You've made it! We've come a long way. We've discussed in detail The Family: A Proclamation to the World, specifically the importance of families, marriage between a man and a woman, and rearing children in love and righteousness. Lastly we explored various topics that are threatening children and families today.

So, now what? What are you going to do with the information you’ve learned? How will you use it to become a better follower of Jesus Christ, better child, brother or sister, spouse, and/or parent?

Sharing and Defending Family Proclamation Principles 

President Spencer W. Kimball taught that “the time will come when only those who believe deeply and actively in the family will be able to preserve their families in the midst of the gathering evil around us” (Kimball, 1980, p. 4). While our own families are our most important responsibility, every family on earth is in need of the vital blessings that come from living proclamation principles. I believe, therefore, that a deep and active belief in the principles articulated in “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” should motivate us not only to apply true principles to protect our own families, but it should also move us to share these principles with others.

The statement by the prophet Joseph Smith applies here—that when we gain a witness of the truth, we will not be “content with blessing [our] family alone, but [range] through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race” (1976, p. 277). In the Doctrine and Covenants we are taught, “And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouth of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days” (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835, D&C 1:4). “And let your preaching be the warning voice, every man to his neighbor, in mildness and in meekness” (D&C 38:41). As we share the principles of the proclamation with others, we can fulfill that command to teach and warn others, helping them strengthen their families.

One thing to consider: How can you defend and protect the family and the principles taught in “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” if you don’t know it in your heart and in your mind?

Now you may be thinking, but there are other people, more influential people that are or should speak up. Why me? What difference can I make? I am just one person!

Speaking Up for Truth

By Merrilee Browne Boyack (2023)

The Lord has called us to “testify and warn the people.”

Years ago my mother was reading in the newspaper that a large church in our area of Detroit, Michigan, was having a meeting to expose the “Mormon cult.” We were shocked when my mother announced she was going. This was not something she would normally do.

The evening came, and my mother went and sat in the middle of several thousand people. The pastor read some literature against the Church and criticized its doctrine. At the end he asked, “Are there any questions?”

My little mother raised her hand and stood up. “I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I categorically deny everything you have said as falsehoods!” she stated boldly. Then she continued sweetly, “If anyone would like to know the truth about the Church, I’d be happy to answer their questions in the foyer afterward.” There was dead silence.

After the meeting, it was like the parting of the Red Sea as my mother walked out resolutely and stood in the foyer. Thousands filed past her quietly, knowing that what they had heard that day about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was simply not true. She then shook the pastor’s hand and left. She came home and shared her experience. We were stunned. I have never been prouder of my courageous mother in my life.

When I think of standing for truth, I also think of the Apostle Paul. The New Testament is full of stories of Paul fearlessly teaching the truth in front of leaders and Jews and Gentiles. He told the elders of the Church:

“I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house,

“Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:20–21).

Paul didn’t fear man and was devoted to testifying boldly of Christ.

Each of us has been called to stand for truth and be a voice of warning in the last days. The Lord said, “I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:81).

Why We Should Speak Up for Truth

We merely have to watch the daily news or look around us to see that society is degrading rapidly. It can become soul numbing, and many of us may be tempted to just withdraw and keep quiet. But the Lord’s direction is clear. We are expected to speak up. We are expected to be a warning voice. We are expected to defend the truth in a world that increasingly does not want to hear or accept truth.

“The time has come when members of the Church need to speak out and join with the many other concerned people in opposition to the offensive, destructive, and mean-spirited media influence that is sweeping over the earth,” said President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

At a religious studies symposium in California, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who grew up in Germany during World War II, talked about a visit he and his wife made to Auschwitz, a former concentration camp established in German-occupied Poland: “I wonder how history might have been changed had the people of Germany spoken with one voice against the evil that rose around them. Perhaps future generations will ask the same of us today.”2

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are blessed to know the truth and to have the influence of the Holy Ghost to help us recognize the difference between truth and error. When we use these gifts to speak, our influence for good will grow and have profound impacts. “Too often evil rises in the world because good men and women do not find the courage to speak against it,” said Elder Uchtdorf. “And sometimes terrible, preventable events happen because we fail to open our mouths.”

