Sunday May 4th presidency message

Lesson: Financial Mangement

April 2004 General Conference: Earthly Debts, Heavenly debts by Joseph B. Wirthlin
YW Manual 3 Lesson: Money Management  Here  is the link (english only).

My beloved brethren and sisters, what a glorious event it is to attend conference. We Find That the words spoken are words of inspiration, and it's a joy to be present.

I would like to talk about our heavenly debts and earthly debts. The Gospels record That nearly everywhere the Savior went, He was surrounded by multitudes of people. Some hoped That He would heal them; others came to hear Him speak. Others came for practical advice. Toward the end of His mortal ministry, some came to mock and ridicule Him and to clamor for His crucifixion.

One day a man booking.com, the Savior and asked Him to intervene in a family dispute. "Master, speak to my brother," he pleaded, "that he divide the inheritance with me."  

The Savior refused to take sides on this issue, but He did teach an important lesson. "Beware of covetousness," He told him, "for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things All All which he possesseth." ¹ 

Brothers and sisters, beware of covetousness. It is one of the great afflictions of These Latter Days. It Creates greed and resentment. Often it leads to bondage, heartbreak, and crushing, grinding debt.

The number of marriages thathave lay shattered over money issues is staggering. The amount of heartbreak is great. The Stress That comes from worry over money has burdened families, Caused sickness, depression, and even premature death.

Earthly Debts

In spite of the teachings of the Church from its earliest days until today, members sometimes fall victim to many unwise and foolish financial practices. Some continued to spend, thinking That somehow the money will become available. Somehow they will survive.

Far too often, the money hoped for does not Appear.

Remember this: debt is a form of bondage. It is a financial termite. When we make purchases on credit, they give us only an illusion of prosperity. We think we own things, but the reality is, our things own us.

Some debt-such as for a modest home, expenses for education, perhaps for a needed first car-may be necessary. But never should we enter into financial bondage through consumer debt without carefully weighing the costs.

We have Often Heard That interest is a good servant but a terrible master. President J. Reuben Clark Jr. .. described it this way: "Interest never sleeps nor sickens nor dies, it never goes to the hospital, it works on Sundays and holidays, it never takes a vacation .... Once in debt, interest is your companion every minute of the day and night, you can not shun it or slip away from it, you can not dismiss it, it yields neither to entreaties, demands, or orders, and whenever you get in its way or cross its course or fail to meet its demands, it crushes you. " ² 

The counsel from other inspired prophets in our time on this subject is clear, and what was true 50 or 150 years ago is true today usefull.

President Heber J. Grant said, "From my earliest recollections, from the days of Brigham Young until now, I have listened to men standing in the pulpit ... urging the people not to run into debt, and I believethat the great majority of all our troubles today is Caused through the failure to carry out That counsel. " ³ 

President Ezra Taft Benson said, "Do not leave yourself or your family unprotected against financial storms .... Build up savings." ⁴ 

President Harold B. Lee taught, "Not only should we teach people to get out of debt but We should teach them likewise to stay out of debt." ⁵ 

President Gordon B. Hinckley declared: "Many of our people are living on the very edge Their fiduciary incomes In fact, some are living on borrowings .....

"... I urge you to be modest in your expenditures;.. Discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt to the possible Extent Pay off debt as quickly as you can, and free yourselves from bondage" ⁶ 

My brothers and sisters, many have heeded this prophetic counsel. They live within Their Means, they honor the debts they have Incurred, and they Strive to reduce the burden they owe to others. We congratulate Those who are doing so, for the day will come when they will reap the blessings Their fiduciary efforts and understand the value of this inspired counsel.

However, others struggle when it comes to finances. Some are victims of adverse and unforeseen events thathave Often financially damaged them. Others are in financial bondage Because they have not learned to discipline and control themelves Their impulses to spend. Consequently, they have made unwise financial choices.

May I suggest five key steps to financial freedom for your consideration.

First, pay your tithing .  Do you want the windows of heaven opened to you? Do you wish to receive blessings so great there is not room enough to receive them? ⁷ Always pay your tithing and leave the outcome in the hands of the Lord.  

