The Proclamation: A Clarion Call

What is a clarion? ?

Definition: The clarion was an instrument, the predecessor to the trumpet, used between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries. It was quite typically used during wars to signal. As a result, a clarion call refers to a summons of sorts: one that should not/cannot be ignored, as it would have been during a medieval war

A clarion call is a powerful request for action or an irresistible mandate. It derives from the cloud of a clarion, a medieval trumpet.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World remains a clarion call to protect and strengthen families.

What a great time we live in! There is so much excitement in the air! We have The Family: A Proclamation to the World to guide us and keep us focused and grounded on what is most important: our families and our marriages.

On September 21, 1823 another clarion call was made to the world.  Moroni, the last prophet of the Book of Mormon, came to Joseph Smith, as if with a trumpet in his hand with a message for the world.  What was Moroni's message?

Among many things, he quoted Doctrine and Covenants 2:1–3:

“Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

“And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.

“If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.”

Sister Julie B. Beck from Teaching the Doctrine of the Family said, This scripture is talking about temple blessings—ordinances and covenants without which “the whole earth [is] utterly wasted.”

  How important was this message?  

1.   If someone had a message for you and repeated it four times word for word, would you feel it was an important ? Moroni came three times in the same night and once more the next morning with the exact same message. 
2.  If the same scripture was found in all four standard works, would that tell of it's importance?  "Turning the hearts to the fathers"  is the only scripture quoted in all four standard works. (Malachi 4:5-6, Luke 1:17, Matthew 17:11,  3 Nephi 25:5-6, Joseph Smith-History 1:38-39 Doctrine and Covenants 2)
3.   The doctrine and destiny of the family was of such importance, it was revealed to Joseph Smith before he received the plates, before he translated the Book of Mormon, before he received the priesthood, and before the Church was restored.
4. The message was of such necessity it was repeated again 172 years later as The Family: A Proclamation to the World.

President Henry B. Eyring shares the significance of  the title of the Proclamation,

“Three things about the title are worth our careful reflection. First, the subject: the family. Second, the audience, which is the whole world. And third, those proclaiming it are those we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators,” he says. “All this means that the family must be of tremendous importance to us, that whatever the proclamation says could help anyone in the world, and that the proclamation fits the Lord’s promise when he said, ‘Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same’ (D&C 1:38).”

I feel great strength from the power of The Family: A Proclamation to the World and Moroni's visit to Joseph.  For me, these two clarion messages fill me with urgency and purpose in my role as a daughter of God, a mother, and a wife.

Our prophets have encouraged us to have a copy of the family proclamation in our homes, and to read the clear, simple prophetic language and compare it to the messages and voices of today.

"... because parents will be held accountable for rearing their children in love and righteousness. Parents have the responsibility to provide for the physical and spiritual needs of their children while they teach them to love, serve, and obey the commandments and the laws of the land."

“Fulfilling these obligations is the key to protecting our families in these last days,”  Elder Robert D. Hales



About 5 years after the Proclamation was given, my parents called all of their adult children and challenged us to memorize the Proclamation. They had just finished memorizing it themselves after being challenged by their Stake President in Stake Conference. To the inspiration of hundreds, a thirteen-year old girl stood and quoted it in front of their whole stake.

 I accepted my parents challenge and set off to memorize this inspired scripture.  I already knew it was true and powerful, but I didn't know it, like I came to know it through this memorizing journey.

And it was a journey...of the Proclamation becoming apart of me...  one paragraph at a time....

 I carried a copy of the proclamation around with me while I took care of my home and family.

As I  washed breakfast dishes, the Proclamation sat in the window sill and I quoted,

"We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children."

"All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose. "

 While vacuuming, I  recited,

"In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally."

 ...repeating the lines  out loud over and over again

trying to instill them into my brain.

While running errands around town, I went through the Proclamation...again and again and again.  Instilling the principles and phrases into my mind and heart.

"The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.





We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan."

While  rocking babies to sleep, I had the Proclamation in my hand reading and memorizing important phrases of family doctrine...making them apart of   me.

"Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations."

"The family is ordained of God. 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. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. 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. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children..." 

Within a week or two, I had memorized  one of the most important scriptures of all time, the clarion call of our day

The Family: a Proclamation to the World

Finding Balance: What is Real?

