President Dallin H. Oaks reminded the Church in October 2025 that the gospel of Jesus Christ is, at its heart, a family plan. Beginning in the premortal council, this plan unfolds in our mortal homes, and is fulfilled in eternal families through temple covenants. He taught that the family is not just a cultural value but the very structure of God’s eternal design for His children.

This vision stands in sharp contrast to the world we live in, where marriage rates decline and childbearing is often delayed or dismissed. Some scoff that the Church’s emphasis on family is restrictive or outdated. President Oaks countered with a clear witness: the family is not peripheral to the plan of salvation—it is the plan.

Common Criticism: the Traditional Family is Outdated 

Some critics argue that emphasizing marriage, childbearing, and temple covenants is naive. Modern perspectives on the meaning and practice of marriage, the expense and care of raising children, and cultural acceptance of alternative lifestyles make a family-centered gospel feel restrictive rather than liberating.

Fallacy at Work: Presentism
Presentism is the tendency to judge past or eternal truths only by current cultural values.

In this case, critics assume that because society has changed its expectations about family, God’s doctrine must also change. This overlooks the eternal nature of covenants and the consistent prophetic witness that families are central to God’s plan.

President Oaks’s Correction: The family is not merely tradition—it is the covenant structure through which God exalts His children. He testified that the gospel was “first taught to us in the council of an eternal family, it is implemented through our mortal families, and its intended destiny is to exalt the children of God in eternal families”

In other words, families are not an off-shoot to the gospel—they are the goal of the gospel..

Resolving this Fallacy: Rather than being restrictive, the Church’s teachings on family provide hope and purpose that extend far beyond the shifting values of the world. Eternal families anchor us in an identity larger than ourselves and remind us that our covenants are part of a divine pattern. 

While marriage rates and birthrates may decline in society, Latter-day Saints look beyond temporary cultural shifts to eternal truths. Families are not about clinging to outdated traditions; they are about participating in God’s ongoing work of salvation and exaltation.

Living Apologetics: Families as Eternal Foundations, Not Cultural Relics

A common struggle today is the sense that family life is expensive, messy, or undervalued in society. Some worry that Church teachings on family feel impossible to live fully in the face of divorce, single parenthood, or declining marriage rates. President Dallin H. Oaks reframes this: families—whether complete or currently incomplete—are still at the center of God’s eternal plan. Every effort to teach, nurture, and covenant as a family is meaningful and consecrated.

Practical Apologetic Use:

• If someone says:  “The Church’s focus on family just doesn’t fit the reality of modern life.”
• You can respond: “Families aren’t about outdated ideals—they’re about eternal promises. President Oaks reminded us that even in imperfect or broken circumstances, God consecrates our efforts and assures the possibility of eternal family joy.”

Ways to Apply Today:

1️⃣ Create daily family connection. Turn off technology for one meal or evening this week and give your family the gift of attention.
2️⃣ Teach eternal perspective. Share family stories or scriptures that remind children they belong to an eternal family, even when life feels uncertain.
3️⃣ Anchor in the temple. Set or renew a goal to attend the temple—alone or as a couple—to remember the sealing power that binds families beyond mortality.

Keep This Talk With You

General Conference is more than a weekend of inspiring words—it is an invitation to anchor our lives more fully in God’s eternal plan. President Dallin H. Oaks reminded us that the gospel of Jesus Christ is a family plan, designed to strengthen us in mortality and exalt us in eternity.

This week, try one small step: 

• Share a family story or scripture with your children or grandchildren.
• Turn off technology one evening and give your family the gift of your time.
• Pray for someone in your family who feels distant or discouraged.

“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.” – President Dallin H. Oaks, The Family-Centered Gospel of Jesus Christ

How will you show your family this week that they are central to God’s eternal plan—and to your heart?

The Consider Conference series by FAIR offers an in-depth look at recent General Conference talks to help members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints navigate common questions, misunderstandings, and criticisms. Each post provides doctrinal insights, historical context, and practical ways to apply gospel principles in everyday conversations. Through this series, we hope to equip readers with faith-promoting resources that encourage thoughtful reflection, respectful dialogue, and a stronger foundation in gospel truths, fostering both personal conviction and meaningful discussions with others.

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