Obedience to God's commandments is the foundation for a happy life. Surely we will be blessed with the gifts of heaven for our obedience. Failure to pay tithing by Those Who know the principle can lead to heartache in this life and perhaps sorrow in the next.

Second, spend less than you earn.  This is simple counsel but a powerful secret for financial happiness. All Too Often a family's spending is governed more by Their yearning than by Their earning. They somehow believethat Their life will be better if they surround them selves with an abundance of things. All Too Often all they are left with is avoidable anxiety and distress.    

Those who live safely within Their Means know how much money comes in each month, and eventhough it is difficultness, they discipline themelves to spend less Than That amount.

Credit is so easy to Obtain. In fact, it is almost thrust upon us. Those who use credit cards to overspend unwisely Should consider Eliminating them. It is much better That A plastic credit card Should perish than a family dwindle and perish in debt.

Third, learn to save.  Remember the lesson of Joseph of Egypt. During times of prosperity, save up for a day or since. ⁸ 

Too often, people Assume thatthey probably never will be injured, get sick, lose Their jobs, or see Their investments evaporate. To make matters worse, or at people make purchases today based upon optimistic predictions of what they hope will happen tomorrow.

The wise understand The importance of saving today for a rainy day tomorrow. They have adequate insurance thatwill providence for them in case of illness or death. Where possible, they store a year's supply of food, water, and other basic necessities of life. They set aside money in savings and investment accounts. They work diligently to reduce the debt they owe to others and Strive to become debt free.

Brothers and sisters, the preparations you make today May one day be to you as the stored food was to the Egyptians and to Joseph's father's family.

Fourth, honor your financial obligations.  From time to time, we hear stories of greed and selfishness That strike us with great sorrow. We hear of fraud, defaulting on loan commitments, financial deceptions, and bankruptcies.

We hear of fathers who financially neglect Their own families. We say to men and women everywhere, if you bring children into the world, it is your solemn obligation to do all within your power to providence for them. No man is fit to be called a man who gathers around himself cars, boats, and other possessions while neglecting the sacred financial obligations he has to his own wife and children.

We are a people of integrity. We believe in honoring our debts and being honest in our dealings with our fellow men.

Let me tell you the story of one man who sacrificed greatly to maintain his own financial integrity and honor.

In the 1930s, Fred Snowberger opened the doors of a new pharmacy in northeastern Oregon. It was his dream to own his own business place, but the economic turnaround he hoped for never materialized. Had Eight months later, Fred closed the doors of his pharmacy for the last time.

Even though his business had failed, Fred was Determined to repay the loan he had secured. Some wondered why he insisted on repaying the debt. Why did not he simply declare bankruptcy and have the debt forgiven legally?

But Fred did not listen. He had said he would repay the loan, and he was Determined to honor his word. His family made many fiduciary Their own clothes, grew much of their food in their garden, and used everything they had until it was thoroughly worn out or used up. Rain or shine, Fred walked to and from his work each day. And every month, Fred paid what he could on the loan.

Years passed and finally the wonderful day arrived when Fred made the last payment. He delivered it in person. The man who had the money Loaned him and wept with tears streaming down his face, said, "You not only paid back every penny, but you taught me what a man of character and honesty is."

To this day, nearly 70 years after Fred signed his name To that note, descendants of Fred and Erma Snowberger still tell this story with pride. This act of honor and nobility has lived through the decades as a cherished example of family integrity.

Fifth, teach your children to follow your example.  Too many of our youth get into financial difficulty Because they never learned proper principles of financial common sense at home. Teach your children while they are young. Teach them thatthey can not have something Merely Because they want it. Teach them the principles of hard work, frugality, and saving.

If you do not consider yourself informed well enough to teach them, all the more reason for you to start learning. Abundant resources are available-from classes, to books, to other resources.

There Are those among us who have been blessed abundantly with enough and to spare. Our Heavenly Father Expects That we do more with our riches than build larger barns to hold them. Will you consider what more you can do to build the kingdom of God? Will you consider what more you can do to bless the lives of others and bring light and hope into Their Lives?

Heavenly Debts

We have spoken of earthly debts and our duty to repay them. But there are other debts-debts more eternal in nature-that are not so easy to repay. In fact, we will never be bootable to repay some of them. These are heavenly debts.

