Members of Parliament and their staffs recently gathered with local members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to participate in an evening dedicated to celebrating families.
The event was presented in response to a request by Member of Parliament Parm Gill (Brampton–Springdale) and the Honourable Bal Gosal, minister of state (sport) and member of Parliament (Bramalea–Gore–Malton), to speak to members of the Church in Brampton, Ontario. The Honourable Linda Jeffrey, member of provincial parliament (Brampton–Springdale) and Ontario minister of municipal affairs and housing, also participated in the program.
- Celebrate Family Event
- Celebrate Families Event
- Jag Badwal and Helen Warner at Celebrate Families Event
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Through a series of 11 vignettes and musical performances, Church members explained what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does to build strong families and strong communities. Local area leaders explained that Latter-day Saints believe the family unit is the basic unit in society and religious instruction begins when children are small and continues throughout their lives.
In turn, the political leaders gave inspiring responses celebrating the need for strong families and presented what the government does to help support the family unit. The Honourable Linda Jeffrey shared information on family-based government programs. She recalled that children of the Church had brought a huge banner to her office to thank the Ontario government for Family Day, the new holiday her government introduced in 2008. She has always been impressed with that demonstration of support.
Gill strongly supported the importance of families and said, “I acknowledge the guidance of God in my life.”
Jag Badwal, constituency manager for the Honourable Bal Gosal, quoted Tanya Bianco: “Family isn't about sharing the same genetics; that’s being related. Family is when you love someone to death and you would do anything for them. You trust them, take care of them, and in return they do the same.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints champions the family in principle and practice. Bridges of understanding between the Church and local politicians are built as communities work together and support one another.