Sarah Johnson Connection Essay Religion IHUM 201 The Ageless Importance of the Family In September 1995, an historic

declaration was given by President Gordon B. Hinckley, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This statement and resulting document was entitled The Family: A Proclamation to the World. It describes the eternal nature of the family, the importance of marriage, and the duties of parents. It also warns of the severe consequences that will inevitably come with the disintegration of the family, saying that this would bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets. Many treated this proclamation as if it were revolutionary or unique to this time. However, declarations and even legislation promoting the family can be found two thousand years earlier in Ancient Rome. Caesar Augustus enacted such laws, and while many have debated their purpose, there are several themes that parallel the Churchs Proclamation. Both the lex Iulia et Papia and The Family: A Declaration to the World show the importance of the family as a means to increase the population, provide a solution to moral decline, and create stability for the Romans politically and the LDS spiritually. Augustus emphasized moral legislation throughout his life. Dr. Karl Galinsky, a specialist on the Augustan Age of Rome, wrote that Augustus pursued it [moral legislation] from the early outset of his reign almost down to his death (Galinsky, 1). His most famous laws, the lex Iulia et Papia, are in actuality two separate pieces of legislation, established 18 BC and 9 AD respectively. The lex Iulia de Maritandis Ordinibus promoted marriage while the lex Papia Poppaea encouraged the bearing of children through a series of rewards and punishments. Statutes stated that married men with children were given more political clout, parents were

absolved of certain civic duties, and those unmarried were to be fined or barred from public events such as plays or festivals (Field, 402). It was because of these laws that the Roman view of marriage changed, as the question was no more whether to marry or not, but how soon and whom (Galinsky, 1). One of the most obvious uses for legislation that promotes the birth of children is to increase the population. In 32 to 30 BC, the Final War of the Roman Republic was fought between Antony and Augustus, then known as Octavian. This civil war was the last of many that took place over the previous decades, and Augustuss victory cemented his reign and authority. This final war also ushered in the Pax Romana, a period of peace that lasted for two centuries. (McManus) While the Romans may have won the war and prospered, a clear problem emerged in the following decade. The population began to decline as the post-war Romans were failing to reproduce in anything like adequate numbers, and even in the records during this age, the lack of children was often discussed and mourned (Field, 400). Augustus is recorded to have exclaimed, How can the state be preserved if we neither marry nor have children? (Galinsky, 7) Augustus created the lex Iulia et Papia to punish both those unmarried and without children, while favoring those with large families. For example, those in Rome with at least three children were exempt from performing specific civil duties. This forced couples to begin bearing children to avoid persecution under the law, increasing the population. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints view the bearing of children quite differently. While the Romans emphasized the empirical numbers of bearing children, the LDS view procreation as a divine mandate. In Genesis, the Lord commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful, and multiply, as well as to replenish the earth, and subdue it (Genesis). This is one of the reasons that the LDS have larger families; 21% of LDS families have three or more

children as opposed to the 9% with three or more in the general population (Portrait). However, recent trends have caused the Church to reiterate and strengthen its stance on the importance of bearing children. The Churchs website explains that, Children are becoming less valued. In many parts of the world, people are having fewer children. Abortion is probably the clearest sign that couples do not want children. An estimated one-quarter of all pregnancies worldwide end by induced abortion (Strengthening). If population rates continue, it is believed that the population will reach its peak by the year 2040 and then decline. (Strengthening). As the commandment to replenish the earth is still being fulfilled, the Church has sought to remind Latter-day Saint couples of their sacred duty to become parents and raise the upcoming generation in righteousness. Despite the more immediate result, the lex Iulia et Papias purpose was for far more than simply an increase in population. Caesar Augustus intended to change the moral standards of the Roman Empires people. American historian James A. Field Jr. noted that not only had the civil wars decreased the population and aspirations for a family, they also brought a notable increase in luxury and vice (Field, 399). Even Horace wrote of the moral troubles of the time, saying that, Teaming with sin, our times have sullied first the marriage bed, our offspring, and our homes; spring from this source disasters stream has overflowed the fold and fatherland (Field, 401). Augustus needed a return to the morals of the past as he knew that there would be no purpose to governmental change if the integrity of the leaders and citizens remained corrupt. The lex Iulia et Papia attempted to decrease immorality by making adultery a serious crime that would lead to exile or even death. Augustus proved committed he was to the principles contained in these laws when he exiled his own daughter for this offense (Julian). He was, however, pleased with the outcome of the laws. Years after they were in place, Augustus said that by the

