Individual Worth & The Eternal Family

One thing I think is important before talking about Eternal Families is knowing who we are and knowing about our divine origins. 

Bishop H. Burke Peterson has said:

“One of the greatest challenges is to overcome the feeling that we are unimportant, that we are not special and unique. Do you think for a moment that Heavenly Father would have sent one of His children to this earth by accident, without the possibility of a significant work to perform? …"

**My favorite Disney movie is The Lion King and it has a lot of symbolism in it that parallels with the gospel. 

In the movie, after Simba's father is killed, he runs away and grows up away from home. After Simba's best friend from childhood, Nala, finds him while hunting for food, she insists that he has to come back home. Simba, however, tells her over and over again that he cannot come back. He still feels guilt for causing his father's death, a notion that his Uncle Scar put into his head when he was just a small cub.

It is after this event that one of the most influential parts of the movie takes place. Simba is all alone on the African plains and speaks out loud to his father,  “You said you’d always be there for me, but you’re not, and it’s my own fault.”  He hangs his head and is feeling hopeless. This is when Rafiki, the mandrill baboon, comes along. Simba asks, “Who are you?” To which Rafiki answers, “The question is, WHO are you?” And Simba says, “I thought I knew, but now I’m not so sure.” Rafiki tells Simba that he knows who Simba is, that he is Mufasa's son and that Mufasa is alive and that he knows where he is. Rafiki leads Simba to a small body of water, in which Simba peers over the edge, only to find that he sees a reflection of himself in the water. He sighs and says, “That’s not my father. It’s just my reflection.” Rafiki responds while pointing…”No….look harder….” Simba looks again. Rafiki says, “You see…he lives in YOU.” Then Simba has an experience where he sees his father… “Simba, you have forgotten me….” his father says. “No…how could I?” Simba responds. And then Mufasa says one of the most profound things in the entire movie… “You have forgotten who you are and so forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Simba. You are MORE than what you have become. Remember who you are. You are my son. Remember who you are.”  And then he disappears…** Doesn't that sound like something our Father in Heaven might say to us? “You have forgotten who you are, and so forgotten me. Look inside yourself, You are MORE than what you have become. Remember who you are. You are my son, or you are my daughter. You are my child. Remember who you are.” Robert D. Hales said in his talk The Eternal Family, "From the earliest beginnings, God established the family and made it eternal. Adam and Eve were sealed in marriage for time and all eternity: “And thus all things were confirmed unto Adam, by an holy ordinance, and the Gospel preached, and a decree sent forth, that it should be in the world, until the end thereof; and thus it was” (Moses 5:59).  “And Adam knew his wife, and she bare unto him sons and daughters, and they began to multiply and to replenish the earth” (Moses 5:2). My favorite quote from Elder Hales' talk is,  "The eternal nature of our body and our spirit is a question often pondered by those who live in mortality. All people who will ever live on earth are members of a human family and are eternal children of God, our loving Heavenly Father. After birth and tasting of death in mortality, all will be resurrected because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God the Father. Depending on our individual obedience to the laws, ordinances, and commandments of God, each mortal can have the blessing of attaining eternal life; that is, returning to live in the presence of their Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, having eternal increase for all the eternities to come. Through making and keeping the sacred covenants found in the temple ordinances, individuals can return to the presence of God and will be reunited with their families eternally."'  My eternal family is so important to me. I am so grateful that my parents were worthy to marry in the temple, for time and all eternity, and that my sister and I were able to be born into that covenant. Taking this course has made me better appreciate my own family. I have loved learning about how to strengthen family relationships. I have also enjoyed learning techniques and gathering ideas that I can use in my own future family one day.

The Sanctity of Human Life

"Human life is a sacred gift from God. Elective abortion for personal or social convenience is contrary to the will and the commandments of God. Church members who submit to, perform, encourage, pay for, or arrange for such abortions may lose their membership in the Church."

What is life?  Life has been defined as the existence of an individual human being. When does life begin?

The controversy of Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice has been debated for years. People have chosen sides and have strong reasons for believing what they believe about when life begins and a woman's choices regarding her own body.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World states, "ALL HUMAN BEINGS—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny."

The quote that began this post is part of the LDS church's official position on Abortion. The last part "may lose their membership to the church," may seem harsh and brutal, but if you think about it, all choices have consequences. If you speed, you get a ticket. If you bully or smoke in school, you get suspended or even expelled. Just like in every case, though, there are exceptions. 

The LDS church's official position on abortion also states, "Church leaders have said that some exceptional circumstances may justify an abortion, such as when pregnancy is the result of incest or rape, when the life or health of the mother is judged by competent medical authority to be in serious jeopardy, or when the fetus is known by competent medical authority to have severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth.

However, the church's official position also says that these circumstances do not automatically justify an abortion. "Those who face such circumstances should consider abortion only after consulting with their local Church leaders and receiving a confirmation through earnest prayer."

Finally, I would like to share this video of a young girl talking about abortion. This video raises the question, "If a 12 year old can understand the sanctity of human life, then why can't the rest of the world?"

Repentance and Forgiveness

This is probably one of the hardest topics I've had to write about it. Repentance and forgiveness have been a big part of my life. Like everyone, I'm not perfect. I've had a lot of hard times and trials that I have had to overcome, or am still working to overcome. 

Specifically, I have been working on this one thing for months now. I've had slip ups and continue to work to overcome this one certain challenge. I keep working to resist temptation. Repentance

We all sin. We all need to repent. Sometimes we sin because of ignorance, sometimes because of our weaknesses, and sometimes because of willful disobedience. In my case, sinning has been because of weakness. My favorite scripture for a long time has been Ether 12:27.

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

In a Primary lesson on Repentance, there are four steps listed of how to repent:

1) Feel sorry for what you have done
2) Ask for forgiveness (from your Heavenly Father and/or the person affected)
3) Right the wrong
4) Don't repeat the wrong.

About the Atonement, Bruce R. McConkie said,

“… There was no man ever born into this world that could have stood under the weight of the load that was upon the Son of God, when he was carrying my sins and yours and making it possible that we might escape from our sins”

Something that goes along with repentance is forgiveness. I think that forgiveness can be best shown by this Mormon Message. This is one of my favorite Mormon Messages. This car accident took place in Utah while I was visiting there. I remember seeing this on the news and hearing about it everywhere. 

I have learned, through my temptations and trials, that no one is perfect. EVERYONE sins and EVERYONE makes mistakes. We are so lucky, though, to have an amazing elder brother, Jesus Christ, who bore all of our burdens. He felt all of our pain, he atoned for our sins, so that we could live with our Heavenly Father again.

There is an amazing true story about the atonement that I would strongly encourage that you read. Here is the link: Donuts and the Atonement