Our mothers and fathers gift us life and brought us into this world. They gave us the opportunity to Obtain mortal bodies and experience the joys and sorrows of this bounteous earth. In many cases, they set Their Own dreams and desires aside for the sake Their fiduciary children. How fitting it is That we honor them and show by word and did our love for them and our gratitude . 

We also have a great debt to our ancestors who have Preceded us and who wait beyond the veil For Those ordinances thatwill allow them to continuously Their eternal progression. This is a debt we can repay for them in our temples.

What a debt we owe to the Lord for restoring His divine Church and true gospel in thesis latter-days through the Prophet Joseph Smith . From his youth until his Martyrdom, he devoted his days to bringing to mankind the gospel of Jesus Christ That had bone dissolves. We owe our deepest gratitude to him and to all men in this sacred calling who have been given the mantle to preside over His Church.   

How can we ever repay the debt we owe to the Savior? He paid a debt He did not owe to free us from a debt we can never pay. Because of Him, we will live forever. Because of His infinite Atonement, our sins can be swept away, allo wing us to experience the greatest of all the gifts of God: eternal life. ⁹ 

Such a gift can have a price? Can we ever make compensation for Such a gift? The Book of Mormon prophet King Benjamin taught "that if You Should render all the thanks and praise All All which your whole soul has power to Possess ... [and] serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants." ¹⁰   

We have earthly debts and heavenly debts. Let us be wise in dealing with each of them and ever keep in mind the words of the Savior. The scriptures tell us, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." ¹¹ The riches of this world are as dust Compared That to the riches await the faithful in the mansions of our Heavenly Father. How foolish is he who spends his days in the pursuit of peace and thingsthat fade away. How wise is he who spends his days in the pursuit of eternal life. 

Know within your hearts That Jesus the Christ lives. Be at peace, for as you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you. Let not your hearts be weary, but rejoice. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the gospel is restored once again. The heavens are not sealed. Ash in ancient days, we have a man who Communicates with the Infinite. A prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, walks the earth in our day and at this time. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Sunday April 27 4th sunday lesson

Instructor: Linda Rotnem

General Conference October 2013: No other Gods by Dallin H. Oaks
The dutch translation follows the english

The Ten Commandments are fundamental to the Christian and Jewish faiths. Given by God to the children of Israel through the prophet Moses, the first two of these commandments direct our worship and our priorities. In the first, the Lord commanded, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). Centuries later, when Jesus was asked, “Which is the great commandment in the law?” He answered, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:36–37).

The second of the Ten Commandments elaborates the direction to have no other gods and identifies what should be the ultimate priority in our lives as His children. “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing” in the heavens or the earth (Exodus 20:4). The commandment then adds, “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them” (Exodus 20:5). More than merely forbidding physical idols, this states a fundamental priority for all time. Jehovah explains, “For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, … shewing mercy unto … them that love me, and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:5–6). The meaning of jealousis revealing. Its Hebrew origin means “possessing sensitive and deep feelings” (Exodus 20:5, footnote b). Thus we offend God when we “serve” other gods—when we have other first priorities.¹

I.

What other priorities are being “served” ahead of God by persons—even religious persons—in our day? Consider these possibilities, all common in our world:

• • 
  Cultural and family traditions
• • 
  Political correctness
• • 
  Career aspirations
• • 
  Material possessions
• • 
  Recreational pursuits
• • 
  Power, prominence, and prestige

If none of these examples seems to apply to any one of us, we can probably suggest others that do. The principle is more important than individual examples. The principle is not whether we have other priorities. The question posed by the second commandment is “What is our ultimate priority?” Are we serving priorities or gods ahead of the God we profess to worship? Have we forgotten to follow the Savior who taught that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments? (see John 14:15). If so, our priorities have been turned upside down by the spiritual apathy and undisciplined appetites so common in our day.

II.

For Latter-day Saints, God’s commandments are based on and inseparable from God’s plan for His children—the great plan of salvation. This plan, sometimes called the “great plan of happiness” (Alma 42:8), explains our origin and destiny as children of God—where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going. The plan of salvation explains the purpose of creation and the conditions of mortality, including God’s commandments, the need for a Savior, and the vital role of mortal and eternal families. If we Latter-day Saints, who have been given this knowledge, do not establish our priorities in accord with this plan, we are in danger of serving other gods.