So how do we speak up for what’s right?

Follow the Promptings of the Spirit

It is important to be in tune with the Spirit to guide us on when and where to speak up. My mother was clearly prompted by the Spirit. Attending a large meeting of another church was not something she would normally do. But she felt that she should do it and acted on that feeling.

Addressing the women of the Church, President Russell M. Nelson declared: “Attacks against the Church, its doctrine, and our way of life are going to increase. Because of this, we need women who have a bedrock understanding of the doctrine of Christ and who will use that understanding to teach and help raise a sin-resistant generation. We need women who can detect deception in all of its forms. We need women who know how to access the power that God makes available to covenant keepers and who express their beliefs with confidence and charity.”

Certainly, we need men and youth and children who will express their beliefs as well.

And we need to do so in a way that avoids contention so we can be guided by the Spirit. Elder Uchtdorf taught:

“Conflict is inevitable. …

“Contention, however, is a choice. It’s one way people choose to respond to conflict. …

“There is a better way.

“To some, we say nothing. To others, we state with quiet dignity who we are, what we believe, and why we believe.”

Speak Truth

Several years ago, an atheist parent of a child in our school district was demanding that the words “under God” be removed from the students’ daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. He was also demanding a “God-free” classroom for his daughter where there would be no mention of God or any religion. I went to the school board meeting where the issue would be discussed.

One of the speakers was a 12-year-old Latter-day Saint young man. He told the school board members his name and said, “Please don’t do this. I have one friend who is Jewish, one who is Muslim, one who is Catholic, one who is Buddhist, and me—I’m a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some of us stand for the pledge, and some don’t. Some say, ‘under God,’ and some don’t. It’s OK. We’re all different. We all get along. Please vote this down.”

The entire room erupted into a standing ovation, and the school board voted it down—quoting a courageous 12-year-old young man.

He spoke truth. And everyone heard it clearly. In a vote that could have failed, one 12-year-old young man made the difference.

President Nelson said, “We are grateful for each time you stand up and speak up for truth—especially when it is not popular.”6 As we speak truth, the Spirit can and will witness of the truth of our words to those who hear.

It can be as easy as just stating a positive opinion:

• I remember when a fellow ward member spoke up during a picnic when the conversation was going astray and said, “We try to watch good movies in our family.” It immediately changed the conversation.

• A mother spoke to her child’s teacher about a questionable assignment, saying, “Please give my son another assignment. We try to protect our child’s innocence.”

• A teen girl spoke up to her friends and said, “Please keep your language cleaner around me.”

All simple statements. All are effective in influencing the situation and others for good.

I am always strengthened by watching leaders of the Church unapologetically and directly speak truth. They are not embarrassed. They do not mince words. They are not harsh or unkind, but they are true to the Savior and to His doctrine. We can follow their example.

Be Respectful and Courageous

It is important that we maintain a respectful tone when speaking out. President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, stated: “We are cast as combatants in the war between truth and error. There is no middle ground. We must stand up for truth, even while we practice tolerance and respect for beliefs and ideas different from our own and for the people who hold them.”7

Often when we contemplate speaking up, we feel fear. We wonder, “What will the neighbors think?” “What if people laugh at me?” “What if I lose my job or my reputation?” “What if my friends or family members reject me?”

It is clear who is the source of this fear. President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) taught: “The adversary of all truth would put into your heart a reluctance to make an effort. Cast that fear aside and be valiant in the cause of truth and righteousness and faith.”8

We will have more and more opportunities to speak for truth and light in a darkening world. President Hinckley also stated:

“Let our voices be heard. I hope they will not be shrill voices, but I hope we shall speak with such conviction that those to whom we speak shall know of the strength of our feeling and the sincerity of our effort. …

“I think the Lord would say to us, ‘Rise, and stand upon thy feet, and speak up for truth and goodness and decency and virtue.’

