This article appeared in The Daily Universe on Monday, August 15.
By Erica Williams
Today, Deseret Book, in conjunction with the BYU School of Family Life, will release a book de-signed to give hope and perspective to families.
?Helping and Healing Our Families: Principles and Practices Inspired by ?The Family: A Proclamation to the World?? is the work of four editors, Craig H. Hart, Lloyd D. Newell, Elaine Walton and David C. Dollahite. It also includes contributions from 120 authors.
The book coincides with the 10th anniversary of ?The Family: A Proclamation to the World.?
Julia Haupt, managing edi-tor, said the book has been a powerful project to participate in and that it came together in a marvelous way.
?One thing I think is im-portant is the fact that we?ve really focused on creating, sustaining and healing relationships across the vari-ous stages of family life,? she said. ?There?s something there for people anticipating marriage, for parents, for parents of teenagers, for grandpar-ents; the breadth is pretty amazing.?
When the School of Family Life was formed in 1998, President Boyd K. Packer instructed faculty members to create textbooks that would help people become better parents and spouses, Haupt said.
She said this new volume, which follows the volume entitled ?Strengthening Our families: An In-Depth Look at the Proclamation on the Family,? was an opportunity to fulfill President Packer?s apostolic charge.
?This book will remind readers of God?s love for each indi-vidual and of His great plan of happi-ness for marriages and families,? said Craig Hart, lead editor, in a press release. ?It will help families move closer to the ideals set forth in the Proclamation on the Family and in the process, find greater happiness and joy in family life.?
The book also addresses some heavy subjects, such as homo-sexuality and mental illness.
?While the book provides several insights to strengthen fami-lies, it also deals with the tough stuff families face,? said Elaine Walton, editor, in a press release. ?These are the issues we wish we didn?t have to deal with, but we do.?
Haupt said the BYU Book-store is selling the book, and it should be well distributed around the country by the end of the month.
?This is the culmination of three years of intense effort to have it be just right and to help serve the needs of LDS families,? she said.
