The second great commandment is like unto the first: “thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 22:39). However, we must love God first in order to grow in the knowledge of how to love our neighbor. As we love God and are filled with his love we will have no mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably and render to every man what is his due (Mosiah 4:13). All people are God’s children and should be treated as such. The “principle of freedom in maintaining rights, and privileges, belongs to all men, and is justifiable before [God],” as given in the Constitution of the United States (D&C 98:5).
Our closest and most precious neighbors are our children. We will not suffer [allow] our children to go hungry or naked, transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel with one another (Mosiah 4:14). As parents we are obligated to care for their physical needs, to maintain a spiritual atmosphere in our homes and environment, and to avoid contention. The devil “is the father of contention” (3 Nephi 11:29). We are responsible to teach our children to walk in the ways of truth and soberness, to love and serve one another (Mosiah 4:15). The home is the basic unit of the Church and the community. We cannot delegate this responsibility to the schools or the government. They are our primary responsibility.