"I feel satisfied that there is no adequate substitute for the morning and evening practice of kneeling together---father,  mother, and children.  This, more than soft carpets, more than lovely draperies, more than cleverly balanced color schemes, is the thing that will make for better and more beautiful homes....I know of nothing that will so much help to ease family tensions, that in a subtle way will bring about the respect for parents which leads to obedience, that will affect the spirit of repentance which will largely erase the blight of broken homes, than will praying together, confessing weaknesses together before the Lord, and invoking the blessings of the Lord upon the home and those who dwell there.
Can we make our homes more beautiful?  Yes, through addressing ourselves as families to the Source of all true beauty.  Can we strengthen society and make it a better place in which to live? Yes, by strengthening the virtue of our family through kneeling together and supplicating the Almighty in the name of His Beloved Son.
This practice, a return to family worship, spreading across the land and over the earth, would in a generation largely lift the blight that is destroying us. It would restore integrity, mutual respect, and a spirit of thankfulness in the hearts of people."

Gordon B. Hinckley
President, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
ENSIGN, Feb. 1991

A few thoughts of my own after reading President Hinckley's thoughts----
I thought of the times all twelve of us were racing around the house at 7 am trying to find shoes, books, sign notes for the teacher, making lunches.....confusion.  Then, according to our family agreement, we stopped...knelt down together in our living room, and prayed together before we all went our separate ways.  The confusion mostly stopped....we felt good....better anyway.  To hear one of our children pray for all of us in the family was heartwarming.  To pray for each child by name..Toran, David, Paul, Mike, Lindi, Lori, Don, Debbie, Mark, Sharolyn...made each one feel loved and cared about.  And as parents we prayed for ourselves as those finally responsible for the well being of the family.  And, over time, through all our difficulties, trials, challenges...sometimes taking us very low.. we felt the guiding and healing hand.... the loving hand of He who teaches us through our daily life experiences. We knew we were in the Earth School....and  were trying to learn and grow together and hold hands as we walked the many miles of mortal education before us.  But through it all......we tried to faithfully remember that there were not many things that would help us start and end each day with the strength to go on more than to pray together as a family.  For children to hear their mom or dad pray for them tenderly and lovingly is a gift to each child that is precious.  And to hear each child take his or her turn to address God, the father of us all....is priceless.

That is one thought I hope will be of value to anyone who reads this....I can honestly say that, after raising ten children to adulthood.....the practice of kneeling and praying together really helped us. When we did not take the time to do it...we noticed a difference.  That day we had forgotten one of our greatest family assets---family prayer.  I always love to hear my children, and now grandchildren...pray.  It gives me confidence in the path they are traveling as they are asking for our Heavenly Father's hand to be upon each step they take.

Jim MacArthur