The Lord is counting on us—His valiant sons and daughters—to stand for truth and be a warning voice to all of His children. It will require us to be in tune with the Spirit, “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15) and with courage and faith in the Lord. And as we do, we will be a vital part in building the Lord’s kingdom on the earth.

Concluding Thoughts

There is great power in the small and the simple! Even one person, one small act, one testimony shared can make a difference. Consider the following excerpts from President Dallin H. Oaks’ (2018) talk Small and Simple Things:

This morning I have felt the need to use as my text Alma’s teaching to his son Helaman, recorded in the Book of Mormon: “By small and simple things are great things brought to pass” (The Book of Mormon, 2013, Alma 37:6).

We are taught many small and simple things in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to be reminded that in total and over a significant period of time, these seemingly small things bring to pass great things. There have been many talks on this subject by General Authorities and by other respected teachers. The subject is so important that I feel like talking about it again.

I was reminded of the power of small and simple things over time by something I saw on a morning walk…  [a] thick and strong concrete sidewalk [was] cracking. Is this the result of some large and powerful thrust? No, this cracking is caused by the slow, small growth of one of the roots reaching out from the adjoining tree…The thrusting power that cracked these heavy concrete sidewalks was too small to measure on a daily or even a monthly basis, but its effect over time was incredibly powerful.

So is the powerful effect over time of the small and simple things we are taught in the scriptures and by living prophets. Consider the scripture study we’ve been taught to incorporate into our daily lives. Or consider the personal prayers and the kneeling family prayers that are regular practices for faithful Latter-day Saints. Consider attendance at seminary for youth or institute classes for young adults. Though each of these practices may seem to be small and simple, over time they result in powerful spiritual uplift and growth. This occurs because each of these small and simple things invites the companionship of the Holy Ghost, the Testifier who enlightens us and guides us into truth, as President Eyring has explained.

Surely these are small things, but surely they are good examples of what Alma taught his son Helaman: “And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord … bringeth about the salvation of many souls” (Alma 37:7).

President Steven C. Wheelwright gave an audience at Brigham Young University–Hawaii this inspired description of Alma’s teaching: “Alma confirms for his son that indeed the pattern the Lord follows when we exercise faith in Him and follow His counsel in small and simple things is that He blesses us with small daily miracles, and over time, with marvelous works.”

President Howard W. Hunter taught that “frequently it is the commonplace tasks … that have the greatest positive effect on the lives of others, as compared with the things that the world so often relates to greatness.”

A persuasive secular teaching of this same principle comes from former Senator Dan Coats of Indiana, who wrote: “The only preparation for that one profound decision which can change a life, or even a nation, is those hundreds and thousands of half-conscious, self-defining, seemingly insignificant decisions made in private.”

Those “seemingly insignificant” private decisions include how we use our time, what we view on television and the internet, what we read, the art and music with which we surround ourselves at work and at home, what we seek for entertainment, and how we apply our commitment to be honest and truthful. Another seemingly small and simple thing is being civil and cheerful in our personal interactions.

None of these desirable small and simple things will lift us to great things unless they are practiced consistently and continuously. President Brigham Young was reported as saying: “Our lives are made up of little, simple circumstances that amount to a great deal when they are brought together, and sum up the whole life of the man or woman.”

We are surrounded by media influences and cultural deteriorations that will carry us downstream in our values if we are not continually resisting. To move upstream toward our eternal goal, we must constantly keep paddling. It helps if we are part of a team that is paddling together, like a rowing crew in action. To extend that example even further, the cultural currents are so strong simplicity that if we ever stop paddling, we will be carried downstream toward a destination we do not seek but which becomes inevitable if we do not constantly try to move forward.

In connection with the earliest attempts to establish the Church in Missouri, the Lord counseled patience for “all things must come to pass in their time” (D&C 64:32). Then He gave this great teaching: “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (D&C 64:33).

