What does it mean to live in an eternal family?

By: Dallin Butler

By the time Jesus arrived in Bethany, seeking Mary, Martha, and their brother, Lazarus, Jesus knew that Lazarus had been dead for four days. Their family had been separated by death, and Jesus intended to change that. The Redeemer declared, “I am the resurrection,” and later, at the door of an open tomb, commanded, “Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:25,43). According to the words of Christ, Lazarus arose and exited the tomb, and their family was reunited. Jesus, as the Resurrection, makes it possible for family relationships to continue beyond the grave, for Lazarus, and you and me in our day. In this article, we’ll delve into what it means to live in an eternal family and how the Savior makes it possible.

Exaltation is the Goal Heavenly Father has for all of His Children

Heavenly Father loves each of His children, and because of that, He desires to bless each person with the opportunity to live with Him again after this life. “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). In this scripture, immortality and eternal life are distinct. “Immortality is to live forever as a resurrected being,” and “Eternal life, or exaltation, is to live in God’s presence with our families (ChurchOfJesusChrist.org). This differs from salvation, which has many definitions but commonly refers to being rescued and forgiven from sin through Jesus Christ. Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, both salvation and exaltation are made possible.

Exaltation is the highest goal God has for His children, where they inherit all that He has in the Celestial Kingdom. This kingdom of heaven is a place where families live together in unity and love in the presence of God the Father and Jesus Christ. “And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:38). Having an eternal family is one of the greatest gifts Heavenly Father can give. However, we cannot live forever with our families in heaven after this life without the power of God made manifest through the temple.

This is one of the sealing rooms in the Rome Italy Temple. Within rooms like this in temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a man and a woman can be sealed as husband and wife for time and eternity. During the marriage ceremony, the man and woman each make covenants to be faithful to each other and God. “Celestial marriage is a pivotal part of preparation for eternal life,” then Elder Russell M. Nelson said in his message, “Celestial Marriage,” from October 2008. “It requires one to be married to the right person, in the right place, by the right authority, and to obey that sacred covenant faithfully.” A husband and wife remain faithful to each other and to their children. Any children born after a man and woman are sealed in the temple are sealed to their parents. “Children born of that union are ‘an heritage of the Lord.’ When a family is sealed in the temple, that family may become as eternal as the kingdom of God itself.” The temple allows for family members to remain connected long after death.

Temple covenants are sacred and bind families together, allowing them to maintain relationships after death. “It is the highest and most enduring type of marriage that our Creator can offer to His children,” said Elder Nelson in the same talk. “While salvation is an individual matter, exaltation is a family matter.” Salvation has multiple meanings, but one of them is being redeemed from sin through the Atonement of Christ. Salvation lies between God and each individual. Exaltation, on the other hand, is when families can “dwell at the right hand of God, in a state of never-ending happiness” (Alma 28:12). Each family member must remain faithful and worthy to be a part of their exalted family. In this way, salvation is personal, while exaltation has to do with the family.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ and Temple Covenants Make Eternal Families Possible

Because Jesus Christ suffered for our sins, “Which suffering caused [Jesus], even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore,” everyone can receive forgiveness in this life and be worthy to receive salvation and exaltation in the next (D&C 19:18). Through Him, individuals and families can be forgiven of sin, triumph over pain, and return to live in God’s presence.

Just as a loving father on Earth, Heavenly Father is eager and willing to forgive us. In Doctrine and Covenants 58:42-43, it reads: “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more. By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them.” Jesus Christ makes it possible through His Atonement for us to repent and become “new creatures” and receive a forgiveness of sin (Mosiah 27:26). Within families, forgiveness is crucial to solidifying relationships that will last throughout eternity. “Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World”), emphasis added. Forgiveness is a divine act and a sign of deep religious fortitude. The Lord has promised “that inasmuch as you have forgiven one another your trespasses, even so I, the Lord, forgive you” (D&C 82:1). God is honest and keeps His promises. As we forgive others, we can receive forgiveness from God when we pray for it with a sincere heart. 

