Read:
Genesis 12:1-3 or D&C 2

Explain:
In the Proclamation on the Family, the First Presidency called on "responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society." The International Day of Families is an opportunity to raise awareness about social and economic problems that affect the well-being of families around the world. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said: "A society afflicted by instability, economic hardship or violence will impair the family's ability to fulfill its first role: that of educating, protecting and supporting its members. Enabling and aiding the family to play that one role should form the focus of any social policy."

Coincidentally, the International Day of Families is observed on May 15, the same day on which Latter-day Saints commemorate the restoration of the priesthood. For Latter-day Saints, this coincidence can serve as a reminder that blessing families, temporally and spiritually, is a central part of the work God has called us to do.

Pray:

• Give thanks for your family, and pray for the needs of family members.
• Give thanks for the restoration of the priesthood--for the power it gives Latter-day Saints to serve as instruments of God in blessing families.
• Give thanks for the international awareness that measures must be taken to ensure the well-being of families.
• Pray for solutions for the social and economic problems that threaten families, including instability, poverty, and violence.