Former CEO and co-founder of WordPerfect Corp., Alan Ashton, along with his wife Karen, spoke to BYU-Hawaii students and faculty on the role of the family in achieving eternal happiness during a devotional on June 19.
Alan is the grandson of David O. McKay, former president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who prophesied on the destiny of BYU-Hawaii and the leaders that it would produce. It was also a historic day for the university as it marked the first time that a devotional was held in the new campus stake center.
The Ashtons explained that after "praying and pondering long" about their subject to speak on, they decided to follow Marjorie Pay Hinckley's statement of "Family is everything."
Quoting his grandfather, President McKay, Alan said, "No other success can compensate for failure in the home. The poorest shack in which love prevails over a united family is of greater values to God and future humanity that any other riches."
He added, "There is a growing tendency in today's society to put many other things ahead of marriage and starting a family. Don't let that happen to you if you can help it. 'The family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children,' as the family proclamation proclaims."
Alan shared a scripture found in the Book of Mormon in Helaman 5:12, emphasizing the need to build our families on the sure foundation of Christ. "Happiness in family life is most likely achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ," he said, using another excerpt from the family proclamation.
"We wanted to build a house for ourselves and our children that would be a house of prayer, fasting, faith, learning, glory; a house of God, a house of great happiness," said Karen, who is the mother of 11 children. "The family proclamation says: "Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."
The Ashtons spoke briefly on these virtues found in the proclamation.
"How do children begin to develop faith?" Alan asked. "We as parents are commanded by the Lord in section 68 of the Doctrine and Covenants to teach our children the first principles of the Gospel by the time they are eight years of age. We are to teach them 'faith in Christ the Son of the living God.'"
Alan added, "Prayer is vital for each of us and for the family unit. It is the principle which the Savior first emphasized as he told the people in the third book of Nephi to hold Him, the Savior up as their light."
"In every marriage, no matter how good that marriage seems on the outside, there is the constant need for repentance and forgiveness," Karen said.
Alan supported his wife's statement. "Forgiveness is divine," he said. "It brings the spirit of the Lord most quickly when given. The sooner that forgiveness is granted, the smaller the wound is which is healed."
Quoting President Hinckley on the virtue of respect, Karen said, "Mutual respect makes all the difference in the world???having respect for one another as individuals and not trying to change you partner after your manner... You let her live her life in her way and encourage her talents and interests.
On compassion, Karen illustrated the Savior's ultimate example. "I remembered how the Savior wept when he saw the pain in Mary and Martha's eyes after the death of Lazarus," she said.
"Heaven is but an extension of ideal Latter-day Saint homes," Alan said. "Thus ideal homes house celestial families. We pray that your families, especially your future families, will be heavenly abodes where love and the spirit of the Lord will always reside."