Young Women General President Susan W. Tanner outlined three guidelines on how to create a happy and loving home, specifically for those making the new transition into marriage.
"Establish a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning a house of order," Sister Tanner said.
She said if church members follow this counsel, great peace will grow within the home.
The church should be a supplement to the home, she added.
Children are the heritage of the Lord.
Watch this video. "Many in the world miss the joy and see children as only an inconvenience," Sister Tanner said.
Although no one will offer blue ribbons for what you do as a mother, she assured that it is worth it.
"To the very depths of my being, I love being a mother," she said.
Sister Tanner said parenting provides life's greatest joys.
She quoted Harold B. Lee who said, "It's important for you Latter-day Saint women to understand that the Lord holds mothers and motherhood sacred."
Love is the foundational virtue in building a strong home.
Heavenly Father gives us a perfect example of this, Sister Tanner said. He is patient, kind, and allows us to exercise our free agency.
She spoke of the importance of being quick to compliment and slow to criticize.
"Children as well as people of all ages improve behavior from love and encouragement more than from fault finding," Sister Tanner said.
Part of this process includes patience.
She quoted Paul who said, "Charity suffereth long; it endureth; it never faileth."
Spend time together as a family, she counseled.
"We are major players in each other's lives, absorbing love through sharing experiences," Sister Tanner said.
She said if members of the church follow these three guidelines, their families will be happier.
"This family unit will bless society and endure through eternity."
