What's the Big Deal?

Why do Mormons put such an emphasis on family? What’s the big deal? This post is from an assignment earlier in the semester:

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, we believe that the family unit is at the center of the Gospel, and at the center of God’s plan- the Great Plan of Happiness.

Each one of us is a spirit son or daughter of God. Before we were born, we lived in the premortal life (in Heaven) with our heavenly parents. Heavenly Father presented a plan to us that would allow us to eventually progress and become like Him.

This plan would include a creation of a world and of our bodies, the Fall of Man, and an atonement by a Savior. Those of us who decided to follow this plan have been blessed with the privilege to come to Earth as mortals, live in families, experience mortal life, and-if we keep God’s commandments- receive eternal life as families.

Sister Julie B. Beck explained in her address Teaching the Doctrine of the Family, that without the family unit in this life, there wouldn’t be any purpose for our mortality (Beck, 2009). The Creation made it possible for man and woman to come to Earth for their mortal experience; the Fall of Adam made it possible for men and women to procreate and experience the joys, trials, etc. of life; and the Atonement makes it possible for all of us to repent and eventually return to our Heavenly Father in our own family units.

The Family is so incredibly important because it is preparation for our lives in the eternities. A family made up of a husband, a wife, and children, is the perfect setup for this mortal life, and the one which can bring the most happiness. All of the problems in our world can be traced back to problems within the home (within families). Parenthood is not something to be taken lightly. The Lord has commanded us to have children and to raise them in love and righteousness. The Family: A Proclamation to the World states: “We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in full force” (1995). Because the spirit children of our father in Heaven rely on us on earth to provide them with the mortal bodies they need in order to progress in the divine plan, husbands and wives need to take their responsibility of parenthood very seriously.

Heavenly Father loves us more than we can ever imagine. He knows that it is through our families that we can receive the most joy in this life and throughout eternity. 

On a personal note... My family is more important to me than anything. My husband Brian and I were sealed in the Spokane, Washington temple. This sealing ceremony bound us together as husband and wife not only "'till death do us part", but for eternity! I can't imagine living for eternity without my best friend and love of my life- can you?

I am so, SO thankful for God's plan for families. I am so thankful that I can live with my family forever, if we remain true to the covenants we made in the temple. Another amazing blessing that comes with the sealing covenant is the promise that a sealed couple's children are also sealed to them for eternity. So, my little guy was automatically sealed to Brian and I when he was born, since we were married in the temple. Isn't that amazing?! I love temples.

Here's a picture of the temple we got married in:
(from https://www.lds.org/media-library/images/temples/spokane-washington?lang=eng)