Latter-day Saints believe family is central to God’s plan because every person is a child of heavenly parents and because family relationships can become eternal through Jesus Christ and sacred covenants.
We Belong to the Family of God
Latter-day Saint teaching begins with divine identity: human beings lived with heavenly parents before birth and are sons and daughters of God. Earthly family life is therefore connected to a larger eternal family and provides a setting for learning love, sacrifice, responsibility, forgiveness, and service.
Marriage and Parenting Matter
Church teaching gives high importance to marriage, parenting, fidelity, nurturing children, and building homes centered on Jesus Christ. The family is viewed not merely as a social convenience but as part of God’s design for mortal growth and eternal happiness.
What Does It Mean for a Family to Be Eternal?
Latter-day Saints believe priesthood sealing ordinances performed in temples can unite husbands and wives, and parents and children, beyond death. These promises are connected to faithfulness to God and the covenants made in the temple. The doctrine is one reason temples and family history hold such a prominent place in Church life.
What About Imperfect or Painful Family Situations?
No family is perfect, and some relationships are unsafe or deeply wounded. The gospel does not require a person to pretend that abuse or serious harm is acceptable. The hope of eternal family life is centered on Jesus Christ’s power to redeem, heal, judge perfectly, and make right what cannot be fully repaired in mortality.
Why This Belief Affects Everyday Life
If relationships can matter eternally, daily choices toward patience, loyalty, repentance, forgiveness, teaching, and service gain added significance. Latter-day Saints are encouraged to strengthen family relationships while also extending Christlike love to those whose family circumstances do not match an ideal pattern.