Families Are a Part of Heavenly Father's Plan
"Lesson 6: The Family Is Key to Heavenly Father's Plan," The Eternal Family Teacher Manual (2015)
Introduction
Modern prophets and apostles have proclaimed that "the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children" ("The Family: A Proclamation to the World," Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 129). This lesson will assist students meet that by being "more than diligent and concerned at dwelling house" (D&C 93:fifty) they tin can make their families more cardinal in their lives.
Background Reading
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Robert D. Hales, "The Eternal Family," Ensign, Nov. 1996, 64–67.
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David A. Bednar, "More Diligent and Concerned at Home," Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2009, 17–20.
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Handbook two: Administering the Church building [2010], 1.1.1, one.ane.four, and 1.4.1 (if available).
Suggestions for Didactics
The family is key to Heavenly Father's plan
Mention to your class that of all the topics addressed in recent general conferences, the family unit is amid the topics virtually frequently discussed.
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Why do you think Church leaders speak about the family then often?
Write the following truth from the family proclamation on the board, and ask students to share what it means to them:
"The family is cardinal to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children."
After sufficient time, invite at least one person assigned to each section of the handout to share an overview of their small-group discussion with the class. Testify of the post-obit truth: The family is a fundamental part of God's plan for premortal, mortal, and eternal life.
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What experiences have helped you experience the key importance of the family in Heavenly Begetter's plan?
Doctrine and Covenants 93:39–50
Making the family unit a priority
Prepare students to learn from Doctrine and Covenants 93 by explaining that this section records, amidst other things, the Lord's pedagogy about the importance of bringing upwardly children in "light and truth" and making our families a priority. Write the following references on the board:
Doctrine and Covenants 93:39–43
Doctrine and Covenants 93:44
Doctrine and Covenants 93:45–48
Doctrine and Covenants 93:50
Ask students to read at least one of the references (make certain each reference is read past at least i student). Ask students to expect for whom the Lord was addressing and what instruction He gave. After sufficient time, inquire students to study what they learned. Make sure that students recognize that the iv men addressed were the First Presidency and the bishop of the Church in Ohio; thus, these scriptures remind all Church building members, even those in leadership positions, to make their families a priority. Y'all might advise to students that they mark the repetition or pattern institute in these verses—Church building members should "set in order" their families (meet verses 43, 44, and 50).
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According to verses 42, 48, and 50, what can we do to help set our families in guild? (Students should place the following: teach children light and truth, repent, abdicate unrighteous things, be more than diligent and concerned at home, and pray always.)
Write the following principle on the lath: Nosotros assistance fulfill the Lord's commandment to ready our families in gild when we are more diligent and concerned at habitation.
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What can a immature adult do to be more diligent and concerned at home?
Display the following argument from a letter of the alphabet written by the First Presidency in 1999, and ask a student to read information technology aloud:
"The home is the footing of a righteous life, and no other instrumentality can accept its place or fulfill its essential functions in carrying forward this God-given responsibleness.
"We counsel parents and children to give highest priority to family unit prayer, family home evening, gospel study and teaching, and wholesome family activities. Nonetheless worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not exist permitted to displace the divinely-appointed duties that merely parents and families can adequately perform" (Start Presidency letter, February. xi, 1999, quoted in Handbook 2: Administering the Church [2010], one.four.one).
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In your feel, what are some "essential functions" and "divinely-appointed duties" that are all-time performed in the family?
Display the following statement, and encourage students to consider the blessings that come up when each family member seeks to fulfill divinely appointed family unit duties:
"Wherever Church building members live, they should institute a dwelling house where the Spirit is nowadays. …
"A abode with loving and loyal parents is the setting in which the spiritual and concrete needs of children are most effectively met. A Christ-centered home offers adults and children a place of defense against sin, refuge from the globe, healing from emotional and other pain, and committed, genuine honey" (Handbook 2: Administering the Church building, 1.iv.1).
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How do you assist create a Christ-centered dwelling for your family?
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What difference does information technology make in your family?
