Parents Have a Duty to God and to Their Children

The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. God has also commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife. It is these foundational commandments that the family is ordered after God’s law and becomes a unit that is able to fulfill its purpose in this world.

“God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” — Genesis 1:27-28

“But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” – Mark 10:6-9

Within a family thus organized, in which the man and woman see their union as holy and accountable to God, the means by which mortal life is created is honored as a sacred divinely appointed act; an act that affirms the sanctity of life and holy union of husband and wife and glorifies the purposes of God’s eternal plan. This union provides a safe and loving home to welcome and nurture children, and to “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4)

“Children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward… Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them” — Psalm 127:3-5

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” — 3 John 1:4

“The Family: A Proclamation to the World”' contains a beautifully concise and correct explanation of what the scriptures teach about the duty we have to God for the family organization he has established. If the principles quoted below are honored and adhered to then we can in confidence expect children to obey their parents “in the Lord” and then we can all receive the promised blessings that our days may be long in the Land God has given us.

Consider these principles:

“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.”

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

“We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.”

The Family: A Proclamation to the World