AMSTERDAM
When Wendy Watson Nelson spoke Aug. 12 at the World Congress of Families V in Amsterdam, she emphasized just how important spiritually strong families are to the fate of nations.
"After decades of my work," she said, "as a nurse, a psychologist and a marriage and family therapy professor, researcher and clinician, I believe that if we want to face an uncertain future with certainty, we need families that are spiritually strong!"
Sister Nelson premised the majority of her remarks on something President Henry B. Erying, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, wrote in a 1999 Ensign article: "As the forces around us increase in intensity, whatever spiritual strength was once sufficient won't be enough."
She heartily endorsed and then expanded on President Eyring's admonition.
"That warning impresses me more every time I read it," she said. "Let us think about what that means:
"Whatever spiritual strength was once sufficient to keep our nations prospering will not be enough now.
"Whatever spiritual strength was sufficient to build a strong family in the 20th century won't be enough in the 21st century.
"Whatever spiritual strength was once sufficient to protect our families and our nations will not be enough now that the forces attacking our families are increasing exponentially."
In order to achieve the aim of stronger families, Sister Nelson advocated the "Not Even Once" principle. That precept comes into play when people determine to never indulge in such pernicious practices as lying, cheating, stealing, taking drugs, viewing pornography or being sexually impure – not even once.
"Can we even begin to calculate the grief, pain and suffering that would flee from our nations if we confirmed our souls in self-control and our liberty in law by living the 'Not Even Once' commitment?" she said. "Consider the resources we would free up — resources which are now spent trying to manage the damage of spiritually corrupting influences such as abuse, lying, cheating, stealing, drugs, pornography and sexual impurity! You know better than anyone the energy, money, brainpower and talent that would suddenly be available to help our nations prosper! Picture the prosperity and happiness that would ripple around the globe if the 'Not Even Once' principle were lived."
Sister Nelson pointed out the "Not Even Once" precept can also be used to affirm positive actions, "to 'Not Even Once' miss an opportunity to teach a child, to help someone in need, to forgive someone … to be kind."
Ultimately, amassing greater numbers of spiritually strong families is the one thing that can effectively combat the increasingly prevalent and pervasive evil in the world today.
"Now that the forces around us are increasing in intensity, we need to look to God!" Sister Nelson said. "We need families who look to God and who remove anything from their lives that is spiritually corrupting. We need families who seek all that is spiritually strengthening. Families who are spiritually strong are the only hope for the future of our nations. — Jamshid Askar
