A family built on the marriage of a man and woman supplies the best setting for God’s plan to thrive—the setting for the birth of children, who come in purity and innocence from God, and the environment for the learning and preparation they will need for a successful mortal life and eternal life in the world to come. A critical mass of families built on such marriages is vital for societies to survive and flourish.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson, "Why Marriage? Why Family?", General Conference, April 2015
Yesterday was a special day for my family. Our family grew a bit bigger. Our granddaughter, Adeline, was born to Kenzie and Zech. The first of the next generation in our family, in Zech's family, and in my extended family consisting of my siblings and my parents.
She already is an example to us. An example of love, of purity, of persistence, of innocence, of faith, of hope, of God's Plan of Happiness. She reminds us of what truly is important.
Elder Christofferson says that "many things are good, many are important, but only a few are essential".
This baby, and her rearing, is one of those essential things. Addy is straight from God. She needs us to show her the correct path, teach her by example, and be as strong as possible. Though she is by far stronger than us by the fact that she was saved to be born into this, one of the last generations, if not the last generation, before Christ comes again. But to help her realize her potential, we need to be reaching for ours too.
This is the Plan of Happiness, or the Plan of Salvation, that God Himself developed. This is what life is all about.