The Sacred Gift of Having a Family

Having and belonging to a family is one of the GREATEST gifts that Heavenly Father has given to us. Families are central to our Heavenly Fathers plan that he has set up for his children, US! What do you think happens to you and your family after we die? Do you think that we make relationships with our families and loved ones and go through all the experiences we go through to just have it all end when we die? I know with all of my heart that it doesn't just end when we die. We have the ability to have our family unit be bound together while we are on earth so that when we do die our family members will be bound to us and we will still be the family that we were on earth. That means that if you are married, you have the opportunity to be sealed to your husband or wife for the rest of your lives on earth and eternity. That also means if you have children that they will be YOUR children for eternity. What a beautiful thing!!!!

Some of you may wonder how this amazing thing is possible. It is possible through modern day revelation. Let me explain what modern revelation is. From the very beginning of the world there have been Prophets. A Prophet is someone that God reveals his will to. The Prophet is the person that reveals Gods will to the people of the earth. Think of Noah the Prophet from the Bible for example. He recieved revelation from God to tell the people that there would be a flood. The people didn't listen. God flooded the earth. The Prophet died and there was a period of apostasy, which means a time when the authority of God was not on the earth. This has been the pattern from the time of Adam untill now. After Christ died and his Apostles died there was no one with that authority of God on the earth (another apostasy) Untill God called another prophet, Joseph Smith, just as he has been doing since the time of Adam. God is the same yesterday, today and forever right? God revealed his will to Joseph Smith and gave him the authority to bind a marriage and family together for eternity in the sacred temple. To the right is a picture of the Salt Lake City Temple. Inside of this beautiful temple families are sealed together for time and all eternity. What a blessing God has given us. These temples are sacred places and are known as the "House of the Lord." I know that God gave Joseph Smith the sacred calling to restore this beautiful sealing ordinace that is performed in the temple. We have a Prophet today and his name is Thomas S. Monson. He leads and guides this church today and through him God reveals his will to his children here on earth.