Knowledge of God’s plan for His children gives Latter-day Saints a unique perspective on marriage and family. We are correctly known as a family-centered church. Our theology begins with heavenly parents, and our highest aspiration is to attain the fulness of eternal exaltation. We know this is possible only in a family relationship. We know that the marriage of a man and a woman is necessary for the accomplishment of God’s plan. Only this marriage will provide the approved setting for mortal birth and to prepare family members for eternal life. We look on marriage and the bearing and nurturing of children as part of God’s plan and a sacred duty of those given the opportunity to do so. We believe that the ultimate treasures on earth and in heaven are our children and our posterity.

III.

Because of what we understand about the potentially eternal role of the family, we grieve at the sharply declining numbers of births and marriages in many Western countries whose historic cultures are Christian and Jewish. Responsible sources report the following:

• • 
  The United States now has the lowest birthrate in its history,² and in many European Union nations and other developed countries, birthrates are below the level necessary to maintain their populations.³ This threatens the survival of cultures and even of nations.
• • 
  In America, the percentage of young adults ages 18 to 29 who are married fell from 59 percent in 1960 to 20 percent by 2010.⁴ The median age for first marriage is now at its highest level in history: 26 for women and almost 29 for men.⁵
• • 
  In many countries and cultures (1) the traditional family of a married mother and father and children is coming to be the exception rather than the rule, (2) the pursuit of a career instead of marriage and the bearing of children is an increasing choice of many young women, and (3) the role and perceived necessity of fathers is diminishing.

In the midst of these concerning trends, we are also conscious that God’s plan is for all of His children and that God loves all of His children, everywhere.⁶ The first chapter of the Book of Mormon declares that God’s “power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth” (1 Nephi 1:14). A later chapter declares that “he hath given [his salvation] free for all men” and that “all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden” (2 Nephi 26:27–28). Consequently, the scriptures teach that we are responsible to be compassionate and charitable (loving) toward all men (see 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 1 John 3:17; D&C 121:45).

IV.

We are also respectful of the religious beliefs of all people, even of those increasing numbers who profess no belief in God. We know that through the God-given power of choice, many will hold beliefs contrary to ours, but we are hopeful that others will be equally respectful of our religious beliefs and understand that our beliefs compel us to some different choices and behaviors than theirs. For example, we believe that, as an essential part of His plan of salvation, God has established an eternal standard that sexual relations should occur only between a man and a woman who are married.

The power to create mortal life is the most exalted power God has given to His children. Its use was mandated by God’s first commandment to Adam and Eve (see Genesis 1:28), but other important commandments were given to forbid its misuse (see Exodus 20:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:3). The emphasis we place on the law of chastity is explained by our understanding of the purpose of our procreative powers in the accomplishment of God’s plan. Outside the bonds of marriage between a man and a woman, all uses of our procreative powers are to one degree or another sinful and contrary to God’s plan for the exaltation of His children.

The importance we attach to the law of chastity explains our commitment to the pattern of marriage that originated with Adam and Eve and has continued through the ages as God’s pattern for the procreative relationship between His sons and daughters and for the nurturing of His children. Fortunately, many persons affiliated with other denominations or organizations agree with us on the nature and importance of marriage, some on the basis of religious doctrine and others on the basis of what they deem best for society.

Our knowledge of God’s plan for His children⁷ explains why we are distressed that more and more children are born outside of marriage—currently 41 percent of all births in the United States⁸—and that the number of couples living together without marriage has increased dramatically in the past half century. Five decades ago, only a tiny percentage of first marriages were preceded by cohabitation. Now cohabitation precedes 60 percent of marriages.⁹ And this is increasingly accepted, especially among teenagers. Recent survey data found about 50 percent of teenagers stating that out-of-wedlock childbearing was a “worthwhile lifestyle.”¹⁰

V.

There are many political and social pressures for legal and policy changes to establish behaviors contrary to God’s decrees about sexual morality and contrary to the eternal nature and purposes of marriage and childbearing. These pressures have already authorized same-gender marriages in various states and nations. Other pressures would confuse gender or homogenize those differences between men and women that are essential to accomplish God’s great plan of happiness.

