Editor’s note: “The Spoken Word” is shared by Lloyd Newell each Sunday during the weekly Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square broadcast. This will be given Sunday, May 12, 2024.
So much of everything here in the Philippines seems to center around the family. You see tight-knit family relationships — not just among parents, children and siblings, but across multiple generations. A grandparent, a nephew, a sister-in-law, a second cousin — they’re all simply family, and that means they love you, care for you and, quite often, live nearby. It’s part of the Philippine culture of family love and strength, so it’s no wonder people in the Philippines are known to put family first.
It’s been said that “if there is only one thing Filipinos will walk to the ends of the earth for, it definitely is family. There is nothing they wouldn’t do for the happiness, comfort and safety of their families” (see “Importance of Family in the Philippines,” by Patrick, discoverthephilippines.com). Each year, the fourth week in September is National Family Week in the Philippines. During this week, churches, businesses, government, the media and of course families unite to recognize, in the words of the Constitution of the Philippines, “the Filipino family as the foundation of the nation.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been a strong supporter of Family Week, promoting the theme “Building Forever Families.” This beloved annual celebration affirms that strong families are not only essential to a productive society; they’re also foundational to a happy life (see “Church of Jesus Christ Celebrates 31st National Family Week; Encourages Filipinos to ‘Build Forever Families,’” Oct. 3, 2023, news-ph.churchofjesuschrist.org).
This is why, even though there is a lot of important work to be done in the world, the greatest work we “will ever do will be within the walls of [our] own homes”(see “Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee,” published in 2000, p. 134), as a wise religious leader taught many decades ago. And work is the right word for it. Like laying the foundation for a strong building, strengthening a family is hard work, but it’s also a labor of love. It requires sacrifice, patience, humility and a lot of forgiveness. Surely God sees and honors such efforts, and He carries us through every hardship, because He knows that family matters in time and eternity.
No family is perfect, but every family is worth saving, strengthening and protecting. A building is only as strong as its foundation, and this is why, today more than ever, the world needs strong families.
Tuning in …
The “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast is available on KSL-TV, KSL News Radio 1160AM/102.7FM, KSL.com, BYUtv, BYUradio, Dish and DirecTV, SiriusXM (Ch. 143), tabernaclechoir.org, youtube.com/TheTabernacleChoir and Amazon Alexa (must enable skill). The program is aired live on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. Mountain Time on these outlets. Look up broadcast information by state and city at musicandthespokenword.com/viewers-listeners/airing-schedules.
