Sept. 23, 2025, marks the 30th anniversary of the publishing of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members of the Church also refer to this proclamation as the family proclamation.
For three decades, the principles and doctrine outlined in this document have helped members of the Church, as well as others, to strengthen and understand the importance of family in God’s eternal plan.
W. Bradford Wilcox, a sociology professor at the University of Virginia and director of the National Marriage Project, recently discussed on the Church News podcast how the sacred responsibilities of husband and wife are central to God’s plan and how couples can create a “marriage mindset” in their home and beyond.
Wilcox isn’t a Latter-day Saint but is familiar with the Church’s teachings. “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” he said, points people toward prioritizing marriage and family, and highlights how societies that embrace the family are more likely to flourish.
“It celebrates the power and value [and] intrinsic worth for the family in ways that have, I think, stood the test of time,” Wilcox said.
Overcoming the ‘Midas mindset’
Wilcox said that, around the world, many people are now embracing what he calls a “Midas mindset” — focusing only on themselves, their education and especially their careers.
The problem with the “Midas mindset,” however, “is that people don’t recognize that when it comes to meaning and happiness, we often find that family is a more reliable supplier of meaningful happiness,” Wilcox said, adding, “Simply being married is a bigger boost to the average American’s happiness, and being in a good marriage is by far the most important predictor of happiness for adults.”
That’s not to say that marriage is the be-all, end-all of happiness. In any type of relationship, Wilcox said, there are “plenty of opportunities” to not be happy in a particular moment. But if someone lives only for in-the-moment happiness, that’s “basically a recipe for misery longer term and for having unstable and often unhappy relationships.”
Wilcox said that the more someone takes a “we before me” approach to marriage — prioritizing the needs of their spouse and children over their own desires — the more they’ll flourish. He gave the example of a couple he knew who loved living in New Orleans, Louisiana, but who instead chose to live in Baton Rouge in order to be near their extended family, which benefited the couple’s marriage more than living in their preferred city. He also knows of an army officer who repeatedly turned down prestigious promotions because it would require moving to other bases, and he recognized the importance of giving his wife and children stability.
Wilcox said he isn’t suggesting that someone always defer to their spouse; rather, “you’re trying to figure out what’s best for us as a family.”
5 pillars of a strong marriage
Wilcox listed “five Cs” or pillars of creating a strong marriage:
- “Communion” — Consistently making time for each other, such as having regular date nights.
- “Children recognizing” — Having a common project as a couple, typically raising kids together.
- “Commitment” — Intentionally cultivating the virtue of fidelity within marriage, and not considering divorce over the typical challenges and disagreements found within marriage.
- “Cash” — Acknowledging the economic reality of marriage, and having a steady stream of income and shared assets.
- “Community” — Fostering friendships with people who are also living family-friendly lifestyles.
Regarding the last point, “community,” Wilcox said that religious communities are particularly helpful for married couples.
Religion isn’t a “magical potion solution” to a marriage’s problems, he said, “but when you are integrated into your religious community, when you are actively praying, what we do see in the research, scientifically, is people are better able to handle stress. I think that’s very relevant when we’re thinking about the stresses that one experiences that can otherwise really be poisonous for your marriage or your family.”
Research also shows that a couple’s alignment on faith is a big predictor of marital harmony, Wilcox added.
“There’s just no question that having the same religious worldview — going to church together, having similar opinions about work and family and these core family commitments — is a big predictor of marital stability and quality,” he said.