Our understanding of God’s plan and His doctrine gives us an eternal perspective that does not allow us to condone such behaviors or to find justification in the laws that permit them. And, unlike other organizations that can change their policies and even their doctrines, our policies are determined by the truths God has identified as unchangeable.

Our twelfth article of faith states our belief in being subject to civil authority and “in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.” But man’s laws cannot make moral what God has declared immoral. Commitment to our highest priority—to love and serve God—requires that we look to His law for our standard of behavior. For example, we remain under divine command not to commit adultery or fornication even when those acts are no longer crimes under the laws of the states or countries where we reside. Similarly, laws legalizing so-called “same-sex marriage” do not change God’s law of marriage or His commandments and our standards concerning it. We remain under covenant to love God and keep His commandments and to refrain from serving other gods and priorities—even those becoming popular in our particular time and place.

In this determination we may be misunderstood, and we may incur accusations of bigotry, suffer discrimination, or have to withstand invasions of our free exercise of religion. If so, I think we should remember our first priority—to serve God—and, like our pioneer predecessors, push our personal handcarts forward with the same fortitude they exhibited.

A teaching of President Thomas S. Monson applies to this circumstance. At this conference 27 years ago, he boldly declared: “Let us have the courage to defy the consensus, the courage to stand for principle. Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval. Courage becomes a living and an attractive virtue when it is regarded not only as a willingness to die manfully, but as the determination to live decently. A moral coward is one who is afraid to do what he thinks is right because others will disapprove or laugh. Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with dignity have courage as well.”¹¹

I pray that we will not let the temporary challenges of mortality cause us to forget the great commandments and priorities we have been given by our Creator and our Savior. We must not set our hearts so much on the things of the world and aspire to the honors of men (see D&C 121:35) that we stop trying to achieve our eternal destiny. We who know God’s plan for His children—we who have made covenants to participate in it—have a clear responsibility. We must never deviate from our paramount desire, which is to achieve eternal life.¹² We must never dilute our first priority—to have no other gods and to serve no other priorities ahead of God the Fatherand His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

May God help us to understand this priority and to be understood by others as we seek to pursue it in a wise and loving way, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Dutch Translation

De tien geboden vormen de basis voor het christelijke en het joodse geloof. Zij zijn door God aan de kinderen van Israël gegeven door middel van de profeet Mozes. De eerste twee geboden zijn bepalend voor onze aanbidding en onze prioriteiten. Als eerste gebood de Heer: ‘Gij zult geen andere goden voor mijn aangezicht hebben’ (Exodus 20:3). Eeuwen later vroeg iemand aan Jezus: ‘Wat is het grote gebod in de wet?’ Hij antwoordde: ‘Gij zult de Here, uw God, liefhebben met geheel uw hart en met geheel uw ziel en met geheel uw verstand’ (Matteüs 22:36–37).

Het tweede van de tien geboden beklemtoont dat wij geen andere goden behoren te hebben en geeft aan waar onze ultieme prioriteit als kinderen van Hem dient te liggen. ‘Gij zult u geen gesneden beeld maken noch enige gestalte’ van wat in de hemel of op de aarde is (Exodus 20:4). Waarna deze toevoeging volgt: ‘Gij zult u voor die niet buigen, noch hen dienen’ (Exodus 20:5). Dit verbiedt niet alleen tastbare afgoden, maar omvat een fundamentele prioriteit die tijdloos is. Jehova verklaart: ‘Want Ik, de Here, uw God, ben een naijverig God, […] die barmhartigheid doe aan […] hen die Mij liefhebben en mijn geboden onderhouden’ (Exodus 20:5–6). De betekenis van naijverig is onthullend. Het oorspronkelijke Hebreeuwse woord betekent het hebben van diepe gevoelens (zie Exodus 20:5, voetnoot b in de Engelse bijbeluitgave van de kerk). Wij krenken God dus wanneer we andere goden ‘dienen’ — wanneer we andere eerste prioriteiten hebben.¹

I.