Years ago there was an LDS video called What is Real?  It was about a father worrying about his newborn daughter and what she was going to face in her life and how he was going to protect her.

When this video was made, which was state of the art at that time, (early 1990's), the focus was on bad friends, drugs,and  alcohol. I don't mean to minimize how serious these concerns are.  They are still on the short list.  BUT technology and how fast and accessible and addictive it is, is What is Real  right now.

I am so inspired by the Ensign magazine.  I  L.O.V.E it!  While I was waiting in the orthodontist office I read this article in the February 2012 issue:

Keeping Safe and Balanced in a Google-You tube-Twitter-Facebook-iEverthing World

How applicable and needed is this article!!  At least that is what I was thinking the whole time I was reading it.

As far as parents go, I am about as normal as normal gets.  My kids spend way too much time on facebook in my opinion.  They are also really into You tube videos that I have mixed feelings about.  Some are really funny I admit, and others super inspirational.  It has its mix,  but my husband and I are worried about all the other garbage on there that usually pops up on the side-bars.

Maybe you can relate to some of that.

I am concerned how much time by girls spend on facebook. Maybe it is more of a girl thing as we as females are naturally have more social needs. We don't have issues with our Wii at all.  It is there, and we like it, but they never think of playing it unless friends come over.  Moms of boys seems to have more problems with video games and regulating that.  I don't know if that is a true stereo-type or not.  Just an observation. 

We have tried many different rules and regulations to keep face-book under control. I noticed it was taking that WAY too long to do homework because they would flip to facebook every few minutes. Ya, see my issues?

 We only have one computer in the house which is in our kitchen area, so whenever they are on, we are aware of it.  That helps. 

My main concern, and this if for myself too...is although there is good in facebook and most technology, it is going extremely fast, and I am worried if I can keep my children spiritually grounded, tuned in, and safe.

Here is what we have tried:

• giving them a day that they can be on facebook
• setting a timer
• putting little sticky notes on the computer "Computer is off limits today"
• Yelling: "Get off the computer...now!" 
• Teaching them correct principles of WHY
• etc...

If I had to pick the post effective ones, I would say setting the timer and teaching them principles has been the least contentious and most effective.

I am always up for inspiration and revelation on this subject.  I know my example is very important, so I have to watch myself too.  I do so much on the computer from preparing for young women lessons (huge), e-mail, face-book, and just basic research on products I buy, some shopping, photo editing, and blogging ; ), etc.  Your list is probably very similar.  It is kind of taking over my life! 

The more time we spend in front of a computer screen, the more desensitized we feel to the real world going on  behind our backs.  Face-book is extremely addicting if we constantly check it.

It is a place where we feed that side of us the yearns to be noticed, appreciated, and validated.  We all love and need to be noticed...and face-book is great for that.  See the addiction?  It is not bad, we just have to make sure we are grounded in the real world more than we are in the virtual world.

How do we find the balance on what is real?  How do we stay safe, grounded, and stay tuned in to our Heavenly Father?
Elder Bednar gave a must read talk at a CES fireside called Things as They Really Are

Here is a short You Tube Video that goes along with this talk

 2 questions to ask ourselves in the use of the various technologies-

1. Does it invite or impede the Holy Ghost?
2. Does it impede or restrict your capacity to live, love, and to serve

Staying connected to our Heavenly Father and our Family--that is what is real!

Teaching our Children to be Reverent

A must read talk from Elder Dallin H. Oaks: {Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament}

Teaching our children to be reverent at church is one of the most important lessons we can teach.
Our example is paramount.

What is reverence?  Reverence is about respect and is a form of worship.  Elder Hales has taught, "Reverence invites revelation." We know it is important.  We were taught to fold our arms and be quiet at church since we were born. 

We go to extremes to keep our children quiet during Sacrament Meeting.  We make quiet books, bring Cheerios, their favorite small quiet toy, colors, papers, gum, fruit snacks, and anything we can scrounge up in our bags that might be entertaining,  etc.  Of coarse this didn't exist when we were starting out, but i-pads.  What ever it takes that is quiet we let them do.  Just get through sacrament meeting as reverently as possible. 

Of coarse there are the un-planned noises or out bursts that always seem to happen during the most quiet noticeable times of the meeting.  My newborns would always loudly fill their diaper during the sacrament which would always bring snickers from those sitting around us.  I remember as a small child screaming as my mom took me out, "Don't spank me mommy!"