A Call to Action

As you conclude your experience in this course, we pray you will not conclude your experience in progressing toward eternal family relationships and promoting those measures designed to strengthen the families of the world. The Lord needs responsible citizens in every country to stand up and spread light and truth concerning the family. A critical reason for the existence of Brigham Young University-Idaho and BYU Pathway Worldwide, along with the rest of the church educational system, is so that this world can be filled with more light. Your learning in this course and throughout this program is not just for you. Rather, the Lord has provided this learning opportunity for you so that you might use it to build, lift, and spread light. Consider the following quotes:

Elder David A. Bednar: “You and I are here upon the earth…to learn…to assist others in learning wisdom and truth.”

Brigham Young: “Put forth your ability to learn…then distribute your knowledge to the people.”

Elder Dallin H. Oaks: “Our religious faith teaches us that we should seek learning by the Spirit and that we have a stewardship to use our knowledge for the benefit of mankind.”

President Henry B. Eyring: “[God] has prepared opportunities for you to learn in preparation for the service you will give.”

Clearly, a key purpose of our education is to use what we have learned to bless others. By doing so, we can help prepare the world for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The temptation to delay or neglect our own application of the principles in The Family: A Proclamation to the World, including promoting and advocating for truth about the family, will certainly come. Here are some of the temptations you might experience: 

• I’m too far behind.

• I can’t really change.

• I can just do something big later.

• I’ll catch up later.

• My situation is hopeless, so why try?

• There is too much to do.

• I don’t have time to do anything right now.

• There is nothing I can do that will make a real difference.  

Don’t listen to the lies. Not everyone can do something big, but we can all do something small. No one will do everything, but we can all do something. Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said: “There is, as we all know, much talk about family values, but rhetoric, by itself, cannot bring reform. Nostalgically, many wish for the family life of yesteryear; they regard family decline as regrettable but not reversible.”

Do you believe family decline is reversible? If your own family situation is struggling, do you believe it can improve? Or are we fighting a lost cause? Your answers to those questions will have an impact on how you approach strengthening your own family relationships, as well as strengthening marriage in your community and country. 

The truth is, family decline is not inevitable. There is great reason to have hope and the Lord needs His people to have a positive impact in their homes, communities, and nations. Empowered with the truths from the proclamation and with Jesus Christ on our side, we can do what needs to be done in our own families and communities to strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society. 

References

Ballard, R. M. (2005, November). What Matters Most is What Lasts Longest. Ensign, 35, 41–44.

Boyack, M. B. (2023, August). Speaking Up For Truth. Liahona.

Erickson, M. F., & Aird, E. G. (2005). The Motherhood Study: Fresh insights on mothers’ attitudes and concerns. Institute for American Values.

Eyring, H. B. (1998). The Family. BYU Speeches. Devotional. https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/henry-b-eyring/family/

Haight, D. B. (2000, November). Be a strong link. Ensign, 30, 19–21.

Johnson, M. (2009, July). Fortifying Our Family. Ensign, 39, 12–13.

Kimball, S. W. (1980, October). Families Can Be Eternal. General Conference. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1980/10/families-can-be-eternal?lang=eng

Oaks, D. H. (2018, April). Small and Simple Things. Liahona, 89–92.

Packer, B. K. (2008). The Proclamation on the Family. In Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting (p. 36). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Seymour, N. (2005, November). “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” Reaches 10-Year Milestone. Church Magazines The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2005/11/news-of-the-church/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world-reaches-10-year-milestone?lang=eng

Smith, J. Jr. (1976). History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. OUTLOOK VERLAG. https://www.amazon.com/History-Church-Christ-Latter-day-Saints/dp/3368906569

The Book of Mormon: Another testament of Jesus Christ. (2013). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (1835). Book of doctrine and covenants: Carefully selected from the revelations of God, and given in the order of their dates. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints.

The Holy Bible, King James Version. (1611). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt?lang=eng