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SALT LAKE CITY — In what is expected to be one of the largest pro-family gatherings of its kind, Utah citizens, policymakers and organizations will come together for a kick-off rally at the Utah Capitol on Sept. 18, followed by the second annual Stand for the Family Conference in downtown Provo on Sept. 19.
“The goal of this conference is to educate attendees about relative and timely topics affecting the family,” said Kimberly Ells, chairwoman for the conference and president of Family Watch International Utah.
“In light of current issues and questions being raised in the state of Utah and across the nation, it is more important than ever that citizens are informed and armed with facts based on social science data,” Ells said.
World renowned experts on the family will focus primarily on topics related to the benefits of marriage and family to men, women, children and society as a whole. Conference attendees will learn how to best identify threats to the family on the state, national and local levels and how they can help defend and protect the family as the fundamental unit of society.
Among the presenters will be Patrick Fagan, of the Family Research Council; Dawn Hawkins, of Morality in Media; Jennifer Roback Morse, of the Ruth Institute; and Robert Oscar Lopez, a family activist who was raised by two lesbian women. Speakers also will include popular parenting experts Richard and Linda Eyre and Nicholeen Peck.
“Parents will find answers about how to protect their families from obscenity, pornography and sex crimes, as well as how to understand and talk to their children with sensitivity and compassion about homosexuality and other issues,” said Sharon Slater, president of Family Watch International.
As a whole, Slater said, the conference is designed to convey the understanding that “the family is the answer. It is becoming increasingly evident that all of us who care about what kind of future we will pass on to our children and grandchildren must take a stand to defend the family, the essential and fundamental unit of society,” Slater said.
The Stand for the Family Conference is hosted by a united group of organizations, including Family Watch International, the Ruth Institute, Celebration of Marriage, the Worldwide Organization for Women and the National Organization for Marriage.
To launch the conference and to show strong public support for marriage, a free kick-off rally will be held at the Utah Capitol on Thursday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m.
The day-long Stand for the Family Conference will be held the following day, Sept. 19, at the Utah Valley Convention Center in downtown Provo. Presentations and exhibits begin at 9 a.m., and the schedule includes breaks for lunch and dinner. The conference will culminate with an evening session, beginning at 6 p.m. To register, visit www.stand4family.org (cost is $5 for students, $15 general admission for those who register online or $20 at the door). The site also includes a complete list of speakers and bios and additional information about the conference.
“This conference is vital to anyone who is concerned about the future of the family," Ells said. "Conference attendees will go away feeling enlightened, empowered and united. They will be galvanized in their commitment to male-female marriage and to the family structure it naturally creates. They will understand more fully why marriage is essential to a successful society and how to defend the family more effectively in private and public discourse."
Cecily Markland is a freelance writer, book editor, publicist and author of "Hope: One Mile Ahead" and the children’s book "If I Made a Bug." She owns Inglestone Publishing and produces cecilymarkland.com, a calendar of LDS events in Arizona.
