Testimony Tuesday

Today I would like to share my testimony of the unshakable truth that I know our families can be together forever.  

FOREVER!

CHURCH HISTORY (in the words of someone who partially paid attention during early-morning seminary): When the prophet, Joseph Smith, restored the gospel to the earth, he and Oliver Cowdery were visited by the prophet Elijah in the Kirkland Temple who conferred upon them the priesthood keys so we could be sealed to our families for time and all eternity.

This wonderful event that took place April 3rd, 1836 fulfilled the Lord's promise in the book of Malachi in the Old Testament, saying He would send Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord to turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers.

The first presidency and council of the twelve apostles state in THE FAMILY: A PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLD that "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."

Everything inside me knows without a doubt that this doctrine is true.  Our Heavenly Father has given us the sacred blessing of families and oh how grateful I am that He loves us enough that we can be sealed to them forever.  

I am grateful for temples.  In the House of the Lord we can perform sacred ordinances and covenants for our families.  What a wonderful, precious time in history we live in where we have the opportunity to have this knowledge and perform these blessings!  What a beautiful comfort it is to know that when our loved ones pass on we will see them again after our earthly life is over!

I was looking through old blog posts and came across this beautiful memory that I recorded years before and wanted to share...

FaMiLiEs aRe FoReVeR

Yesterday was a big, big day for my little brother.  He will be serving a full-time mission for the church in Londrina, Brazil for two years starting this fall.  Today he can officially check off "going through the temple for the first time" on his long list of things to do before leaving.

What an amazing, tear-jerking moment I was able to witness as my whole family stood in front of me inside the walls of the temple.  I wondered if my parents could have possibly imagined 29 years ago that one day they’d be standing in the celestial room with all three of their children at once. 

All three kids when we were little....

... All three kids now 

(don't worry, these are actual sizes.  

They somehow make 5'10'' look like Gimli).

Yesterday my testimony grew so much!  I wanted to be a missionary!  I wanted to shout from a mountain and tell the whole world, “THIS IS IT!  THIS IS WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT!”

FAMILY.  The temple gives you this precious gift that you never have to let go of.  You never have to truly say goodbye.  Everything is put in an eternal perspective when we realize we can be sealed to our families for time and for all eternity.  Death cannot separate us and we can always be together forever!

I love the temple!  My words can’t express how much it means to me!  My heart can’t contain the love I have pouring out of me because of what this gospel has given me!  Sorry if this is super intense, but I promised myself when I left the temple yesterday I would share exactly what I feel.  I don’t want to regret keeping something so important inside of me when there are so many people out there I could share it with.

I love my husband!  I can’t wait to have a family with him!  To be a unit and a team that can always depend on each other and always be there for one another… always.

Eternal families.  This is my testimony of them.  I love my family so much!