FAMILIES COME FIRST

Are you one of the lucky ones who had both parents and felt a secure feeling, a safe feeling?  Maybe you were not as lucky when growing up and you didn’t feel you were supported by your parents or parent as much as you felt you should have been.

All you know is that someday, in your heart and plans, you told yourself that you will create a family and make it a happy home for you, your spouse and your children.  You may feel it would be a little difficult because of your lack of experience and not seeing an example of that in your own life.

Then you start a search for an example and you are led to a special church. 
You hear its doctrine and how it is guided by prophets and apostles as it was in days of old, and the families that belong to it seem to be the examples you have been looking for.

You discover God’s restored church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 

You find that they have actual temples of the Lord and because of that, you find that a special ceremony is performed within temples that Seal families together for Time and All Eternity, where death does not break up the family. 

You also find that in this church, marriage and families are the most important social unit here on earth and continue on beyond death and into eternity.

Sometimes there is a disaster.  Most people do not think of their money or house or the things they have, because their first thought is their families.  Where are they, are they safe?

All have a feeling in their heart and in their minds that direct their feelings towards their families. 

Because of what is in their spirit before being born on earth, that they will live again, feels that their family will be together after this life, not realizing that their marriage ceremony ended with “Until death do us part,” or “As long as we both shall live.”

If they believe that their ceremonies with these words have authority and power, that it actually marries them, then they have to believe all of it, including those phases mentioned above.  They just cannot change it and add something to it, as if the marriage would last beyond this life.  It will not.

Those who belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints know that marriages can go into eternity, intact, with all family members, because of the Sealing Ceremonies conducted in the temple. 

They know they are married here on earth and the marriage will be recognized by God the Father in the next life and throughout eternity because it was performed in His Temple and by someone who has the special authority to Seal on Earth and in Heaven. 

This authority has been granted by the Lord to His prophet and granted to the sealers in the temples.  These sealers are High Priests with special authority.  The church has legal authority to perform earthly marriages also.  

We are all the sons and daughters of God and part of His eternal family and we are being taught how to create and raise families on earth, and those who are married in the temples, will continue to have children and raise them in the eternities.

Don’t get discouraged. No matter how hard we try, our marriage and home won’t be perfect.

But if we build them around Christ’s principles including faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work and wholesome fun, home can be a place of refuge, peace and joy.

Love of God comes first, then families, then church. 

Families are the most important unit on earth and in eternity. 

For more information on families, go to www.lds.org or http://mormon.org/values.

To prepare and protect your family for emergency situations click on the
YEAR SUPPLY or WATER FILTRATION in the upper right.