The family is ordained of God.

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• Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

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• Jer 31:1 At the same time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.

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• Gen 28:14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

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• Ephesians 3: 14-15. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

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Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.

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Matthew 19:5-6.  And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?  Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

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Mark 10:9.  What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

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Romans 7:2.  For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth....

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1 Corinthians 7:2.  Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

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Moses 3:24-25.  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be done flesh.  And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

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Abraham 5:18-19.  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.  And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

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Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

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Psalms 144:15.  Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.

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John 13:13-17
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.  If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.  If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

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James 5:11.  Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

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2 Nephi 5:6,10,12,15-17,27.  Wherefore, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did take my family, and also Zoram and his family, and Sam, mine elder brother and his family, and Jacob and Joseph, my younger brethren, and also my sisters, and all those who would go with me. And all those who would go with me were those who believed in the warnings and the revelations of God; wherefore, they did hearken unto my words.  And we did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in all things, according to the law of Moses.  And I, Nephi, had also brought the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass; and also the ball, or compass, which was prepared for my father by the hand of the Lord, according to that which is written.  And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance.  And I, Nephi, did build a temple; ...And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cause my people to be industrious, and to labor with their hands. And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.

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Mosiah 2:41.  And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

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Alma 41:10.  Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness.

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Alma 50:20-23.  Blessed art thou and thy children; and they shall be blessed, inasmuch as they shall keep my commandments they shall prosper in the land. But remember, inasmuch as they will not keep my commandments they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.  And we see that these promises have been verified to the people of Nephi; for it has been their quarrelings and their contentions, yea, their murderings, and their plunderings, their idolatry, their whoredoms, and their abominations, which were among themselves, which brought upon them their wars and their destructions.  And those who were faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord were delivered at all times, whilst thousands of their wicked brethren have been consigned to bondage, or to perish by the sword, or to dwindle in unbelief, and mingle with the Lamanites.  But behold there never was a happier time among the people of Nephi...

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4 Nephi 1:15-17.  And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.  And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God. There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God."

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Mormon 7:7.  And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end.

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Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.

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Titus 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

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2 Nephi 25:26.  And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

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Mosiah 4:14-15.  And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the devil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.  But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.

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3 Nephi 18:21.  Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed.

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D&C 23:6.  ...You must take up your across, in the which you must pray vocally before the world as well as in secret, and in your family, and among your friends, and in all places.

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D&C 52:6.  Let them labor with their families, declaring none other things than the prophets and apostles, that which they have seen and heard and most assuredly believe, that the prophecies may be fulfilled.

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D&C 68:25.  And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents.

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By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families.

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Ephesians 6:4.  And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

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1 Corinthians 11:3.  But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

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1 Nephi 16:17,31.  And after we had traveled for the space of many days, we did pitch our tents for the space of a time, that we might again rest ourselves and obtain food for our families.  And it came to pass that I did slay wild beasts, insomuch that I did obtain food for our families.

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Enos 1:1.  Behold, it came to pass that I, Enos, knowing my father that he was a just man—for he taught me in his language, and also in the nurture and admonition of the Lord—and blessed be the name of my God for it.

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Mosiah 2:5.  And it came to pass that when they came up to the temple, they pitched their tents round about, every man according to his family, consisting of his wife, and his sons, and his daughters, and their sons, and their daughters, from the eldest down to the youngest, every family being separate one from another.

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Mosiah 20:11.  ...they fought for their lives, and for their wives, and for their children; therefore they exerted themselves and like dragons did they fight.

 

Alma 43: 45-47.  ...the Nephites were inspired by a better cause, for they were not fighting for monarchy nor power but they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church.  And they were doing that which they felt was the duty which they owed to their God; for the Lord had said unto them, and also unto their fathers...And again, the Lord has said that: Ye shall defend your families even unto bloodshed. Therefore for this cause were the Nephites contending with the Lamanites, to defend themselves, and their families, and their lands, their country, and their rights, and their religion.

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D&C 83:2,4.  Women have claim on their husbands for their maintenance, until their husbands are taken; ...4 All children have claim upon their parents for their maintenance until they are of age.

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D&C 121: 41-43.  No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;  By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

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Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.

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Alma 56:45-48.  And now I say unto you, my beloved brother Moroni, that never had I seen so great courage, nay, not amongst all the Nephites.  For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.  Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.  And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

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In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.

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Genesis 2:18.  And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

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1 Corinthians 11:11.  Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.

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Moses 5:1.  And it came to pass that after I, the Lord God, had driven them out, that Adam began to till the earth, and to have dominion over all the beasts of the field, and to eat his bread by the sweat of his brow, as I the Lord had commanded him. And Eve, also, his wife, did labor with him.

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Moses 3:18  And I, the Lord God, said unto mine Only Begotten, that it was not good that the man should be alone; wherefore, I will make an help meet for him.

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Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation.  Extended families should lend support when needed.  Extended families should lend support when needed.

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Ruth 1:3-5, 10, 16-17 2:2,17-18, 23.  Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.  And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.  And they [Ruth and Orpah] said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.  And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.  And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn...So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned...And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.

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1Sam 22: 1-4.  1 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.  And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.  And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.  And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.

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Mosiah 21:17.  Now there was a great number of women, more than there was of men; therefore king Limhi commanded that every man should impart to the support of the widows and their children, that they might not perish with hunger; and this they did because of the greatness of their number that had been slain.

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D&C 75:24-26.  Behold, I say unto you, that it is the duty of the church to assist in supporting the families of those, and also to support the families of those who are called and must needs be sent unto the world to proclaim the gospel unto the world.  Wherefore, I, the Lord, give unto you this commandment, that ye obtain places for your families, inasmuch as your brethren are willing to open their hearts.  And let all such as can obtain places for their families, and support of the church for them...

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D&C 83: 4-6.  All children have claim upon their parents for their maintenance until they are of age.  And after that, they have claim upon the church, or in other words upon the Lord's storehouse, if their parents have not wherewith to give them inheritances.  And the storehouse shall be kept by the consecrations of the church; and widows and orphans shall be provided for, as also the poor.  Amen.

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D&C 136:2, 5-6, 8-9, 11.  Let all the people of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and those who journey with them, be organized into companies...Let each company provide themselves with all the teams, wagons, provisions, clothing, and other necessaries for the journey, that they can.  When the companies are organized let them go to with their might, to prepare for those who are to tarry.  Let each company bear an equal proportion, according to the dividend of their property, in taking the poor, the widows, the fatherless, and the families of those who have gone into the army, that the cries of the widow and the fatherless come not up into the ears of the Lord against this people.  Let each company prepare houses, and fields for raising grain, for those who are to remain behind this season; and this is the will of the Lord concerning his people.  And if ye do this with a pure heart, in all faithfulness, ye shall be blessed; you shall be blessed in your flocks, and in your herds, and in your fields, and in your houses, and in your families.