How do Mormons strengthen their families?
The Mormon Church gives much counsel to Mormons on how they should strengthen their families. One of the biggest ways that Mormons can strengthen their families is by spending recreational time together. With today’s fast paced world, family members are often too busy to spend time with the members of their families. Leaders of the Mormon Church have emphasized the importance of families spending time together. Prophets have counseled families to set aside Monday nights as “family home evening” night. It is a night that is reserved for the family to have a lesson and do a recreational activity together. It gives the family an opportunity to bond and spend time together despite everyone’s hectic schedules. Also, Mormon families are counseled to reserve Sunday as a day of worship and refrain from shopping or doing activities outside of the home. Sunday should be reserved as a family day. Church leaders have advised families to put a picture of the Mormon temple or Jesus Christ in the home to serve as a reminder to be kind and reverent.
Church leaders have emphasized the importance of families attending church meetings together. At church, we learn how to be better people and renew our covenants with the Lord. Men attend elders’ quorum, where they learn how to better lead their families, strengthen their marriages, and serve the Lord. Women attend “Relief Society,” a group for the women in the Mormon Church, allowing them to learn how to be better mothers and wives, and learn gospel principles. Children are sent to primary where they learn to obey their parents and lay groundwork for a testimony of Jesus Christ. The church has a strong program for teenagers. Mormons are encouraged to engage in service and help others whenever possible. These lessons taught at church have an immediate and direct influence on our family relationships. The principles of the Mormon religion taught at church can strengthen families and bind them together.
Mormons strengthen their relationships with their families in the temple. In the temple, Mormons perform ordinances, like baptism, on behalf of the dead so that they might have the opportunity to enter into the Kingdom of God. Mormons are highly involved in genealogy and family history. Mormons believe that families will one day live together forever. By doing genealogy now, we are preparing to meet our ancestors after morality.
Mormons are encouraged to pray and hold prayer with their families each night. The father or patriarch of the home should always keep himself worthy to give priesthood blessings to his children. The foundation of a strong family is a strong marriage. Church leaders have encouraged parents to continue dating and spending time together despite having a family. Couples should attend the temple together to renew their covenants with God. Mormons should refrain from engaging in pornography for this can have damaging effects on the marital relationship. Families are supposed to support each other and help each other overcome weakness.
Most importantly, families are supposed to make time for each other. Families should laugh together, play together, work hard together, and endure hard times together. Parents should lead their families in love and kindness. They should teach their children gospel principles and encourage them to be faithful in the church.