Families can be together forever

Families can be together forever…
If your family’s like mine, this might describe a typical Family home evening at your home: I have 5 younger sisters. The one year old and three year old have a hard time sitting still, and end up running in circles or jumping on the couch. My other sisters are upset and complaining because they have homework to do. Everyone is fighting over who gets to sit by my mom My dad is upset because no one will listen... Most of the time it is so noisy it is impossible to hear the lesson!
It’s at moments like this that the doctrine of families being eternal loses some of its attraction. An eternity with these little sisters; maybe I should look into a different religion.
Of course I’m kidding. After a good night’s sleep, the worst family annoyances are forgotten. And even in the thick of the chaos you wouldn’t really trade your siblings for a mess of pottage.
In reality, being here in London has heightened my appreciation of this doctrine.
I should be a Skype representative, I absolutely love that I can get on my laptop and talk to anyone over seas! I try to Skype my family once a week, since I have been gone Gennavive the 1 year old has learned to say my name! She is still working on saying Ashaels name… Tova the 3 year old loves to tell stories that are usually about Disneyland and keeps asking when we are coming home. Maddy is 8 and just finished a season of soccer… or football. Tessa 13 is learning how to get through Jr High.
Every day I think of someone in my family and I think of how great it would be to share this with them! In fact, I’m sure all of you have been far away from family—maybe even now—and you can relate.
The gospel of Jesus Christ shows us, the way to have the blessings of an eternal family
In the scriptures we learn that Eternal life is the greatest of all gifts
In D&C 14:7 we read: And, if you akeep my commandments and bendure to the end you shall have ceternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.
2 Nephi 31:20 teaches us how we can obtain this gift.
20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a asteadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of bhope, and a clove of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and dendure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eeternal life.

In the Proclamation on the Family we read
. “Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. ‘Children are an heritage of the Lord’ (Ps. 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God, and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

“The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.”

The church has provided us with these guidelines to help us know our Heavenly Fathers plan for us and help us to find happiness in this life.

I had the opportunity to be there for two of my sisters births. For first one, I was 19, a senior in high school and we had been at the hospital all day. There where difficulties and I was scared when a red light started flashing and all the younger nurses and interns left the room… I remember praying and feeling an instant flood of peace, I knew my new baby sister Tova and my mom would be fine. My mind cleared out all of my fears and I was so excited to meet this new addition to our family. I don’t know how, but I was the first to hold her after the doctors finally declared her alive and healthy. I will never forget that day, I felt my love grow instantly. Genna’s birth was different but I had the same feeling of peace and an instant love. I never knew my hart could grow bigger. But it did and still does.
This primary song is one of my favorites and helps me to remember why we are here.
I have a family here on earth, they are so good to me I want to marry in god temple for eternity families can be together forever, through heavenly fathers plan, I always want to be with my own family, and the lord has shown me how I can, the lord has shown me how I can.
(Second verse….)(While I am in my early years, I’ll prepare most carefully I want to marry in gods temple for all eternity)

I know that by following the gospel plan I will be able to one day start a family of my own! I am so grateful for the knowledge the gospel of Jesus Christ and the comfort and peace I feel knowing that families can be together forever!