Through the Atonement of Christ, families can emerge triumphant through affliction, regardless of difficulty or length. Troubling finances, death of loved ones, failing relationships, everything–“the Son of Man hath descended below them all” (D&C 122:8). The Savior understands the needs of each family and each individual inside each family. He knows exactly how to help those who seek His strength. Christ declared: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30). The Lord grants strength to those who seek Him “diligently, with lowliness of heart” (1 Nephi 2:19). Families who put their trust in the Lord can be strengthened as one unit to overcome temptation and create a home of righteousness.

When Jesus Christ was resurrected, He overcame physical death for everyone who has been born on the Earth. Because of Him, all will be resurrected and judged by God for their thoughts, actions, and beliefs, and “in our bodies we shall see God” to “be judged according to the holy judgment of God” (2 Nephi 9:4,15). Family members who have repented and had the necessary work done for them in the temple, including sealings to family members, can inherit immortality and eternal life to inherit all that the Father hath. This is Heavenly Father’s ultimate goal for His children. He loves everyone who has lived, is living, and will live on the Earth and is eager to help families join together in unity and purpose to follow His son, Jesus Christ. His holy house is dedicated to this sacred purpose.

The temple is the House of the Lord, where individuals and families draw closer to God through sacred promises that connect generations. Becoming worthy to enter the temple to become sealed to one’s spouse, or staying worthy to continue to enter, is the pursuit of a lifetime. And while “salvation is a personal matter and exaltation is a family matter,” both salvation and exaltation require valiant effort from each individual, made possible through the strengthening power of Jesus Christ and His Atonement (Nelson). Choosing to remain worthy or becoming worthy starts and ends with the individual. God loves each of His children and has provided a Savior to help those who seek Him become sanctified. Families that exercise faith in the Savior are fortified against temptation and united in purpose and power. 

Within the Book of Mormon, a companion book of scripture to the Holy Bible that testifies to the divinity of Jesus Christ, we learn of a group of members of the Church of Jesus Christ who struggled to know how to overcome persecution and come closer to God as individuals and as a people. Some members of Christ’s Church in the ancient Americas began to “be lifted up in pride,” leading to “the more humble part of the people to suffer great persecutions, and to wade through much affliction” (Helaman 3:34). As the righteous Church members strove to follow Jesus Christ, despite the persecution they faced, they were sanctified, or made holy. The scripture continues: “Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God” (Helaman 3:35). Individuals and families can experience the same enabling power of Jesus as those in the Book of Mormon felt anciently. 

Regardless of the persecution we face in this life from whatever source, and especially from those who should be our friends, we can overcome it through the strength of Jesus Christ. “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matt. 5:11-12). People from millennia ago were blessed to overcome persecution and hardship through Christ. Triumphing over hard times in our day is possible, too. We can rely on Christ to help us, as individuals and families, to overcome persecution and pain specific to our needs and our families.

Families are Eternal

Families can be together forever because of Jesus Christ. Within temples, families can be linked to ancestors and posterity through the proper priesthood authority and power that exists in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. God’s ultimate goal is for us to progress and gain exaltation with those we love. He loves each of us individually. “[‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World’] helps us realize that celestial marriage brings greater possibilities for happiness than does any other relationship,” Elder Nelson taught in his 2009 general conference address. “The earth was created and this Church was restored so that families could be formed, sealed, and exalted eternally.” Those who choose to pursue an eternal family relationship are blessed with joy in this life and the world to come. The Savior makes eternal families possible, and our efforts to build one through His strength never go unrewarded.

Families can be together forever because of Jesus Christ. Within temples, families can be linked to ancestors and posterity through the proper priesthood authority and power that exists in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. God’s ultimate goal is for us to progress and gain exaltation with those we love. He loves each of us individually. “[‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World’] helps us realize that celestial marriage brings greater possibilities for happiness than does any other relationship,” Elder Nelson taught in his 2009 general conference address. “The earth was created and this Church was restored so that families could be formed, sealed, and exalted eternally.” Those who choose to pursue an eternal family relationship are blessed with joy in this life and the world to come. The Savior makes eternal families possible, and our efforts to build one through His strength never go unrewarded.

Questions? Learn with missionaries and discover a Christ-centered community near you today! Learn more about God’s Plan of Happiness for His children.