of being invited, along with President Henry B.

Eyring and Bishop Gerald Causse, to attend

a colloquium on marriage and family at the Vatican, in Rome.

In attendance were religious representatives

from 14 different faiths, from six of the seven continents,

all who had been invited to express their beliefs in what

was happening to the family in the world today.

Pope Francis opened the first session of the assembly

with this statement: "We now live

in a culture of the temporary, in which more and more people

are simply giving up on marriage as a public commitment.

This revolution in manners and morals

has often flown the flag of freedom,

but in fact it has brought spiritual and material

devastation to countless human beings, especially

[to the poor] and most vulnerable.

...

It is always they who suffer ... most."

In referring to those of the rising generation, he said,

"It is important that they do not give [up on] themselves

over ... the poisonous mentality of the temporary,

but rather be revolutionaries with the courage to seek truth

and lasting love, going [on] against the common pattern;

this must be done."

This was followed by three days of presentations

and discussions with religious leaders addressing

the subject of marriage between a man and a woman.

As I listened to the widest imaginable variety

of worldwide religious leaders, I

heard them agree completely with each other and express support

for one another's belief on the sanctity of the institution

of marriage and of the importance of families

as the basic unit of society.

I felt a powerful sense of commonality and unity

with them.

There were many who saw and expressed this unity,

and they did so in a variety of ways.

My favorite one was a Muslim scholar from Iran

who quoted two paragraphs verbatim of our very

own proclamation on the family.

During the colloquium, I observed

that various faiths and denominations and religions

are united on marriage and family.

They are also united on values and loyalty and commitment,

which are naturally associated with family units.

It was remarkable for me to see how

marriage- and family-centered priorities cut across

and superseded political and economical and religious

differences.

When it came to love of spouse, hope and worries

and dreams for children, we are all the same.

It was marvelous to be in meetings

with worldwide presenters as they universally

addressed the feelings of the importance of marriage

between a man and a woman.

Each of their addresses was followed by testimonies

by other religious leaders.

President Henry B. Eyring gave the final testimony

of the colloquium.

He bore a powerful witness to the beauty

of committed marriage and to our belief

in the promised blessings of eternal families.

President Eyring's testimony was a fitting benediction

to these special three days.

Now, you may be asked, "If the majority

felt that similarly of family, priorities, and belief,

if all religious faiths and religions essentially

agree on what marriage should be,

and if they all agreed on the value that

should be placed on home and family relationships,

then why are we any different?

How does The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

distinguish and differentiate itself

from the rest of the world?"

Here is the answer: While it is wonderful to see and feel

that we all have such in common with the rest of the world

in regards to families, only we have the eternal perspective

of the restored gospel.

What that restored gospel brings to a discussion on marriage

and family is so large and so relevant that it cannot be

overstated.

We make it a subject of eternity.

We take the commitment and the sanctity of marriage

to a greater level because of our belief and understanding

that families go back before this earth was

and they will go forward into eternities.

This doctrine is taught so simply,

powerfully, and beautifully by Ruth Gardner's text

of a Primary song, "Families Can Be Together Forever."

Pause and just think for a moment about Primary children

all over the world singing these words in their native tongues

at the top of their lungs, with enthusiasm and love a family

can invoke: "Fam'lies can be together forever through

heav'nly Father's plan.

I always want to be with my own family,

[for] the Lord has shown me how I can."

The entire theology of the restored gospel

centers on families and on the new and everlasting covenant

of marriage.

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,

we believe in premortal life, where we all

lived as literal spirit children of God, our Eternal Father.

We believe that we were and still are

members of His family.

We believe that marriage and family ties

can continue beyond the grave, that marriage performed

by those who have the proper authority in His temples

will continue to be valid in the world to come.

Our marriage ceremonies eliminate the words "'til death

do us part" and instead say "for time and for all eternity."

We also believe that strong traditional families are not

only the basic unit of a stable society, a stable economy,

and a stable culture of values, but that they are also

the basic unit of eternity and the kingdom

and government of God.

We believe that the organization and government of heaven

will be built around families and extended families.

It is because of our belief that marriage and families

are eternal that we, as a Church,

ought to be leaders and participate

in worldwide movements to strengthen them.

We know that it is not only those

who are actively religious who share common values

and priorities of lasting marriages and strong family

relationships.

A great number of secular people have

concluded that a commitment to marriage and a family lifestyle

is the most sensible, the most economical,

and the happiest way to live.

No one has ever come up with a more efficient way

to raise the next generation than a household

of married parents with children.

Why should marriage and family matter--everywhere?

Public opinion shows that marriage is still

the ideal and the hope among the majority of every age group.

Even among the "millennial generation,"

where we hear so much about choosing singleness,

personal freedom, and cohabitation before marriage,

the fact is that strong majorities worldwide

still want to have children and to create strong families.

Once we are married and once we have children,

the true commonality among all mankind

becomes even more evident.

As "family people"--no matter where we live or what

our religious beliefs may be--we share the many struggles,

the same struggles, the same adjustments,

and the same hopes and worries for our children.

As a New York Times columnist said,

David Brooks said: "People are not better off

when they are given [the] maximum personal freedom

to do what they want.

[They are] better off when they are enshrouded in commitments

that transcend personal choice--commitments to family,

[to] God, craft and country."

One problem is, so much of the media and entertainment

that the world shares does not rely on the priorities

and values of the majority.

For whatever reason, too much of television, movies, music,

and Internet present the classic case

of the minority masquerading as the majority.

Immorality and amorality range from graphic violence

to recreational sex.

It is portrayed as the norm and can

cause those who have mainstream values to feel that they're out

of date, of a bygone era.

In such, the media and Internet dominate the world.

It has never been harder to raise responsible children

and keep marriages and families together.

Despite what much of the media and entertainment outlets

may suggest, however, and despite the very real decline

in marriages and family orientation of some,

the solid majority of mankind still

believes that marriage should be between one man and one woman.

They believe in fidelity within the marriage,

and they believe in the marriage vows "in sickness and in health

...

'til death do us part."

We need to remind ourselves once in a while,

as we were reminded in Rome, of the wonderful reassurance

and comforting fact that marriage and family still

have the aspiration and ideals of most people

and that we are not alone in these beliefs.

It has never been more of a challenge

to find a practical balance between employment, families,

and personal needs as it is in our day.

As a Church, we want to assist all

that we can to create and support

strong marriages and families.

That is why the Church is actively participating

and provides leadership in various coalitions

and ecumenical efforts to strengthen the family.

It is why we share our family-focused values

in the media and on social media.

It is why we share our genealogical and extended

family records with all nations.

We want our voice to be heard against all of the counterfeits

and alternative lifestyles that try

to replace family organizations that God Himself established.

We also want our voice to be heard sustaining the joy

and fulfillment that traditional families bring.

We must continue to project that voice throughout the world

in declaring why marriage and family are so important--why

marriage and family really do matter and why they always

will.

My brothers and sisters, the restored gospel centers

on marriage and families.

It is also on marriage and families

that we can unite most with other faiths.

It is around marriage and families

where we find the greatest commonality

with the rest of the world.

It is around marriage and families

that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

has the greatest opportunity to be a light upon the hill.

Let me close by bearing my witness (and my nine

decades on earth fully qualify me to say this)

that the older I get, the more I realize that family

is the center of life.

It is the key to eternal happiness.

I give my thanks to my wife, to my children, my grandchildren,

and my great-grandchildren, to all the cousins and in-laws

of an extended family who make my life so rich--yes,

even eternal.

Of this eternal truth I bear my strongest

and most sacred witness.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.