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There are times a topic comes to mind for no particular reason. This is one of those times. I’ve been wondering why some families would want to be together forever when they can’t get along in this life. Do families
reallywant to be together forever? If they do, what do they envision a forever family to be comprised of? Mom, dad, children? Do people envision those children as infants, toddlers, teens or adults? Do you want to be part of a forever family? If so, whose family will you be with? I’ve read that since the Church believes in a patriarchal order, that in the Celestial Kingdom, a woman will be with her husband’s family. This made me wonder … if a couple has all daughters, would they not be a forever family because of the patriarchal order?
What are your thoughts and beliefs about forever families?
I think it was just me that said it perfectly in another post (or pinkpatent or someone awesome): I don’t want an eternal companion, I want MY companion ETERNALLY!
That’s all I can hope for. But, I actually believe that I already have it and I’m trying to enjoy her today like it’s the last. And tomorrow, and tomorrow, and…
We will all be One with God (ultimately). There will be no division. It’s not like, oh I can only hang out with my immediate family. Too many broken families are confused and heartbroken over the “forever family” doctrine. It is so sad to me that in our literalness we cut people off, like we forget about the grand concept of everyone sealed together back to Adam. I imagine it like chainmail. All interconnected. Obviously I have no idea about our nature after death. I’m not sure I believe in a literal, physical resurrection. I don’t really imagine us eating or “doing the deed” in the hereafter. I could be wrong, though. I kind of think we all keep progressing until we become One. I don’t think Father & Mother plan to fail in their work.
I don’t believe anyone will be a child for eternity. That seems silly. I’ve had two miscarriages and I have no idea how that works into the plan-I’ve never thought that those pregnancies had spirits involved (they were early). Not sure if that makes any sense, but some people believe they will raise those babies in heaven or the Millinium or something. They could be right, but I have no clue.
I believe in the idea of a communal council (“family”) of the Gods. The only combination I care about individually is my wife and I, with my own children caring about their spouses and themselves – all interconnected as one great whole. As a catch phrase for mortality and a way to emphasize our responsibility to not be jerks to those wth whom we should be most closely bonded, I like “Familes can be together forever.” I just need to extrapolate it universally to make it apply eternally. That sums it up for me.
It was me, swimordie. 
My personal view is that the “Familes are Forever” concept in our Church is a metaphor that only approaches describing the true and transcendent existence in the afterlife — a connection and oneness. It is a wonderful and beautiful idea in general. We are best organized in families, of whatever composition works, in this life. We should think of our relationships as eternal. There are a lot of positive aspects to that kind of focus. The details though? It seems like the “Families are Forever” idea breaks down rapidly the more you start to pick at the fine details and messy permutations we experience here in mortality.
As is typical for me, my reconciliation was to find this idea both true and not true.
I am going to love my family, and be the best father, son, brother, friend I can be right here, right now. That much I can manage. What happens in the afterlife? I think I will have connections through love to all the people I loved in this life, however that really ends up being.
Well, it certainly is a beautiful idea. And when family life is done right, it can and is one of the best blessings of this life. Sadly, I think family life is also a two edged sword and can hurt us more deeply than other things. My personal experience with family has more pain in it than joy. It hasn’t been a soft place to fall or a place of trust knowing that you are loved or liked or that anyone has your back. So, for those people who are blessed with happiness in their earthly relationships, I think this doctrine makes a lot of sense. For the rest of us, it could either be fuel for hope or salt in the wound. Quote:For the rest of us, it could either be fuel for hope or salt in the wound.
Yep. Unfortunately, that can’t be helped when ANY “ideal” is taught – and I don’t want to get away from teaching ideals. It really is a two-edged sword, which is why I think some kind of belief in atonement / grace / nirvana / whatever is important.
Amen on the atonement grace thing. Everything will be healed, mended, filled, and resolved. So hope can always spring eternal. Hawkgirl or HiJolly will call me out if I’m wrong on this, but the view I got of eternal families after reading Rough Stone Rolling is that their importance lay in the hierarchy of heaven. With regards to exaltation, becoming a god, attaining godly powers. Those that followed the steps (temple) are better prepared and enter through the veil at a greater level. The inner-working web of knowledge through sealed families also applies to early plural marriage; you’re already creating your own kingdom with plural wives and a ton of kids. Those that are not sealed to their spouses and families are to act as servants (angels). I really like the notion, it works for me. Thought it’s hard to think that families not sealed would be broken up. I wonder what we’d look like in heaven. Would we look like a mix of our parents if we weren’t sealed to them? Would we share physical features with our earthly siblings? Is there still a relationship somehow? All I know is that my three brothers are knuckleheads and if they weren’t my brothers I’d probably smack them. I guess us being sealed together has saved them from numerous beat-downs. Ha
Quote:All I know is that my three brothers are knuckleheads and if they weren’t my brothers I’d probably smack them. I guess us being sealed together has saved them from numerous beat-downs.
As one of my daughters likes to say, “That is beast wrapped in awesome preserved in a can.” (Don’t ask; she got my twisted sense of humor.)
Growing up I always thought this would be hell. I didn’t particularly get along with my controlling, overbearing mother. Far from bringing me peace, the thought of living with her forever was not one I cherished as a child – or now for that matter. Kinderhook08 wrote:Growing up I always thought this would be hell. I didn’t particularly get along with my controlling, overbearing mother. Far from bringing me peace, the thought of living with her forever was not one I cherished as a child – or now for that matter.
It was quite the epiphany for me when I came to the realization that my ‘eternal’ family was, at the ‘nuclear’ level, just my wife and I. There are ties that bind, in light and love, that extend beyond that, it is true. But they are not the nucleus, the heart of it. Or…. are they?God knows best. Trust Him.
HiJolly
you know….with so many things in the gospel there really is so much that requires us to trust. I have a dear friend in Denmark whom I helped bring to the church 4 years ago. Some of his pre-baptism questions had to do with honoring your father and mother and doing sealings (temple work for them) because they were dead. This was very disturbing to him, as was the idea of families are forever. This is because both his father and mother severely beat and sexually abused him and his two sisers during most of their childhood. At 11, he was finally put into foster care and has had to go through 900 hours of therapy and meds to survive. He is 40 now and he did eventually become a medical doctor but still suffers post tramatic stress from all the beatings and sexual abuse from both parents. He absolutely hates and fears his parents to this day. His sisters are so screwed up too from all the abuse and he was terrified to think that he had to do temple work for them. I showed him a quote from Brigham Young that was in the gospel essentials manual when I taught the investigators class then. It said in essence, ‘You think your families are yours just because you are sealed to them? No, you must earn your families by how you treat them on this earth…’something to that effect. That makes much for sense to me. It is very hard for some to sing that song about “Families Can be forever’ with the words, “I have a family here on earth, they are so good to me…” I am thankful for the atonement and for the justice and mercy it supplies. Bridget
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