Jesus Christ, Mothers, Marriage and Family: A Foretaste of Eternity

I declare before God and before His holy angels that I know that Jesus is the Christ, the living Son of the Living God. I have perfect faith in the efficacy of his all-encompassing atonement for all human sin and for all human suffering, and I believe in mothers. I believe in women.  Women who sacrifice. Women who care. Women who heal. Women who love. And, I believe in marriage. I believe in the deep, soulful union, body, soul and spirit, of a man and a woman, joined under God in holy wedded matrimony. And, I believe in family--unified family. Family where love prevails, along with kindness. Family where each member is heard. Family where each member is recognized and nurtured and encouraged. Family where parents and children and siblings counsel together and nurture one another in love. And, I declare before God that this is the order of heaven. When we arrive in a perfect heaven, what we will see is family. What we will see is order. What we will see is counsel, and harmony. What we will see will be awesome. These are the things I aspire to. These are the things Jesus teaches me, even and these are the things that I love. I know that God loves us, His children. I know that Jesus Christ is our brother in deed. I know that everything good that we do and that we know is a reflection of the goodness and knowledge that is in them.

Marriage After Death

During a recent internet search, I discovered a startling fact: Christian experts don't know what the state of marriage and family will be in heaven! Or, based on scripture, they indicate that there will be no marriage in heaven.

I read questions like these submitted by grieving spouses:

    Will I be reunited with my spouse in heaven?

and

   Since the recent death of my wife, a godly "Proverbs 31" woman, I have been wondering if our marriage will continue in heaven.

The answer to this question is made clear by the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the sixteenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus makes this promise to Peter: "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." In modern times, Jesus spoke these words to Joseph Smith:

"All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations, that are not made and entered into and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, of him who is anointed, both as well for time and for all eternity, and that too most holy, by revelation and commandment through the medium of mine anointed, whom I have appointed on the earth to hold this power (and I have appointed unto my servant Joseph to hold this power in the last days, and there is never but one on the earth at a time on whom this power and the keys of this priesthood are conferred), are of no efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead; for all contracts that are not made unto this end have an end when men are dead."

The keys promised by Jesus to Peter have been restored. That which was lost been brought back. This is consistent with the scriptures and the restoration of all things, spoken of by the prophets.

I know that these keys have been restored. I am a witness. Marriages and families sealed by Jesus will last forever, even after death. This promise, like all others, is conditioned upon our faithfulness. Today, these seeking keys are exercised in the temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

What is Love?

I have often asked myself, "what is love?" As a veteran of thirteen years of marriage, I think I'm beginning to understand.

To love is to serve

To love is to serve. Love is not selfish.