Welke andere prioriteiten zijn er die mensen — zelfs gelovige mensen — tegenwoordig eerder ‘dienen’ dan God? Denk eens aan de volgende wijdverbreide mogelijkheden:

• • 
  Culturele en familietradities
• • 
  Politieke correctheid
• • 
  Carrièredrang
• • 
  Materiële bezittingen
• • 
  Recreatieve bezigheden
• • 
  Macht, aanzien en prestige

Als geen van die voorbeelden op ons van toepassing lijkt te zijn, kunnen we er vast wel andere bedenken. Het beginsel is belangrijker dan losse voorbeelden. Het beginsel is niet de vraag of we andere prioriteiten hebben. De vraag die het tweede gebod oproept, is: ‘Wat is onze ultieme prioriteit?’ Dienen wij andere prioriteiten of afgoden boven de God die wij zeggen te aanbidden? Zijn wij de Heiland vergeten te volgen die zei dat als wij Hem liefhebben, wij zijn geboden zullen onderhouden? (Zie Johannes 14:15.) Zo ja, dan zijn onze prioriteiten niet meer juist door de geestelijke onverschilligheid en onbeheerste lusten die deze tijd kenmerken.

II.

Voor heiligen der laatste dagen zijn Gods geboden gebaseerd op en onafscheidelijk verbonden met Gods plan voor zijn kinderen — het grote heilsplan. Dit plan, ook wel het ‘grote plan van geluk’ genoemd (Alma 42:8), zet onze oorsprong en bestemming als kinderen van God uiteen — waar we vandaan komen, waarom we hier zijn en waar we naartoe gaan. Het heilsplan verklaart het doel van de schepping en de omstandigheden van de sterfelijkheid, met inbegrip van Gods geboden, de noodzaak van een Heiland en de essentiële rol van het aardse en het eeuwige gezin. Als wij als heiligen der laatste dagen, die deze kennis hebben ontvangen, onze prioriteiten niet laten overeenstemmen met dit plan, lopen we het gevaar dat we andere goden gaan dienen.

Kennis van Gods plan voor zijn kinderen geeft heiligen der laatste dagen een uniek perspectief op het huwelijk en het gezin. Wij staan terecht bekend als een gezinsgerichte kerk. Onze theologie begint met hemelse Ouders en ons hoogste doel is de volheid van eeuwige verhoging. Wij weten dat dit alleen in gezinsverband mogelijk is. Wij weten dat het huwelijk tussen man en vrouw noodzakelijk is voor de vervulling van Gods plan. Alleen een dergelijk huwelijk verschaft de goedgekeurde omgeving waarin kinderen geboren kunnen worden en waarin gezinsleden op het eeuwige leven worden voorbereid. Wij beschouwen het huwelijk en het krijgen en opvoeden van kinderen als een onderdeel van Gods plan. Voor wie de mogelijkheid daartoe krijgt, is het een heilige plicht. Wij zijn van mening dat onze kinderen en onze nakomelingen onze ultieme schatten op aarde en in de hemel zijn.

III.

Gezien onze kennis van de potentieel eeuwige rol van het gezin, betreuren wij de sterke daling van het aantal geboorten en huwelijken in vele westerse landen met een traditioneel christelijke en joodse cultuur. Betrouwbare bronnen rapporteren het volgende:

• • 
  De Verenigde Staten kennen momenteel het laagste geboortecijfer in hun geschiedenis², en in vele landen uit de Europese Unie en in andere ontwikkelde landen ligt het geboortecijfer onder het benodigde niveau om hun bevolkingsaantal op peil te houden.³ Hierdoor staat de overleving van culturen en zelfs van volken op het spel.
• • 
  In Amerika is het percentage gehuwde jongvolwassenen in de leeftijd van 18 t/m 29 jaar gedaald van 59 procent in 1960 tot 20 procent in 2010.⁴ De gemiddelde leeftijd voor een eerste huwelijk ligt nu hoger dan ooit: 26 jaar voor vrouwen en bijna 29 jaar voor mannen.⁵
• • 
  In vele landen en culturen geldt: (1) Het traditionele gezin bestaande uit een gehuwde vader en moeder en kinderen wordt eerder uitzondering dan de regel. (2) Steeds meer jonge vrouwen kiezen voor een carrière in plaats van voor een huwelijk en het krijgen van kinderen. (3) De rol en het besef van de noodzaak van het vaderschap nemen af.

