Now there are always going to be challenges but the Lord gives promises and blessings and admonitions to suit what is happening. Today, September 23rd, is one of those days when the Lord prepared us to stand strong. On this very day, 30 years ago in 1995, President Gordon B. Hinckley stood at the pulpit in the Salt Lake Tabernacle and presented The Family: A Proclamation to the World. He emphasized the proclamation holds firm to the laws of God as doctrine given through His servants as, and I quote, “a declaration and reaffirmation of standards, doctrines, and practices relative to the family which the prophets, seers, and revelators of this church have repeatedly stated throughout its history,” end quote. Following his reading of the proclamation, President Hinckley stated forcefully, “The strength of any nation is rooted within the walls of its homes. We urge our people everywhere to strengthen their families in conformity with these time-honored values.”

All three members of our First Presidency were serving in the Quorum of the Twelve at the time the family proclamation was revealed by the Lord, “line upon line” and “precept upon precept.” President Nelson has explained what led up to the proclamation. Quote, "One day in 1994, the Quorum of the Twelve apostles spent a day in their council room in the Salt Lake Temple discussing issues surrounding the family. . . . This was not a new discussion, but that day the entire agenda revolved around this one vital topic. The Twelve reviewed both doctrine and policies, considering those things that could not be changed—doctrine. . . . We could see the efforts of various communities to do away with all standards and limitations on sexual activity. We saw the confusion of genders. We could see it all coming.” End quote.

The church, as part of the restoration of all things, has issued only six proclamations in its history. The two most recent are the family proclamation in 1995 and the Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World, in 2020. I was a part of the Quorum of the Twelve’s preparation of the sixth proclamation on the restoration, and I bear my witness to all of you that the Lord chooses the time and guides the sacred process of preparing his proclamations. President Dallin H. Oaks has said, quote, “the proclamation on the family is a statement of eternal truth, the will of the Lord for his children who seek eternal life. It has the basis of church teaching and practice . . . and will continue so for the future. Consider it as such, teach it, live by it, and you will be blessed." End quote.

The title of the family proclamation boldly states that the church's stand is made to all the world. In its nine paragraphs, 609 words, it serves as a forthright guide for both families and governments. My brethren and I, and many other church officers, have given the proclamation to kings, religious and civic leaders around the world. We have spoken its truths in global conferences, legislative bodies, and in our own church chapels. President Eyring spoke of it at a gathering in the Vatican in 2014, and President Nelson subsequently gave one to the Pope in their 2020 meeting. The proclamation helps us as disciples of Jesus Christ recognize that our lives, our daily choices, distinguish us from the ways and advocacy of the world all around us. We have accepted the teachings and example of our Lord and Savior to help us live righteously. We have His superal atonement to sucker us and lift us and draw us closer to Him and to our Father in Heaven. We have the Holy Ghost to prompt us and bring us peace, comfort, and confidence in a confusing and rebellious world. And we have living prophets who speak for God. There is both security and reassurance in the Lord's promise. “Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.” The proclamation on the family is that revelatory voice.

The family proclamation teaches about family, marriage, and gender and their part in the kingdom of our father in heaven. It states, "The family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children." This statement is the crux of the message of the proclamation and of I of my message today. I personally love the proclamation. In a recent general conference, I taught that words matter. Some of the words of the proclamation that are especially special for me include family, creator, eternal destiny, children, and farther down in the document, the word happiness. I want to talk about each one of these as the strength, power, and blessing the proclamation is in our lives. family. Every one of us belongs to a family. We are children, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, and some some of us here today are even grandparents and even greatgrandparents. We have single parent families, families of one, families with many children, some with none, and we have blended families.

The proclamation states, "Parents have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children." That is a talk all by itself. But know this, we have the pattern of love and caring from our Heavenly Parents. That may seem a stretch for us as mortals, but if we can do all we can to claim the powers of heaven, intentional parenting with an eye single to the glory of God can be our reward.

We learn to support and care for each other and families. We celebrate birthdays, baptisms, weddings, graduation, soccer goals, training wheels coming off your bike, your first driver's license, admittance to BYU, a mission call, temple marriage, and many other things.

Families are there for each other. I remember standing with my son-in-law in the hospital at the side of the crib of our new grandson, Baxton. Dave and I beseeched the Lord in a priesthood blessing to be with his little spirit, whose chromosome abnormality indicated he would have to fight for every breath of life. I remember standing at his grave with my daddy arms around these brave young parents, Dave and Shannon, who are here with us today. We stand together, brothers and sisters, in the hard times as well as the good ones because that's what we as families do.

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The answer to finding happiness is always Jesus Christ. As it states clearly in the proclamation, “Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.” So what makes us happy? The proclamation gives us clear direction: “Faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.” In our families and in our marriages, we learn to honor and live by these Christ-centered principles. The Lord Jesus Christ said, "I the Lord am with you. You, we, could not have a better teacher, friend, companion, or mentor than Jesus Christ. Expect impressions to come into your mind about how to be more like Him, how to reshape your priorities, how to find greater happiness.

President Hinckley taught, quote, "If we will cling to our values, if we will build on our inheritance, if we will walk in obedience before the Lord, if we will simply live the gospel, we will be blessed in a magnificent and wonderful way. We will be looked upon as a peculiar people who have found the key to a peculiar happiness.” End quote.

The proclamation bears these words in its title: “The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” When I was called as an apostle in 2015, I was advised that I now carried the responsibility as a member of the Council of the Twelve to teach the proclamation. I happily bear my testimony that I know the proclamation is the Lord's plan for the eternal destiny of all of His children. What to say and how to say it came to prophets by revelation. It was inspired 30 years ago, and it continues to inspire us today, if we are faithful to its words.

Now dear friends, as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I bless you in these difficult and tumultuous times to feel encircled in the loving arms of the Savior. May you draw upon His atonement to soothe and heal your soul. May you feel He is there for you now, today, more than ever. May you find joy in living the Lord's commandments, in following prophetic counsel, and in the blessed guidance of the Holy Spirit.

I also bless you to strengthen your testimony of The Family: A Proclamation to the World. I testify it is the will of the Lord. May you be blessed by its eternal truths. Family, Creator, eternal destiny, children and happiness.

Brothers and sisters, my friends, young and older, I bless you to know the family is ordained of God, and He is ever with you, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.