"Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God, and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live."

When my oldest child was born, I was filled with the hopes of dreams that most mothers had, the one where you are going to be a perfect parent, thus resulting in perfect children. Well, then I actually went home from the hospital and realized things were not going to be that easy. This same sweet, beautiful daughter struggled to need to learn lessons for herself, as we all do, and soon became the slave to drugs. She, at this time, had three children who endured this experience with her. It finally became too much and her babies were taken away from her. My heart was broken for my daughter, but even more so for these precious children whose lives had been filled with instability and uncertainty. How important was the reminder that Heavenly Father has a plan for His children, all of his children. And while my heart continues to ache for the dreams of what could have been, these children have been saved by a truly remarkable family who loves them, cares for them, and has adopted them and been sealed to parents.  These parents, though they were not biological, have filled the very essence of what the family proclamation stands for. "God's plan for His children may be ideally characterized as the placement of children into homes where parents are committed to their development and proclamation principles are practiced". (David A. Nelson). The church has called upon parents to devote their best efforts to the teaching and rearing of their children in gospel principles. The home is the basis of a righteous life , and no other instrumentality can take its place or fulfill its essential responsibility. These kids are THRIVING, they are loved, they are being taught the gospel, and given even opportunity to have wonderful lives.