Te midden van deze zorgwekkende trends beseffen wij dat Gods plan voor al zijn kinderen geldt en dat God al zijn kinderen overal liefheeft.⁶ In het eerste hoofdstuk van het Boek van Mormon staat: ‘[Gods] macht en goedheid en barmhartigheid strekken zich uit over al de bewoners der aarde’ (1 Nephi 1:14). In een later hoofdstuk staat: ‘Hij heeft [zijn heil] alle mensen om niet gegeven’ en ‘alle mensen zijn gelijkelijk begunstigd, en niemand wordt buitengesloten’ (2 Nephi 26:27–28). De Schriften leren ons dan ook dat we naastenliefde jegens alle mensen dienen te hebben (zie 1 Tessalonicenzen 3:12; 1 Johannes 3:17; LV 121:45).

IV.

Wij tonen respect voor de religieuze opvattingen van alle mensen, en zelfs voor het toenemend aantal dat zegt niet in God te geloven. Wij beseffen dat velen wegens het door God gegeven vermogen om te kiezen andere opvattingen zullen hebben dan wij. Wij hopen echter dat anderen dezelfde mate van respect voor onze religieuze opvattingen zullen opbrengen en inzien dat ons geloof ons soms tot keuzes en gedrag noopt die afwijken van de hunne. Wij geloven bijvoorbeeld dat God, als essentieel onderdeel van zijn heilsplan, de eeuwige norm heeft vastgesteld dat seksuele betrekkingen alleen zijn voorbehouden aan een man en een vrouw die met elkaar zijn gehuwd.

Het vermogen om sterfelijk leven te scheppen is de meest verheven macht die God aan zijn kinderen heeft gegeven. Het gebruik ervan werd vastgelegd in Gods eerste gebod aan Adam en Eva (zie Genesis 1:28). Maar er werden nog meer belangrijke geboden gegeven om misbruik te voorkomen (zie Exodus 20:14; 1 Tessalonicenzen 4:3). Wij leggen zoveel nadruk op de wet van kuisheid omdat wij het doel van ons voortplantingsvermogen in de vervulling van Gods plan begrijpen. Buiten de huwelijksverbintenis tussen man en vrouw is alle gebruik van ons voortplantingsvermogen in meer of mindere mate zondig en tegen Gods plan voor de verhoging van zijn kinderen.

Dat we zoveel belang hechten aan de wet van kuisheid is omdat we vasthouden aan het patroon van het huwelijk dat met Adam en Eva is begonnen en door de eeuwen heen Gods patroon is gebleven voor de levenscheppende relatie tussen zijn zoons en dochters en het zorgdragen voor zijn kinderen. Gelukkig zijn velen in andere geloofsgenootschappen of organisaties het met onze opvatting over de aard en het belang van het huwelijk eens, sommigen op godsdienstige, leerstellige basis en anderen op basis van wat zij het beste voor de samenleving achten.

Omdat wij Gods plan voor zijn kinderen kennen⁷, betreuren wij het dat steeds meer kinderen buiten het huwelijk worden geboren — momenteel 41 procent van alle geboorten in de Verenigde Staten⁸ — en dat het aantal stellen dat samenwoont zonder getrouwd te zijn de afgelopen vijftig jaar enorm is toegenomen. Vijf decennia geleden ging slechts een klein percentage samenwonen voordat zij een huwelijk sloten. Nu woont 60 procent van de mensen die trouwen eerst een periode samen⁹, wat vooral onder tieners steeds meer gemeengoed wordt. Uit recente onderzoeksgegevens blijkt dat ongeveer 50 procent van de tieners het een ‘zinvolle levensstijl’ vindt om kinderen te krijgen zonder getrouwd te zijn.¹⁰

V.

Er wordt veel politieke en sociale druk uitgeoefend om juridische en beleidsmatige veranderingen door te voeren die gedrag sanctioneren dat tegen Gods voorschriften ingaat, met name met betrekking tot de seksuele moraliteit en de eeuwige aard en bedoeling van het huwelijk en het krijgen van kinderen. Die druk heeft het homohuwelijk al in diverse staten en natiën mogelijk gemaakt. Andere druk veroorzaakt geslachtsverwarring of reduceert de verschillen tussen man en vrouw die zo belangrijk zijn om Gods grote plan van geluk te verwezenlijken.

