Faith in Family life

Joseph Smith stated that faith is not only a belief, but as "the principle of action in all intelligent beings."

There are three dimensions frameworks that are researched-bases connection between faith and family.

Dimension One: Religious Community and Family

There's an old African adage, "It takes a village to raise a child." Our congregation is the village that we have chosen to focus our energies on. When we work with people, it helps us to keep our own struggles in a better perspective and they don't become a burden, just a part of life. People are at their happiest when they are serving others. Service in the church is bases on doing things for other people, going outside yourself.

The dimension of religious community encompasses and includes support, involvement, and relationships grounded in a congregation or less formal religious group.

Dimension Two: Religious Practices and Family

"Praying together as a family and reading the scriptures together is probably the best thing we do to pull us toward Heavenly Father and each other. It feels right. It feels good, I'm grateful to be able to do that, If my family that I grew up with ever would have done that it would have been a fond memory that I would have hel but we never did. Our family now should pray more, but when we kneel together and hold hands as a family, it brings the Spirit into our home and make the children feel right and teaches them that this is what they need to do with their families -- I am sure they'll remember it. It's special."  (Shana, Latter-Day Saint mother) 

Religious practices are outward observable expressions of faith such as prayer, scripture study, rituals, traditions, or less overtly sacred practices or abstinence that is religiously grounded. 

Dimension Three: Religious Beliefs and Family

"There is  something that when as a family your hearts are pointed together toward the same thing, and it's God, then parenting and economics and space and good and disagreements and hassles and joys and celebrations and all that other stuff it works different, it seems different, it feels different. Our family is all oriented in the same way. Christ is king, He's the center, He's what it's all about. Our faith informs our relationships and everything about us." (Joseph, non-denominational Christian father)

It's close relationships with the second dimension of religious practices-particularly in connection with marriage and family life. Religious beliefs include personal, internal beliefs, framings, meanings, and perspectives which can, and often do, influence family life. 

Polls and surveys have indicated that 95 percent of all married couples and parents in the United States report a religious affiliation, and religion is the single most important influence in life for a substantial minority of Americans.