How Your Family Can Flourish

 Families flourish when they learn as a group and counsel together on all matters of concern to the family and its members.

The Family-Centered Gospel of Jesus Christ

October 2025

General Conference

Dallin H. Oaks

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2025/10/58oaks?lang=eng&verse=#p

Live and teach with so much clarity that what you teach will cut through all the noise youth are hearing and so that it will pierce their hearts and touch them.

Parents, teachers, and leaders: live in your homes, in your families, in your marriages so that youth will develop hope for eternal life from watching you. Live and teach with so much clarity that what you teach will cut through all the noise youth are hearing and so that it will pierce their hearts and touch them.

Live in your home so that you’re brilliant in the basics, so that you’re intentional about your roles and responsibilities in the family. Think in terms of precision not perfection. If you have your goals and you are precise in how you go about them in your homes, youth will learn from you. They will learn that you pray, study the scriptures together, have family home evening, make a priority of mealtimes, and speak respectfully of your marriage partner. Then from your example the rising generation will gain great hope.

Teaching the Doctrine of the Family March 2011, Julie B. Beck

Part of the above quote is similar to Boyd K. Packer
http://quotestokeep.blogspot.com/2015/09/teach-we-do-must-be-so-indelible.html

Dad, I Did It!

Let’s begin with family home evening, which was a high priority in the faith-filled home where I was raised. I don’t remember specific lessons taught at family home evening, but I do remember that we never missed a week. I knew what was important to my parents.

I recall one of my favorite family home evening activities. Dad would invite one of his children to take “The Test.” He would give the child a series of instructions like, “First, go into the kitchen and open and close the fridge. Then run into my bedroom and grab a pair of socks from my dresser. Then come back to me, jump up and down three times, and say, ‘Dad, I did it!’”

I loved it when it was my turn. I wanted to get every step just right, and I cherished the moment when I could say, “Dad, I did it!” This activity helped build my confidence and made it easier for a restless boy to pay attention when Mom or Dad taught a gospel principle.

President Gordon B. Hinckley counseled: “If you have any doubt about the virtue of family home evening, try it. Gather your children about you, teach them, bear testimony to them, read the scriptures together and have a good time together.”

There will always be opposition to holding family home evening. Regardless, I invite you to find a way around the obstacles and make family home evening a priority—and make fun a key ingredient.

Teaching in the Home—a Joyful and Sacred Responsibility, April 2018 General Conference, Devin G. Durrant

We should not worry that we are not professionally trained gospel teachers. No training class or manual is as helpful as personally studying our scriptures, praying, pondering, and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Parents and grandparents, we tend to bemoan the state of the world—that schools are not teaching moral character. But there is much we can do. We can take advantage of the teaching moments in our own families—that means now. Don’t let them slip by. When an opportunity comes to share your thoughts about the gospel and the lessons of life, stop everything, sit down, and talk with your children and grandchildren.

We should not worry that we are not professionally trained gospel teachers. No training class or manual is as helpful as personally studying our scriptures, praying, pondering, and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will lead you along. I promise you: the calling to be a parent includes the gift to teach in the ways that are right for you and for your children. Remember, God’s power to influence us righteously is His love. “We love him, because he first loved us.”11

Some of our most impactful Christian service is given by holding family scripture study, family prayer, and family council meetings. For more than a hundred years, Church leaders have called us to set aside uninterrupted time each week. But many of us are still missing the blessings. Family home evening is not a lecture from Mom and Dad. It is our family time to share simple spiritual concepts and experiences, to help our children learn to care and share, have fun together, bear testimony together, and grow and progress together. As we hold family home evening every week, our love for one another will grow stronger and we will suffer less.

"'Come, Follow Me' by Practicing Christian Love and Service",  Elder Robert D. Hales, October 2016 General Conference

Complementing Others Rids Us of Pride and Fulfills Article of Faith 13; The Hot Seat

If we truly want to emulate the Lord, we need to be looking for the good in others and then voicing it. If there is anything ­virtuous, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy, we should be seeking after these things (see Articles of Faith 1:13). Praise is a precious gift that costs the giver nothing. So if you see something, say something.

When our six children were growing up, we often played a game during family home evening that encouraged them to give compliments. Every family member took a turn sitting in the chair that was designated the “hot seat.” Then we went around the room, and each of us said something we admired or appreciated about the person in the hot seat. For example, comments were made such as “Casey always shares his things with me,” “Brooke does her homework as soon as she comes home from school,” or “McLane is really funny; he can make me laugh when I’m having a hard day.” You get the idea.

We noticed that whenever we played this game, the Spirit would fill our home with love. I am sure that heaven approved of this family tradition because the Lord has commanded us to “strengthen [our] brethren in all [our] conversation” (D&C 108:7).

Choose Happiness, Larry R. Lawrence, BYU Speeches Mar 08, 2016

5 Fundamental Principles to Fortify Our Youth

Our Church leaders have counseled us to establish righteous patterns in our homes. Consider five fundamental practices that have the power to fortify our youth: family prayer, family scripture study, family home evening, family dinner together, and regular one-on-one interviews with each child.


Larry R. Lawrence, “Courageous Parenting,” Ensign, Nov 2010, 98–100

Parents Must Bring Light and Truth Into Their Homes By One Family Prayer, One Scripture Study Session, One Family Home Evening, One Book Read Aloud...

