Oaks’ counsel came at a tempestuous time for church members, in the wake of President Russell M. Nelson’s death Sept. 27 and a mass shooting at a Latter-day Saint chapel in Michigan that killed four church members.

His words focused on the simplistic nature of the church’s teaching — that family is ordained of God.

Oaks said that in a time of deteriorating marriage and birth rates in the United States and among Latter-day Saints, church members must remain centered around the family.

“It is vital that Latter-day Saints do not lose their understanding of the purpose of marriage and the value of children — that is the future for which we strive,” Oaks told members from inside the Conference Center in Salt Lake City.

Courtesy Intellectual Reserve

He addressed the importance of temple ordinances church members perform that “enable us to return as eternal families to the presence of our Heavenly Father,” and noted that Nelson announced the construction of 200 temples during his tenure as church president.

After acknowledging Nelson’s love for announcing new temples at the end of each General Conference, Oaks said it was time to “slow down” the announcement of new temples, citing the large number of temples still under construction or in planning phases.

“With the approval of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, we will not announce any new temples at this conference,” Oaks said. “We will now move forward in providing the ordinances of the temple to members of the church throughout the world, including when and where to announce the construction of new temples.”

Oaks focused the remainder of his talk on how parents must recognize the eternal nature of the family, referencing “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” a 1995 document from the church that declares the family’s importance in God’s plan and that God commanded his children to “multiply and replenish the earth.”

He said he grew up in a home in Payson where everything that happened during the day was under the direction of family, but warned that modern homes are becoming less family-centered — merely “boarding houses” where children eat and sleep while consuming entertainment and communication outside the home.

“Their most effective teaching is by example,” he said. “The family circle is the ideal place to demonstrate and learn eternal values such as the importance of marriage and children, the purpose of life, and the true source of joy. It is also the best place to learn other essential lessons of life, such as kindness, forgiveness, self-control, and the value of education and honest work.”

Oaks challenged families to participate in activities together. 

“Great blessings come to families if they pray together, kneeling night and morning to offer thanks for blessings and to pray over common concerns,” Oaks said. “Families are also blessed as they worship together in church services and in other devotional settings. Family bonds are also strengthened by family stories, creating family traditions, and sharing sacred experiences.”