"And they shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord." — Doctrine and Covenants 68:28
During the 1999 April general conference, Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve said, "[As] we teach our children the gospel through word and example, our families are spiritually strengthened and fortified" (Ensign, May 1999, pp. 32-34).
The words of living prophets, Elder Hales said, "are clear regarding our sacred duty to strengthen our families spiritually." He then referred to "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" in which the First Presidency, in 1995, declared that "the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children. … Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. … Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, [and] to observe the commandments of God" (Ensign, November 1995, 102).
"With the help of the Lord and His doctrine, all the hurtful effects from challenges a family may meet can be understood and overcome. Whatever the needs of family members may be, we can strengthen our families as we follow the counsel given by prophets.
"The key to strengthening our families is having the Spirit of the Lord come into our homes. The goal of our families is to be on the strait and narrow path."