Parents must bring light and truth into their homes by one family prayer, one scripture study session, one family home evening, one book read aloud, one song, and one family meal at a time. They know that the influence of righteous, conscientious, persistent, daily parenting is among the most powerful and sustaining forces for good in the world. The health of any society, the happiness of its people, their prosperity, and their peace all find common roots in the teaching of children in the home.

L. Tom Perry, "Mothers Teaching Children in the Home", Ensign, May 2010, 29–31

Brushstrokes on the Canvas of Our Souls

In my office is a beautiful painting of a wheat field. The painting is a vast collection of individual brushstrokes—none of which in isolation is very interesting or impressive. In fact, if you stand close to the canvas, all you can see is a mass of seemingly unrelated and unattractive streaks of yellow and gold and brown paint. However, as you gradually move away from the canvas, all of the individual brushstrokes combine together and produce a magnificent landscape of a wheat field. Many ordinary, individual brushstrokes work together to create a captivating and beautiful painting.

Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable. But just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results. “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (D&C 64:33). Consistency is a key principle as we lay the foundation of a great work in our individual lives and as we become more diligent and concerned in our own homes.

Author: David A. Bednar

Title: More Diligent and Concerned at Home

Where: Ensign, Nov 2009, 17–20

Now Is The Time

Now is the time to adjust your lives to be able to have a temple recommend and use it. Now is the time to have meaningful family home evenings, to read the word of God, and to speak to our Heavenly Father in earnest prayer. Now is the time to fill our hearts with gratitude for the Restoration of His Church, for living prophets, the Book of Mormon, and the priesthood power that blesses our lives. Now is the time to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, become His disciples, and walk in His way.

Author: Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Title: The Way of the Disciple
Where: Ensign, May 2009, 75–78

The Best Insurance Policy A Family Can Have

If the sail is set, the course will be right. If a family has a long tradition of having family home evening, if they have even cursory gospel study in the home, and if they gather together on a regular basis to pray in the home—that is a great advantage. Parents should do everything possible to accomplish those three things. That is the best insurance policy they can have.

Author: Bishop H. David Burton
Title: The Teachers Quorum
Where: Ensign, Feb 2005, 58–59

The Lord Isn't Going to Send the President of the Church or Peter James and John to that House. He is Sending You!

Every priesthood holder stands at a unique place and has an important task that only he can perform.

We all have heard stories of how President Monson visits and blesses the elderly and the sick, always attending to their needs and bringing them cheer, comfort, and love. President Monson has a natural way about him that makes people feel better about themselves. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if President Monson could visit and watch over every family in the Church?

It would. But, of course, he can’t—and he shouldn’t. The Lord has not asked him to do that. The Lord has asked us, as home teachers, to love and watch over our assigned families. The Lord has not asked President Monson to organize and conduct our family home evening. He wants us, as fathers, to do this.

You may feel that there are others who are more capable or more experienced who could fulfill your callings and assignments better than you can, but the Lord gave you your responsibilities for a reason. There may be people and hearts only you can reach and touch. Perhaps no one else could do it in quite the same way.

Our Heavenly Father asks that we represent Him in the noble work of reaching out and blessing the lives of His children. He asks us to stand firm with the power of the priesthood in our hearts and souls and give the calling we have at this moment our best efforts.

Author: Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Title: Lift Where You Stand
Where: Ensign, Nov 2008, 53–56

Fathers Rise Up and Perform Your Role

There’s another aspect of that, and that is to challenge fathers to take the leadership. The family proclamation asks them to lead out. Fathers should call their families around them for family prayer. Fathers should make sure that family home evenings are held. Sometimes that’s best done by delegating to a mother the planning; she may be a lot better at it than the father. But the Lord holds the father responsible. That’s why we read in the family proclamation that “fathers are to preside.”

Fathers, rise up and perform your role.

Author: Dallin H. Oaks
Title: Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting: Building Up a Righteous Posterity February 9, 2008

1

Highest Priority to Family Prayer, Family Home Evening

We counsel parents and children to give highest priority to family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities. However worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace the divinely appointed duties that only parents and families can adequately perform.

Author: The First Presidency
Title: “Policies, Announcements, and Appointments,” Keeping Children Close to the Church
Where: Ensign, June 1999, 80

Need for the Sandpoint Seven

Three hours of meetings on Sunday clearly isn’t sufficient time to prepare our families to withstand the difficulties Moroni saw. We need to connect our celestial goals with everyday life in our homes. Remember that gospel basics—those seemingly “small and simple things” (Alma 37:6) we strive to practice in following the Lord—will ultimately confound Satan and protect our families.

The Lord has stated, “For if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you” (D&C 78:7).
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Author: Richard J. Maynes
Title: “Protecting Our Families in the Last Days”
Where: Ensign, Oct 2008, 50–52
Scriptures: Doctrine & Covenants 78:7
Why I liked it:
Need for the Sandpoint Seven

Blessings of Family Home Evening

Teach your families in your family home evening, teach them to keep the commandments of God, for therein is our only safety in these days. If they will do that, the powers of the Almighty will descend upon them as the dews from heaven, and the Holy Ghost will be theirs.

Author: President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) Eleventh President of the Church
Title: "Stand Ye in Holy Places "
Where:Ensign, Oct 2008, 44–49

Why I liked it:
Blessings of family home evening.