Another question you might be asked—or that you might ask yourself—is one like this: “What if my family situation does not match what’s described in the family proclamation?” Here are two places you could look for prophetic counsel: the section “A Mighty Change” in Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s message “Jesus Christ Is the Strength of Parents” (Liahona, May 2023, 55–59) and the last four paragraphs of Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s message “Why Marriage, Why Family” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 52).

What do you feel inspired to do because of what you have studied?

See also Dallin H. Oaks, “The Plan and the Proclamation,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 28–31; Topics and Questions, “Family,” Gospel Library.

IDEAS FOR TEACHING CHILDREN

• Help your children think of things that are so important that they would want to tell everyone about them. Show the children a copy of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” and explain that prophets and apostles wrote it to tell us all how important families are to Heavenly Father. Why are families so important to Him? (see also the video “What Is the Purpose of Family?” [ChurchofJesusChrist.org]).

• Share with your children something from the proclamation that you feel we all need to know. Invite the children to share their feelings about those truths. How would our lives be different if we did not know these things? You might sing together a song that relates to truths found in the proclamation, such as “I Will Follow God’s Plan” (Children’s Songbook, 164–65).

• In section IV of his message “The Plan and the Proclamation” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 30), President Dallin H. Oaks described how the family proclamation was written. Perhaps you and your children could review his description together and talk about why you are grateful the Lord inspired His servants to teach us these truths about families.

• You could also show your children pictures (or invite them to draw some) portraying truths found in the family proclamation. These could be pictures of a temple, a family praying or playing together, or a couple getting married. Then your children could find sentences in the family proclamation that relate to the pictures. What does the Lord teach us about these things in the proclamation?

• DOWNLOAD The Family: A Proclamation to the World Paragraph 7 (HERE or below): “Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

IDEAS FOR TEACHING CHILDREN

• As you sing together “I Am a Child of God” (Children’s Songbook, 2–3), you could toss a ball to a child as you say, “I know a child of God named [child’s name].” Then that child could toss the object to someone else, saying the same words and inserting that person’s name. Help your children find the phrase “beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents” in the family proclamation, and bear your testimony of this truth.

IDEAS FOR TEACHING CHILDREN

• To begin a conversation about strengthening your family, you and your children could talk about what we do to make other things strong—such as our teeth, our bodies, or a building. You could then compare that to building a strong family. Help your children find the Christlike principles that lead to happiness in family life, found in paragraph 7 of the family proclamation (see also this week’s activity page).