Display the following argument by Elder Thou. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and ask a student to read information technology aloud:
"Put everything you do outside the home in subjection to and in support of what happens inside your home. Remember President Harold B. Lee's counsel that 'the most of import … work you lot will ever do will be within the walls of your own homes' … and President David O. McKay's timeless 'No other success can compensate for failure in the abode'" ("That the Lost May Be Institute," Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 99).
Give students a moment to write downwards a few things they could practice to be more diligent and concerned at home and to make their family more of a cardinal focus in their lives. Encourage students to make a goal to follow through with one idea they have written. Testify that every bit students deed on their goal, the Lord will strengthen them spiritually and help them see how their actions likewise strengthen their families.
Student Readings
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Doctrine and Covenants 93:39–50.
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Robert D. Hales, "The Eternal Family unit," Ensign, November. 1996, 64–67.
Handout
Our Premortal, Mortal, and Eternal Families
The Eternal Family—Lesson 6
Our Premortal Family
"The family is ordained of God. It is the virtually important unit in time and in eternity. Fifty-fifty before we were born on the earth, we were part of a family. Each of usa 'is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents' with 'a divine nature and destiny' ['The Family: A Proclamation to the World,' Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 129]. God is our Heavenly Father, and we lived in His presence as part of His family in the premortal life. There we learned our first lessons and were prepared for mortality (come across D&C 138:56)" (Handbook 2: Administering the Church [2010], ane.ane.1).
"We worship the dandy God who created the universe. He is our Begetter in heaven. We came into being because of him; we are his spirit children. Nosotros dwelt with him in a premortal life in a family unit relationship. We knew him equally intimately and likewise every bit we know our mortal fathers in this sphere of being" (Bruce R. McConkie, How to Worship, Brigham Immature Academy Speeches of the Year [July twenty, 1971], 2).
Word questions:
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How was the family a central part of our premortal life?
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How is information technology helpful to know that God is your Male parent and that y'all were a beloved fellow member of His family in the premortal earth?
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What do you imagine your interaction with your Heavenly Parents was like?
Our Mortal Family unit
"Every bit part of our Heavenly Father'south plan, we were born into families. He established families to bring united states happiness, to assist the states learn correct principles in a loving temper, and to prepare us for eternal life.
"Parents have the vital responsibility to help their children ready to render to Heavenly Father. Parents fulfill this responsibleness past didactics their children to follow Jesus Christ and alive His gospel" (Handbook 2: Administering the Church, one.1.4).
"God is the designer of the family. He intended that the greatest of happiness, the most satisfying aspects of life, the deepest joys should come in our associations together and our concerns i for another as fathers and mothers and children" (Gordon B. Hinckley, "What God Hath Joined Together," Ensign, May 1991, 74).
Discussion questions:
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In what means is the family a key function of our mortal lives?
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How might life on earth be unlike if we had been sent to earth as individuals without family unit relationships—no male parent, mother, siblings, ancestors, or posterity?
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What experiences have helped you empathise the role and importance of the mortal family?
Our Eternal Family
"The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave" ("The Family: A Annunciation to the World," Ensign or Liahona, November. 2010, 129).
"While our individual salvation is based on our individual obedience, it is as important that we understand that we are each an important and integral function of a family and the highest blessings can exist received just inside an eternal family. When families are functioning as designed by God, the relationships establish therein are the most valued of mortality. The plan of the Male parent is that family unit honey and companionship will continue into the eternities. Being one in a family carries a bully 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. It is not enough just to save ourselves. It is as important that parents, brothers, and sisters are saved in our families. If nosotros return dwelling house alone to our Heavenly Father, nosotros will be asked, 'Where is the remainder of the family?' This is why we teach that families are forever. The eternal nature of an individual becomes the eternal nature of the family" (Robert D. Hales, "The Eternal Family unit," Ensign, November. 1996, 65).
Word questions:
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In what ways is the family unit a key function of our eternal destiny?
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What are some righteous actions family members could accept to aid bring about one some other's salvation?
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When has a family member lifted or strengthened you in a way that inspired you lot to endure to the cease?
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Source: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/the-eternal-family-teacher-manual/lesson-6-the-family-is-central-to-heavenly-fathers-plan?lang=eng#:~:text=%E2%80%9CAs%20part%20of%20our%20Heavenly,to%20return%20to%20Heavenly%20Father.
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