premortal Life
Our lives didn’t begin when we were born, and our experiences in our premortal life influence our experiences here.
Book of Mormon connection: Alma 13:3
4. Our children are also God’s children.
Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3).
Blog Posts
📄 An Heritage of the Lord
We inherit our children from God, and He expects us to build a happy, safe, and nurturing home for them.
Book of Mormon connection: 3 Nephi 17:11-24; 26:14, 16
5. Parents are to care for their children physically and spiritually.
Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. …
By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families.
Blog Posts
📄 Family Revelation
Parents can receive revelation about how to lead and bless their children.
Book of Mormon connection: 1 Nephi 2:1-2; 3:2; 8
📄 Maintenance
Providing for your children means more than giving them food, clothing, and shelter. It also includes helping them maintain their physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
Book of Mormon connection: Mosiah 4:14-15
📄 Preside
To preside is literally to “sit in front of” the people you are responsible for, being engaged, attentive, and proactive.
Book of Mormon connection: Alma 6:1
📄 The Nurture and Admonition of the Lord
Good parents nurture their children, providing an optimal environment for growth, and they admonish them, providing helpful guidance and feedback.
Book of Mormon connection: Enos 1:1
6. Families find joy by following the Savior.
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.
Blog Posts
📄 Happiness
The process of creation, and the incremental growth we experience as a result, is inherently joyful.
Book of Mormon connection: 2 Nephi 5:11, 14-16, 18, 26-27
📄 Strengthening Family Relationships
We turn our hearts toward our parents and our children by giving them our time and attention, prioritizing them over our other goals and pursuits.
Book of Mormon connection: 3 Nephi 25:5-6
📄 The Places of Your Dwellings Shall Become Desolate
We can create homes where family members don’t feel alone.
Book of Mormon connection: 3 Nephi 10:6-7
7. Strong relationships provide an appropriate environment for teaching.
Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.
Questions to Ponder
Here are some questions and topics I intend to study this week:
- What does the proclamation teach about premortal, mortal, and postmortal life?
- What does it teach about my identity as a child of God?
- What can I do to be a more effective parent?
- How can we create a welcoming and joyful environment in our home?
- How can I respond to the call in the last paragraph?
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