Thinking Celestial - A ”Follow The Prophet” Series Podcast · SLCC Institute of Religion

Ep 167 S6 Esther Hopkin "The Family Proclamation — Words From God" Ronald A. Rasband

·34 min·2 clips

“Preside does not mean dominate. Nurture does not mean a secondary role.”

Dr. Kirk Burbidge opens with light Institute chatter and a bit of joking about titles before the discussion settles in. Esther Hopkin joins him for a review of Elder Ronald A. Rasband’s “The Family Proclamation, Words from God.” The episode keeps circling back to the idea that Heavenly Father’s plan is fabulous, that what people do in this life really matters, and that the Savior’s atonement is what makes that plan possible. It also keeps the Savior at the center of that plan. Early on, the hosts linger over what it means to treat the Family Proclamation as a living guide rather than a static statement. They connect it to Christlike traits such as faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. Those qualities are presented not as a checklist but as signs of a family becoming more celestial. The conversation keeps stressing that these things point back to Jesus Christ. The hosts also return to the idea that family life is cyclical. People repent, forgive, and are forgiven. They keep learning how to love. A recurring point is that putting others first is hard and that the hard parts matter. Hard work, in their telling, becomes meaningful because it teaches something. Esther Hopkin then brings up criticism she has heard about not fitting a religious mold. The response is not defensive so much as reflective. Instead of stasis, the episode emphasizes motion. It uses “wrestling,” “working,” and “figuring it out” as the right verbs for discipleship. The discussion then widens into a gentle testimony of seeking peace through living close to Christ. The episode closes with a blessing, a reminder about the SLCC Redwood Campus Institute series, and the usual note that the recording is not an official publication of the Church.

As heard by us

A warm, practical reading of the Family Proclamation as lived discipleship, not a static slogan.

Kirk Burbidge and Esther Hopkin treat Elder Ronald A. Rasband's talk on the Family Proclamation as something meant to be lived, not filed away.

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Why you'd press play

A conversational review of Elder Ronald A. Rasband's Family Proclamation talk, with Christ at the center.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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