“Kids At
Home*”
cji
3/2/14
Where
are our minds
lost in
some world
each
Sabbath Day
some at
Church
others
in the world
forgetting
covenants
some at
Church
remember
not at all
covenants
once made
losing
reality eternal
understanding
not at all
of the
kids at home
there’s
for the eternity
if they
but remember
covenants
once made
lost in
some world
where
are our minds?
Copyright
© 2014 – cji
*The Eternal Family
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
I wish to speak to all those who would like to know about
eternal families and about families being forever. One year ago the First
Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a
proclamation to the world concerning the family.
It summarizes eternal gospel principles that have been taught since the
beginning of recorded history and even before the earth was created.
The
doctrine of the family begins with heavenly parents. Our highest aspiration is
to be like them. The Apostle Paul taught that God is the father of our spirits
(see Heb. 12:9). From the
proclamation we read, “In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew
and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His
children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress
toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir
of eternal life.” The proclamation also reiterates to the world that “marriage
between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to
the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children” (“The Family: A
Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov.
1995, 102).
From the earliest
beginnings, God established the family and made it eternal. Adam and Eve were
sealed in marriage for time and all eternity:
“And
thus all things were confirmed unto Adam, by an holy ordinance, and the Gospel
preached, and a decree sent forth, that it should be in the world, until the
end thereof; and thus it was” (Moses 5:59).
“And
Adam knew his wife, and she bare unto him sons and daughters, and they began to
multiply and to replenish the earth” (Moses 5:2).
The Savior Himself spoke
of this sacred marriage covenant and promise when He gave the authority to His
disciples to bind in heaven sacred covenants made on earth:
“And I
will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou
shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose
on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 16:19).
In this
latter day the promise of eternal families was restored in 1829 when the powers
of the Melchizedek Priesthood were restored to the earth. Seven years later, in
the Kirtland Temple, the keys to perform the sealing ordinances were restored,
as recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants:
“Elijah the prophet, who
was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:
“Behold,
the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi— …
“… The
keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands” (D&C 110:13–14, 16).
With
the restoration of these keys and priesthood authority comes the opportunity
for all who are worthy to receive the blessings of eternal families. “Yea the
hearts of thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in consequence
of the blessings which shall be poured out, and the endowment with which my
servants have been endowed in this house” (D&C 110:9).
What is
the promise of these sealings which are performed in the temples? The Lord
outlines the promise and requirements in this sacred verse:
“And
again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my
law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the
Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this
power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them—Ye shall
come forth in the first resurrection;
and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall
inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights
and depths—then shall it be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life … and shall be
of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the
angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all
things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness
and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever” (D&C 132:19).
As
taught in this scripture, an eternal bond doesn’t just happen as a result of
sealing covenants we make in the temple. How we conduct ourselves in this life
will determine what we will be in all the eternities to come. To receive the
blessings of the sealing that our Heavenly Father has given to us, we have to
keep the commandments and conduct ourselves in such a way that our families
will want to live with us in the eternities. The family relationships we have
here on this earth are important, but they are much more important for their
effect on our families for generations in mortality and throughout all
eternity.
By
divine commandment, spouses are required to love each other above all others.
The Lord clearly declares, “Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and
shalt cleave unto her and none else” (D&C 42:22).
The proclamation states: “By divine design, fathers are to preside over their
families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the
necessities of life and protection for their families [see D&C 83:2–4; 1 Tim. 5:8]. [By divine
design,] mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.”
By divine design, husband and wife are equal partners in their marriage and
parental responsibilities. By direct commandment of God, “parents have a sacred
duty … to teach [their children] to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God
and to be law-abiding citizens [in
the countries where they reside]” (Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102; emphasis added; see D&C 68:25–28; Mosiah 4:14–15).
Because
of the importance of the family to the eternal plan of happiness, Satan makes a
major effort to destroy the sanctity of the family, demean the importance of
the role of men and women, encourage moral uncleanliness and violations of the
sacred law of chastity, and to discourage parents from placing the bearing and
rearing of children as one of their highest priorities.
So
fundamental is the family unit to the plan of salvation that God has declared a
warning that those “individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse
spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one
day stand accountable before God [their maker]. … The disintegration of the
family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities
foretold by ancient and modern prophets” (Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102).
While
our individual salvation is based on our individual obedience, it is equally
important that we understand that we are each an important and integral part of
a family and the highest blessings can be received only within an eternal
family. When families are functioning as designed by God, the relationships
found therein are the most valued of mortality. The plan of the Father is that
family love and companionship will continue into the eternities. Being one in a
family carries a great responsibility of caring, loving, lifting, and
strengthening each member of the family so that all can righteously endure to
the end in mortality and dwell together throughout eternity. It is not enough
just to save ourselves. It is equally important that parents, brothers, and
sisters are saved in our families. If we return home alone to our Heavenly
Father, we will be asked, “Where is the rest of the family?” This is why we
teach that families are forever.
The eternal nature of an individual becomes the eternal nature of the family.
The
eternal nature of our body and our spirit is a question often pondered by those
who live in mortality. All people who will ever live on earth are members of a
human family and are eternal children of God, our loving Heavenly Father. After
birth and tasting of death in mortality, all will be resurrected because of the
Atonement of Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God
the Father. Depending on our individual obedience to the laws,
ordinances, and commandments of God, each mortal can have the blessing of
attaining eternal life; that is, returning to live in the presence of their
Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, having eternal increase for all the
eternities to come. Through making and keeping the sacred covenants found in
the temple ordinances, individuals can return to the presence of God and will
be reunited with their families eternally.
