Forever Families
This
weekend I have been attending a family reunion for my mother’s family. She has
three sisters and two brothers. Three of the sisters are celebrating birthdays
this month. One is 90, another 85 and the third is 75. My mother is the second
oldest of the sisters at 87 and her brothers are 78 and 73. There were about 60
people at the family dinner that covered 4 generations. What a blessing it was to
be a part of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren that honored five children
of Ray and Constance Strong. The Psalmist has said:
My mother and her brothers and sisters are
descendants of Elder John Strong who came to the Americas in 1630 seeking the
freedom to worship God as they felt they had the right to worship. They and the
others that came with them wanted the best for their families and worked hard
to provide a life that for their children that has become the symbol of freedom
to all the world. We are the beneficiaries of that legacy and are now
responsible for passing that legacy on to our children and the others that will
follow.
The time we spent together this weekend was a great
opportunity to renew the bonds that families share and meet cousins and other
relatives that we met for the first time. It was a wonderful day full of fun,
food and family and I did not want the day to end. Then I thought that while
this reunion may end families can be forever if we follow the commandments and receive
the sealing ordinances of the temple. In “The Family: A Proclamation to the
World” it says:
IN THE PREMORTAL REALM, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped 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 their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine
plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the
grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it
possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to
be united eternally.
What a blessing to know that families do not end at
death. I cannot imagine heaven without my wife and children and my parents and
siblings. I know that Heavenly Father’s plan is for us to be together as
families and I am grateful for the blessings of the temple ordinances that
provide the
One of the things that a few of us did while we were
at the reunion is visit the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. What a
beautiful sight it was.
The picture below of the bridge symbolized to me the bridge between our
world and the eternal world beyond this life. On top right is a fog that I believe
represents two things. One is the veil that separates us from the spirit world.
In this life, living by faith is part of Heavenly Father’s plan. The second
thing the fog could represent is the world that is blinded from the truth of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ due to the traditions of men. The bridge represents
the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the sealing powers that will bind families
together forever.
Another statement in “The Family: A Proclamation to
the World” says:
Happiness in family
life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained
on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love,
compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.
It was a blessing to be with family this weekend,
but it is truly a blessing to know that families will endure beyond the grave
and for the eternities. I am grateful to my mother and her siblings for the
legacy that they have given to us and more than that I am grateful to Heavenly
Father for his gospel and the blessings that come from it because families are forever.
Your questions and comments are welcome.
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