Eternal Familes

I had a hard time sleeping last night after hearing some sad news. I have so many thoughts running through my head and thought it would help if I wrote them down.

 

Each day I pray, and after Thanking my Heavenly Father for all I have been given I ask him to bless others who want so badly to be parents. I have a list of friends who are trying to bring children into this world and I feel that my list is growing.

My heart breaks when I hear about couples who try so hard to get pregnant and go through so much to bring children into this world. I cry when I hear about women miscarrying. I look at myself and wonder why some people have to go through that trial and for others bearing children is easy. I hurt when I hear the experiences of others and don't know how to help.  I wonder how they will ever overcome the loss of a child, how do you keep going and dry your tears? I look to those families that have overcome so much and have continued to live their happy service oriented lives. How does that happen?

I feel the only answer is the knowledge they have of Eternal families. With the death of an unborn child, will you get the chance to raise them? Will you get to hold your baby again? With the knowledge God has given us of Eternal families, you can be the parents of those children that were not able to stay on this earth.

Elder Robert D. Hales, an apostle, spoke these words in a conference in 1996

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.

 

Having this knowledge brings hope into the teary eyes of parents who have lost a child. If You and your spouse are sealed in the Temple, making a covenant with God in his holy house and do your best at keeping that covenant you can be with your children forever. Those born into this life and those who died in the womb. This I know to be true.

 

As I think of how I would overcome this trial if it ever happened to Ammon and I, I lean on my testimony that I know that the covenant Ammon and I made in the Temple of God is an everlasting  covenant. As I work every day to be my best and as a couple strive to live righteously, I do this because I want the blessing of being with my children forever. I want to be their Mother on earth and in Heaven.

 

I Look at Jackson and I can feel God's Love for him. I think about having two boys running around my house and it makes me smile. I am forever in debt to my savior who made it possible for me to be on earth and be a Mother. Without his sacrifice, I would not have that opportunity. We have a Loving God who provided this plan and I am grateful to my savior, Jesus Christ for his loving sacrifice.