Gather for prayer
Teach children
Hold family home evening
If homes are built on the foundation rock of the Redeemer and the gospel, they can be sanctuaries where families are sheltered from the raging storms of life, said Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Council of the Twelve.
Speaking in the Sunday morning session about spiritually strong homes and families, Elder Wirthlin counseled members to make their homes a house of prayer and fasting, faith, learning and glory, and order. By doing those things, a home will become a house of God, he said.
"We would do well to build our homes according to this plan [as found in D&C 88:119T or they are destined to fail," he declared, outlining each aspect of that plan.
A house of prayer and fasting. "Our families should gather for family prayer morning and night. In addition, we should offer our own individual prayers for our personal needs."
A house of faith."We can make each home a house of faith by believing in the goodness of God and believing that we can live gospel principles and live in peace and security."
A house of learning and glory. "Learning the gospel in the homes of Church members should be centered on the scriptures and on the words of latter-day prophets."
Offering a personal word of counsel to parents, he added: "Teach your children to pray, to rely on the Lord for guidance, and to express appreciation for their blessings. . . . Teach them to learn and obey the commandments of God. Teach your young children to work and teach them that honest labor develops dignity and self-respect."
The ideal way to transform a home into a house of learning is to hold family home evening, he explained.
A house of order. To instill order in homes, parents should be in charge and exercise parental authority in righteous dominion, Elder Wirthlin said. Parents should establish acceptable standards of behavior for their children, setting limits and adhering to them consistently.
A house of God. By following this plan and the principles of it, a home will become a house of God, he promised.
"If Satan can weaken or destroy the loving relationships among members of families, he can cause more misery and more unhappiness for more people than he could in any other way," Elder Wirthlin cautioned.
"The place to cure most of the ills of society is in the homes of the people. Building our homes as fortresses of righteousness for protection from the world takes constant labor and diligence.
"To accomplish this eternal work, we must make our homes gospel centered," he remarked. "When peace and harmony abound, the Holy Spirit will be ever present. The storms of the evil one can be stopped at the very entrance of our homes."
