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

One of the most important things you can do … is to immerse yourselves in the scriptures.

Our mortal experience requires that we walk by faith. At times we can become irritated. Family members and those we associate with may disappoint us. We may sometimes feel tired, faint, weary, and tempted on every side. Conditions in this world may cause us to wonder if indeed “the devil laugheth, and his angels rejoice” over our plight (3 Nephi 9:2). Given these situations and trials, particularly in these last days, our enthusiasm for living the gospel can wane if we are not diligent.

But we can follow basic religious practices to protect ourselves, even when life is hard. These personal religious practices are essential to strengthening our faith, maintaining our ability to resist temptation, and remembering our spiritual experiences. They help us grow spiritually and overcome Satan’s tactics.

The testimonies of two latter-day prophets on the blessings of two of these personal religious practices are noteworthy:

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) testified:

“One of the most important things you can do … is to immerse yourselves in the scriptures. Search them diligently. Feast upon the words of Christ. Learn the doctrine. Master the principles that are found therein. There are few other efforts that will bring greater dividends. … There are few other ways to gain greater inspiration. …

“… When individual members and families immerse themselves in the scriptures regularly and consistently, … testimonies will increase. Commitment will be strengthened. Families will be fortified. Personal revelation will flow.”

A Change of Heart: “Can Ye Feel So Now?”

June 2024

Liahona

Brook P. Hales

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/06/come-follow-me/18-a-change-of-heart-can-ye-feel-so-now?lang=eng&verse=#p

A father who reads scripture to and with his children acquaints them with the voice of the Lord

 A father who reads scripture to and with his children acquaints them with the voice of the Lord.

Fathers

April 2016

2010–2019

D. Todd Christofferson

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2016/04/fathers?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

Time for scripture study requires a schedule that will be honored. Otherwise, blessings that matter most will be at the mercy of things that matter least.

Time for scripture study requires a schedule that will be honored. Otherwise, blessings that matter most will be at the mercy of things that matter least. Time for family scripture study may be difficult to establish. Years ago when our children were at home, they attended different grades in several schools. Their daddy had to be at the hospital no later than 7:00 in the morning. In family council we determined that our best time for scripture study was 6:00 A.M. At that hour our little ones were very sleepy but supportive. Occasionally we had to awaken one when a turn came to read. I would be less than honest with you if I conveyed the impression that our family scripture time was a howling success. Occasionally it was more howling than successful. But we did not give up.

Living by Scriptural Guidance, October 2000, Russell M. Nelson

For young men and women the influence of the Holy Ghost most often accompanies individual scripture study and prayer in the home

for young men and women the influence of the Holy Ghost most often accompanies individual scripture study and prayer in the home

Deep and Lasting Conversion to Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, October 2018 General Conference, Quentin L. Cook

Formulating Life-Guiding Principles From Scriptural Phrases

The Lord told Jeremiah that we should not glory in our wisdom or in our might or in our riches. Rather, He said, “let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me” (see Jeremiah 9:23–24).

The Prophet Joseph Smith (1805–44) taught, “God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what He will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them, for the day must come when no man need say to his neighbor, Know ye the Lord; for all shall know Him … from the least to the greatest.”1

Just as we learn how to feed ourselves physically to sustain our bodies, we must learn how to feed ourselves spiritually to sustain our spirits.

President Boyd K. Packer (1924–2015), President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, taught: “Spiritual self-reliance is the sustaining power in the Church. If we rob you of that, how can you get the revelation that there is a prophet of God? How can you get answers to prayer? How can you know? If we move so quickly to answer all your questions and provide so many ways to solve all of your problems, we may end up weakening you, not strengthening you.”4

President George Albert Smith (1870–1951) explained: “I fear that as members of the Church we depend too much upon the auxiliary organizations, and upon the advice and counsel of those outside our own households. We have already heard of many of the blessings that the Lord has given to us in the sacred records that have been kept until our day, and that contain the advice and counsel of an all-wise Father. It seems strange that so many of our people … lack familiarity with the contents of these sacred records.”5

I enjoy learning the gospel at church, but I get more excited about the gospel when I discover inspired insights during my personal study. There is nothing more thrilling to me than finding a small treasure of truth in the scriptures that enlightens my understanding and fills me with the Spirit of the Lord.

Gospel study is much like learning to paint. It is not intuitive or natural for everyone. We would not think of giving someone a paint palette and expect that person to become an artist immediately. Becoming a self-reliant gospel learner is the same. We can’t expect to discover great insights on a regular basis if we haven’t learned some basic gospel-study skills. President Packer explained that the scriptures “contain the fulness of the everlasting gospel, an eternity of knowledge. But one must learn to use them or the search will be discouraging.”6

That’s how it was for me—discouraging—when I first tried to find meaning and guidance from my scripture study. So I began to analyze how the speakers got their insights. It took a while, but I eventually saw how they extracted specific statements of doctrine from the scriptures; how they mined meaningful teachings about the Savior from the verses; how they formulated life-guiding principles from scriptural phrases; how they interpreted symbols; and how they connected the teachings of prophets and apostles to specific verses of scripture.

Self-Reliance and Gospel Learning, David B. Marsh, Priesthood and Family Department of the Church, Ensign June 2017

The Scriptures Hold the Keys to Spiritual Protection

The scriptures hold the keys to spiritual protection. They contain the doctrine and laws and ordinances that will bring each child of God to a testimony of Jesus Christ as the Savior and Redeemer....The gospel teaches us to be happy, to have faith rather than fear, to find hope and overcome despair, to leave darkness and turn toward the light of the everlasting gospel. Paul and others warned about the trials of our time and the days yet to come. But peace can be settled in the heart of each who turns to the scriptures and unlocks the promises of protection and redemption that are taught therein. We invite all to turn to the Savior Jesus Christ, to His teachings as found in the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.

I bear certain witness of the scriptures as a key to our spiritual protection. 

 October 2013 The Key To Spiritual Protection - President Boyd K. Packer

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

The Tuition of Diligence and of Learning by Study and Also by Faith Must Be Paid To Obtain and Personally "own" [A Testimony]."

The spiritual understanding you and I have been blessed to receive, and which has been confirmed as true in our hearts, simply cannot be given to our children. The tuition of diligence and of learning by study and also by faith must be paid to obtain and personally “own” such knowledge. Only in this way can what is known in the mind also be felt in the heart. Only in this way can a child move beyond relying upon the spiritual knowledge and experiences of parents and adults and claim those blessings for himself or herself. Only in this way can our children be prepared spiritually for the challenges of mortality.

David A. Bednar, "Watching with All Perseverance", Ensign, May 2010, 40–43

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