Ons begrip van Gods plan en zijn leer geeft ons een eeuwig perspectief dat ons niet toestaat om dergelijk gedrag goed te keuren of de wetten die dat gedrag toestaan te rechtvaardigen. Andere organisaties kunnen hun beleid en zelfs hun leer veranderen, maar onze beleidsregels zijn gegrondvest op de waarheden die God als onveranderlijk heeft aangeduid.

Ons twaalfde geloofsartikel zegt dat wij ons moeten onderwerpen aan bevoegde overheidsinstanties en overheidsdienaren en moeten streven naar ‘het gehoorzamen, eerbiedigen en hooghouden van de wet’. De wetten van de mens kunnen echter niet moreel maken wat God immoreel heeft verklaard. Vasthouden aan onze hoogste prioriteit — God liefhebben en dienen — vereist dat we zijn wet als norm voor ons gedrag beschouwen. Wij zijn bijvoorbeeld nog steeds gehouden aan het goddelijke gebod om geen overspel of ontucht te plegen, ook al zijn dergelijke zaken volgens de wetten van onze staat of ons land geen strafbare feiten meer. Zo geldt ook dat wetten die het zogeheten ‘homohuwelijk’ bekrachtigen niet Gods wet veranderen aangaande het huwelijk of zijn geboden en onze normen op dat gebied. Wij staan onder verbond om God lief te hebben en zijn geboden te blijven onderhouden, en geen andere goden of prioriteiten te dienen — ook niet als die in onze tijd en in ons land populair worden.

Door die koers te varen zullen sommigen ons wellicht verkeerd begrijpen en worden we mogelijk van onverdraagzaamheid beticht, ondervinden we discriminatie of moeten we aanvallen op de vrije uitoefening van ons geloof weerstaan. In dat geval denk ik dat wij onze eerste prioriteit indachtig moeten zijn — om God te dienen — en, net als onze pioniervoorgangers, onze eigen handkar vooruit moeten duwen met dezelfde vastberadenheid die zij aan de dag legden.

President Thomas S. Monson heeft ons iets geleerd wat hierop van toepassing is. In een conferentie als deze 27 jaar geleden sprak hij vrijmoedig: ‘Laten we de moed hebben om de consensus te weerstaan, de moed om pal te staan voor principes. Moed, en niet de gulden middenweg, verdient de goedkeurende glimlach van God. Moed wordt een levende en waardevolle deugd, niet alleen als we die zien als de bereidheid om dapper te sterven, maar vooral als het voornemen om eerzaam te leven. Een morele lafaard is iemand die bang is om te doen wat hij goedacht, omdat anderen het zullen afkeuren of erom lachen. Bedenk dat iedereen angsten kent, maar dat zij die hun angsten eervol onder ogen zien, ook moed bezitten.’¹¹

Ik bid dat wij niet toestaan dat de tijdelijke aardse moeilijkheden ons de grote geboden en prioriteiten doen vergeten die wij van onze Schepper en onze Heiland gekregen hebben. Wij moeten ons hart niet zozeer op de dingen van de wereld zetten en naar de eer van mensen streven (zie LV 121:35) dat wij onze eeuwige bestemming uit het oog verliezen. Wij die Gods plan voor zijn kinderen kennen — wij die verbonden hebben gesloten om aan dat plan deel te nemen — hebben een duidelijke taak. Wij moeten ons allergrootste verlangen nooit terzijde schuiven, namelijk het eeuwige leven verwerven.¹² Wij moeten nooit schipperen met onze eerste prioriteit — om geen andere goden of andere prioriteiten te hebben dan bovenal God de Vader en zijn Zoon, onze Heiland, Jezus Christus, te dienen.

Moge God ons helpen die prioriteit te begrijpen en dat we door anderen begrepen worden als we op een verstandige en liefdevolle manier die prioriteit nastreven. Dat bid ik in de naam van Jezus Christus. Amen.