passage of new laws I restored many traditions of our ancestors which were then falling into disuse, and I myself set precedents in many things for posterity to imitate (Field, 410). The moral reform that these laws began set a standard for the future Romans, just as Augustus intended. The Church promoted traditional family values in the Proclamation just as the Romans did with their laws. The Church especially emphasized the moral responsibility of parents to their children. The Proclamation says, Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live (Family). In addition, it says that children are entitled to birth within a family with a father and mother bound by marriage. This is in direct contrast with the trends seen in marriages today. For example, 40.7% of all births in the United States are to unmarried women (Hamilton). This mindset of having children outside of marriage has permeated to the youth, as 50% of todays teenagers in the U.S. believe that having children outside of marriage is a worthwhile lifestyle (Oaks). While the LDS believe that the family is a sacred unit instituted by God, the blessings of a traditional, strong family are more than just religious. A broken home affects children far more than simply contending with the absence of a parent. For example, children born out of wedlock are more likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome, suffer death due to injury, or eventually become juvenile offenders (Strengthening). In fact, those raised with only one parent are twice as likely to have emotional and behavioral problems as are children living with both parents (Benefits). This is further illustrated in a recent study that showed that boys whose parents separated in the first five years of their lives had a 53% risk of being convicted by the age 32. This is twice the risk of boys whose parents stayed together

(Farrington). The effects on children from a broken home can be devastating. The Church has placed on each parent the responsibility of raising children in accordance to the Lords standards. The Roman laws may have been also implemented to increase the political stability of the Roman government. The lex Iulia et Papia also outlined penalties for various offences of the law, and the punishments were greater to the high class, or those governing, than the lower classes (Galinsky, 4). This shows that Augustus held greater expectations for those who held power than was expected of the common man. The states leaders were to be an example to the people, and the laws were used to mold them. In particular, the laws were an attempt to turn the nobility of the late republic into a respectable aristocracy that will put the good of the state as a whole before personal concerns (Kemezis, 279). In todays politics, personal morality is often seen as unrelated to public duty. However, the Romans clearly saw a correlation between the two. An extension of this is found in an additional statute concerning leadership and fatherhood. The minimum age for office was reduced by one year for each child a man had in his marriage. In addition, fathers were given preference in political appointments. The reason for this explicit advancement is far more than just to increase the population or promote morals. It could be suggested that the ancient Romans believed that men responsible for children were also better leaders. One of the principle ways that Augustus tried to increase political stability was by promoting family values in the leaders. While Augustus used the family as a means to promote political support, the Church has repeatedly spoken of the family as a source of spiritual strength. L. Tom Perry said that, We need to make our homes a place of refuge from the storm, which is increasing in intensity all about us (Perry). The home is a place of safety from the changing standards of the world. It is the where children learn personal principles and defining habits. The Lord speaks concerning the

home in the Doctrine and Convenient as he says, I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth (Doctrine). This divine mandate was emphasized when the First Presidency gave the instruction to all parents to devote their best efforts to the teaching and rearing of their children in gospel principles which will keep them close to the Church. The home is the basis of a righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place or fulfill its essential functions in carrying forward this God-given responsibility (Hales). Strengthening the family spiritually cannot be done not through the secular law, but rather through time spent together. In particular, studying the scriptures and praying as a family, holding family home evening, and participating in wholesome recreation creates a well-founded family (Family). Ultimately, the desire of the LDS Church is to make our homes a safe place where each family member feels love and a sense of belonging (Hales). It has been 2,031 years since Augustuss first familial legislation was enacted. Although much had changed between 18 BC and when The Family: A Proclamation to the World was declared in 1995, the family has remained one of the foremost concerns for the wellbeing of both that state of Rome and the LDS Church. Without the firm structure the family offers, Rome suffered politically and with population, while the Saints suffer spiritually by failing to protect the Lords most important institution. Ancient Rome and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints are not always known for their similarities, but both have realized the true significance that the family has. Both use the family as a means to increase the population, improve morality, and bolster Rome politically and the Church spiritually. The preservation of the family is a duty held by all, and the Church writes that We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society (Family).

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