What an Eternal Family Means to Me: The Plan of Salvation

First off, what is The Plan of Salvation? The Plan of Salvation is also known as God's plan of happiness. We learn about who we are, where we came from, and where we are going after this life. We learn more in depth about this special plan on the LDS website under The Plan of Salvation. We learn that God is our father, we lived with God before we came to this earth, earth life is a part of God's plan, Jesus Christ is the way back to living with God again, and we are able to live with God again after this life.

The Plan of Salvation

God is our loving father in heaven. He is perfect in His love, wisdom, care, and concern for us. He knows each of us on an individual level and he loves each of us individually-more than we can comprehend. He wants us to find our own happiness, but he hopes that the happiness we choose brings us back to Him. Do you know why he is our Father? He made us in His image. We look just like he does, making us His spirit children.
Before we came to this earth life, we lived with God in the pre-eart life with all of our spirit brothers and spirit sisters, and with our Mother in heaven. Many people don't know or have not thought about it, but we do have a mother in heaven. God gave each of us the gift of agency. We each made our first choice to follow His plan and come to this earth.

Earth life is an important part of God's plan for us. We came to earth and were born, forgetting our pre-earth life, meaning we live by faith, rather than by our memory of God. We were promised that we would be able to have His Spirit guide us and strengthen us, so each time that we feel the quiet comfort of His Spirit, we know that it is God showing us that he loves us and cares about us. While on this earth, it is up to us to make our own choices, and distinguish what is right and what is wrong. We can achieve happiness and become more like our Father in Heaven. God loves each of us and has provided a way for us to stay connected to Him through the power of prayer, reading our scriptures, and listening to the prophets counsel.
When we are following God's plan, we learn more about what He wants for each of us as His spirit children. Our life didn't start when we were born, it started long before that and it won't end when we die, because we keep living as spirits. Our lives have direction through our Father's plan and it helps us from wandering through our earthly lives, wondering about where we came from, we we are, and what we are going to work towards. Following this simple plan, we are promised "immortality and eternal life," or an unending happiness with God, and our families in heaven.
Being physically separated from our Father in Heaven, we are tempted by Satan, who just like we are, is a spirit son of our Heavenly Father. We can drift away from God and it can be difficult to not sin. Because God knew that we would sin, he knew that there had to be a Savior, a Redeemer to take the sins of the world. Jesus Christ is our way back to our Father in Heaven. In our pre-earth council, Jesus Christ volunteered to come to earth to be our Savior. When we believe in Jesus Christ, follow his teachings, and repent when we commit sins, His Atonement, or sacrifice, can wash us clean of our sins and make us worthy to return to God's presence. Because of Adam and Eve, we could feel death, but because of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we are able to overcome physical death. We can have perfected bodies and become like Christ and like our Father in Heaven when we do our part. We are simply not saved because we get baptized or because we simply say that we believe in Jesus Christ, but it is upon the works that we do upon this earth. Our good works not only prepares us for our lives in heaven, but it can bless us immensely in this earthly life as well. We learn in Doctrine & Covenants 137:9 that our judgement is not only about our works, but it is also what is in our hearts. "For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts." We also learn that "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James 2:26) Knowing these things, we know that Jesus Christ is not only our spirit brother, but he is also our friend. He is our perfect example, our teacher, our advocate with the Father, and he is our Savior and Redeemer.

The Christus-taken in April 2016

Knowing that we came to this earth to grow, learn and be tested, we can make our own personal choices. We know that we can return to live with God again. It is all about choices and the choices that we make in this life will determine our next life. We can choose to stay on the straight and narrow, or we can choose to go off course, and not follow God's plan. One of the best parts of our Heavenly Father's plan is that all the happiness and satisfaction we get from learning new things and all the love we develop within our families will go with us to the next life. The next life will be similar to this life, without the pains and the trials that we may face on the earth. Contrary to many representations of heaven, we won't be sitting and floating in the clouds, gazing at God's face for the eternities. We have more opportunities for learning more, growing closer to our families, and being able to challenge ourselves to our highest potential. It is always sad, hard, and challenging to lose a loved one, at any age, but it is a blessing to know that their spirits live on past this life. After this life, our spirits go on to the next phase, just before judgement and eternal life. Those spirits who did not accept or were not taught the gospel of Jesus Christ, are able to learn and choose for themselves. Once the second coming happens, our bodies are perfected and our spirits reunite with our bodies. We will go through judgement, where God and Jesus Christ judge the things that we did and reward us according to the things that we did on this.

Salt Lake City Temple-take in April 2016

Knowing that someday, I will be able to have my own family, it means a lot to know that I will be able to be sealed for not only time (this life until death) but for all of eternity (what many people feel is the afterlife). Time and all of eternity is a long period of time. Many people don't understand why we would want not only time, but forever also. Being with family can be hard enough sometimes.
A story of a set of missionaries were being fed by a young man and his family in a different country. These two young elder started to share this glorious message of eternal families with this young family. When they talked about being sealed together as a family forever, the wife said "I can't stand my husband most of the time as it is. What makes you think I would be interested in being stuck with him for a longer period of time? More time than I already have to. One of us just has to die and that will be the end of us. I don't know if I actually want to be stuck with him longer."
Many people believe that marriage is just for the here and now, a simple commitment where it doesn't matter what happens. Many weddings take place every year with the following vows being shared, or vows that are very similar.
"I, (your name) take (their name), as my wedded partner, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part."
Who wants to know that their relationship could be ended so easily. Who wants to know that they will never see their spouse, their children, or anyone else, all because they weren't married at the right place, or by someone holding the proper priesthood authority.We believe that we can receive an eternal family by being married in the temple which is a house of God, by a worthy priesthood leader who holds the sacred sealing keys. President Gordon B. Hinkley reiterated the doctrine concerning eternal marriages and families in 1995. "...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." Because of the Plan of Salvation, we really can have an eternal marriage and an eternal family.

My nephew Tommy, helping my Sister with putting flowers on family graves.

President Ezra Taft Benson also taught about the importance of temple marriages and the eternal and spiritual aspect it has on our lives. "The patriarchal order is an order of family government where a man and woman enter into a covenant with God-just as Adam and Eve-to be sealed for eternity, to have posterity, and to do the will and work of God throughout their mortality."
The blessings of a new life is just beyond this world. I can't express how much love I have for little babies and their first step towards living with their Father again. I enjoy having my sweet little niece and my amazing nephews around. I'm so excited for when my next nephew comes and I'm even more excited for the day that I can become a mom and help my own children on the path back to their Father in heaven.

I cannot wait for the happy and joyous reunion when I can see my loved ones again. I know that they are with their loved ones, they aren't in pain anymore, and they are able to be taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that our Father's plan is a plan full of justice and mercy. He is a loving Father, who wants what is best for His children.

>This is the last picture taken as a family on my dad's side of the family. In it are my parents-Eugene & Jennifer; my sister Katie-her husband Josh & their son Thomas; my brother Jacob; myself; my younger three brothers-David, Joe, & Sam; my Uncle James-his wife Jamie & their little boy Judah; my uncle Andrew-his wife, Tisha & their daughter Olivia; my uncle Richard & his wife Jessica; & my aunts Macheal & Linda
\/ At uncle James wedding: My grandmother Roberta; my uncle Larry; my dad Eugene; and my uncles James, Andrew, & Richard. My grandmother died a year later from colon cancer.