Eternal Families

(Successful Marriages and Families: Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives, Hawkins, Dollahite, & Draper (2012), Ch. 32 The Eternal Family: A Plain and Precious Part of the Plan of Salvation, Judd)

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we believe families are “eternal”. We believe in a pre-mortal, mortal and, post-mortal existence.

Pre-mortal world:

In the pre-mortal world we lived with a Heavenly Father and mother.  We existed as a family there. As children of a divine Heavenly Father and mother, we each have divine natures that will allow us to become like them. Our eternal progression will allow us, if faithful, to also become Heavenly Fathers and mothers of spirit children.  This is not a new teaching to the Church of Jesus Christ, St. Athanasium, a fourth-century bishop of Alexandrea taught, “God made himself a man in order that man might be able to become God”.  Many of these doctrines were lost to the earth through the apostasy, but have been restored through modern prophets. During this pre-mortal period, a grand council was held where we were presented with a “plan of salvation”. This plan included the doctrine of eternal families and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. This plan was designed to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). This plan includes the creation of the earth, the fall of Adam and Eve and the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Mortal life:

The creation of the earth provided a place where our first parents, Adam and Eve and their posterity could come to gain bodies, gain earthly experience and progress towards their divine destinies, heirs of eternal life.  The fall of Adam allowed our first parents to become mortal and have children. Each of us experiences the fall when we are born to earthly parents and are separated from God’s presence. Because of our fallen natures, we make mistakes and suffer the consequences of our own sins and others. As latter-day saints, we believe the Fall was a necessary part of the Lord’s plan for us. The Fall of Adam and Eve allowed for marriages and families to continue through the sacred power of creation. Through this sacred power of creation between a husband and wife, we can obey God’s command to multiply and replenish the earth.

Atonement:

As important as the doctrine of eternal marriage and families is, one cannot lose sight of the most important doctrine. It is only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that we receive forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of our bodies and eternal family relationships are made possible. Without the Atonement, no one could live in God’s presence, or be heirs of eternal life. The Atonement makes possible eternal lives, or life with our families in the presence of God.

Temples

Malachi prophesied, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse (Malachi 4:5-6).  In April of 1836, Elijah did appear to the prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland temple. Elijah appeared along with Elias and Moses and bestowed sacred priesthood keys that had been lost from the earth. Because of these restored sealing powers, families can be sealed together in a great chain back to Adam and Eve. This important work is done in Temples around the world.

A marriage sealing between a man and woman in the temple of the Lord is part of our divine journey back to our Heavenly parents and eternal destinies. It is through the sacred power of creation between husband and wife that we create eternal families than can be sealed together for this life and throughout eternity. Marriage and family are eternal, and priesthood keys have been given to prophets to seal on earth and in heaven. The Lord told Moses, “Behold this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). The work of God is to assist His children to make and keep covenants designed to allow them to be sealed together eternally to one another and to Him, and thereby enjoy all God enjoys.