If we can teach them the principles of reverence to our children when they are young, we are saving ourselves a lot of work in the future.  It feels like and IS a lot of work at first when they are young, but once they are taught and know about being reverent we are essentially opening up their minds and hearts to feel and hear the Spirit through out their lives.  This is one of the greatest gifts we can give them. 

 The 1st Principle of Reverence:  WHY?

When we are at church we are in Heavenly Father's literal house. We should dress, act, and speak reverently.  As a child my favorite song was The Chapel Doors [seem to say to me shhhhhh  be still, for this is a reverent place to be....shhhhhhhhh be still] I loved that song as it taught me the importance of reverence.   As a little girl of 6 or 7 going to church in my tights that had a hole in the knee, I remember my mother telling me we are in Heavenly Father's house and we should wear our best clothes.Although I wasn't capable of buying my own clothes at that age, my mother taught me that the clothes we wear to church matter.  They should be our very best.  My mother instilled within me strong feelings of special-ness and respect for Heavenly Father's house.

The Sacrament is the most important part of our Sacrament meeting.  It is WHY we meet. To renew our covenants we made at baptism and to make new ones.  We can teach this to our children when they are very young. Before they are baptized and are old enough to make covenants, they are taught.  And reverence is a big part of that worship.

The 2nd Principle of Reverence: HOW?

Years ago on  a particularly bad week at church, I had 2 rambunctious toddlers, and two new-born twins.  I am sure we were the circus show of church.  An elderly lady came up to us after church and said, "I think your quiver is full"  Ya, I was feeling that same thought too... right about then.  I was determined to not only survive that period of my life, but to become the champion of it. 

The thought of not coming to church, or coming late, or leaving early...was never an option.  We went to church every week, second row, on time,  and we came equipped with plans to accomplish the impossible: have reverent children at church.  This is what WE did:

• We prepared for Sunday on Saturday, so Sunday morning was not chaotic (or was less so : )
• We taught reverence at home in Family Home Evening a lot.  I made a picture of eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet, etc. and we taught them how to each part of our body can be reverent.
• I practiced church at home sometimes where we would set the timer and sit on the couch together like we were in church.  They learned how to be reverent at home first.
• When they were noisy at church, they got taken out by their dad.  This wasn't a run and play in the church foyer time.  Their dad made it an uncomfortable for them. He would find an empty class room and set them in a hard metal chair with their arms folded for a designated period of time.  They learned that church was a better place to be than out with dad.
• If it was a "bad" week of reverence in church, they got to practice being reverent AFTER church on the couch at home.  Little by little, they learned how to be reverent and that Mom and Dad meant business!
• I had my Sacrament Meeting survival bag of books [touchy-feely, texture books are great, or cloth or felt books], treats [make sure the wrappers are not noisy-or put them in a Ziploc bag before church], and tricks to make it through each week when they were very small.  If they were extra noisy with a certain toy, that toy didn't come back the next week.   There were many times  I felt I deserved a T-shirt that said, "I survived church this week"
• We taught them they had to wait to get drinks or go to the bathroom.  We weren't making a million trips to the bathroom or drinking fountain during the meeting. Going in and out, up and down, back and forth is not reverent for you or those sitting around you. [ Sometimes you cannot help it with young babies and toddlers.  You get points for showing up! ]  When they are really bored, by girls like to "fake" thirst or bathroom needs.  Now they have to wait until after the meeting,  unless it is a real need or emergency. 
• As the children grow, so do the expectations.  Make sure they are age appropriate. 

 This might sound a little rough, but we only had to teach it this strongly at the beginning.  They learned what the expectations were and learned to be reverent in church.  We are not perfect by a long shot,  but we are always striving to teach these principles to our children. 

We know that teaching our children reverence is one of the most important principles they can be taught.

The List

I realized today that I no longer have to remind my two youngest, Ashley and Jamee to make their bed

because they have their "list"

yes that does say "get brest" hopefully you can see the correction in orange pen to "drest"

They don't need me to remind them anymore, they just check their "list" to see what they have to do next.  Then they give themselves a sticker! 

My work is essentially done.

It is a great plan until they lose "the list"  which could very well happen after school today. 

Until then, I am going to enjoy this.