The
home is where we are nurtured and where we prepare ourselves for living in
mortality. It is also where we prepare ourselves for death and forimmortality because of our belief and
understanding that there is life after death, not only for the individual but
also for the family.
Some of
the greatest lessons of gospel principles about the eternal nature of the
family are learned as we observe how members of the Church, when faced with
adversity, apply gospel principles in their lives and in their homes. In the
past year I have witnessed the blessings of joy which come to those who honor
and revere the gospel teaching of the eternal family during times of adversity
in their lives.
A few
months ago I had the opportunity of visiting a man who had been diagnosed with
a terminal illness. As a devoted priesthood holder, he was confronted with the
realities of mortality. He found strength, however, in the example of the
Savior, who said, in the Lord’s Prayer, “After this manner therefore pray ye: …
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:9–10).
My friend took courage in knowing that as Jesus was required to endure great
pain and agony in the Garden of Gethsemane while completing the atoning
sacrifice, He uttered the words, “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away
from me, except I drink it, thy will be done” (Matt. 26:42).
My
friend came to accept the phrase “Thy will be done” as he faced his own
poignant trials and tribulations. As a faithful member of the Church, he was
now confronted with some sobering concerns. Particularly touching were his
questions, “Have I done all that I need to do to faithfully endure to the end?”
“What will death be like?” “Will my family be prepared to stand in faith and be
self-reliant when I am gone?”
We had
the opportunity to discuss all three questions. They are clearly answered in
the doctrine taught to us by our Savior. We discussed how he had spent his life
striving to be faithful, to do what God asked of him, to be honest in his
dealings with his fellowmen and all others, to care for and love his family.
Isn’t that what is meant by enduring to the end? We talked about what happens
immediately after death, about what God has taught us about the world of
spirits. It is a place of paradise and happiness for those who have lived
righteous lives. It is not something to fear.
After
our conversation, he called together his wife and the extended family—children
and grandchildren—to teach them again the doctrine of the Atonement that all
will be resurrected. Everyone came to understand that just as the Lord has
said, while there will be mourning at the temporary separation, there is no
sorrow for those who die in the Lord (see Rev. 14:13; D&C 42:46).
His blessing promised him comfort and reassurance that all would be well, that
he would not have pain, that he would have additional time to prepare his
family for his departure—even that he would know the time of his departure. The
family related to me that on the night before he passed away, he said he would
go on the morrow. He passed away the next afternoon at peace, with all his
family at his side. This is the solace and comfort that comes to us when we
understand the gospel plan and know that families are forever.
Contrast
these events with an incident which happened to me when I was a young man in my
early twenties. While serving in the Air Force, one of the pilots in my
squadron crashed on a training mission and was killed. I was assigned to
accompany my fallen comrade on his final journey home to be buried in Brooklyn.
I had the honor of standing by his family during the viewing and funeral
services and of representing our government in presenting the flag to his
grieving widow at the graveside. The funeral service was dark and dismal. No
mention was made of his goodness or his accomplishments. His name was never
mentioned. At the conclusion of the services, his widow turned to me and asked,
“Bob, what is really going to happen to Don?” I was then able to give her the
sweet doctrine of the Resurrection and the reality that, if baptized and sealed
in the temple for time and all eternity, they could be together eternally. The
clergyman standing next to her said, “That is the most beautiful doctrine I
have ever heard.”
The
fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ brings great comfort in stressing times
of mortality. It brings light where there is darkness and a calming influence
where there is turmoil. It gives eternal hope where there is mortal despair. It
is more than just beautiful doctrine. It is a reality in our lives that if we
can be obedient and obtain the eternal rewards that God grants us, if we will
draw nigh unto Him and embrace the eternal doctrine, we will be blessed.
Another
incident that has touched my life recently happened when a young man with a
terminal illness passed away. He knew that his illness would first take away
his manual dexterity and his ability to walk, then its progression would take
his ability to speak, and finally his respiratory system would cease to
function. But he also had faith that families are forever.
With this knowledge, he spoke to each of his children through video recordings
for use when he was gone. He produced recordings to be given to his sons and
daughters at important, sacred occasions in their lives, such as baptisms,
priesthood ordinations, and weddings. He spoke to them with the tender love of
a father who knew that while his family was forever, for a time he would not
physically be able to be with them, but spiritually he would never leave their
side.
The
examples of faith shown by steadfast widows and widowers, along with that of
their children, after the passing of a spouse or parent are an inspiration to
all of us. Great lessons can be learned as we observe their faith and obedience
as they strive to remain faithful so that they can once again be together as
families through eternity.
The
knowledge and understanding of the doctrine that God lives and Jesus is the
Christ and that we have an opportunity to be resurrected and live in the
presence of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, makes it possible to
endure otherwise tragic events. This doctrine brings a brightness of hope into
an otherwise dark and dreary world. It answers the simple questions of where we
came from, why we are here, and where we are going. These are truths that must
be taught and practiced in our homes.
God
lives. Jesus is the Christ. Through His Atonement we will all have the
opportunity of being resurrected. This is not just an individual blessing; it
is much more than that. It is a blessing to each one of us and to our families.
That we may be eternally grateful, that we can live in the presence of God the
Eternal Father and His Son Jesus Christ, that we may be together in the
eternities to come, that we might understand the joy, and that we not only
teach this doctrine but live true to it in our lives and in our families, is my
prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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