Forever families

[Just_A_Guy]

50 minutes ago, Rob Osborn said:

So, the revelation of 132 isnt exactly correct then, it kind of needs some updating/clarification.

Stupid Joseph!

[zil]

5 minutes ago, Just_A_Guy said:

Stupid Joseph!

Yes, he forgot the 312 pages of fine print, 3 appendices, the chronological diagrams, and the decision-making tree. 

[Guest]

I'll give you the perspective of someone sealed as an adoptee.

There was about a three year span between when I was adopted and when I was sealed.  During that time you can notice a few things.

1) When I first arrived at my new home I asked,"If this is our home, what are these Americans doing here?"  Seriously, I had no idea I was being adopted.  I wonder if I knew or understood what adoption was.
2) Somewhere between 1 and 6 months I completely forgot my Korean and learned English fluently -- as fluently as one of my age could have  I had no noticeable accent.

3) I adopted American customs and culture: clothes, TV, movies, radio, jargon, etc.  I couldn't quite get my hair to work right.  It was just unruly.  Completely unable to be styled in a customarily American fashion.

4) Nothing really changed in my life that I could really discern.

My father was a professional photographer.  He made a decent living for us.  One thing this meant was that we had PLENTY of family photos.  When I was a teenager someone noticed that my sister and I (we were biological bro & sis) had some sort of noticeable change between two family photos.  It's not something anyone could really put words to.  But everyone noticed it.  Others chimed in and said,"Yeah, I noticed that too.  Between the same two photos.  But I didn't know what to make of it."  Others agreed, but couldn't really describe it with words.  All they could say was that we "looked American".

We had already (prior to the change in photos) been wearing American clothing.  Our skin tone had gotten lighter from being indoors at school and home much more often than in Korea.  So, that was not the source of the "difference" they spoke of.

I asked what date those pictures were taken.  My father looked it up and told me.  I asked, wasn't this the date of our sealing?  Everyone had varying looks on their faces.  They knew what I meant. But some had a hard time accepting what I said.

From my experience, and the posts on this thread, I perceive that the tendency is to believe that sealing is only a power that affects us in the next life.  From my own experience I would disagree.  Sealing is a welding link that affects us in this life.  If we believe in the priesthood, we believe in miracles, we believe the Power of God is real and we can have access to it in His Holy Temples, we can believe that sealing (the highest of ordinances) can affect us today as well as tomorrow.  It really is a welding link.

Edited September 29, 2017 by Guest

[NeuroTypical]

That's a cool story Carb.  A family I know adopted four part-Korean children as babies.  One after the other, as quickly as their drug-addicted mother would crank them out and get them seized by social services.  Each one has a different father.  All were in this family's home being raised by these totally American parents and siblings within a year of their lives.  

Eye shape and skin coloring are about the only clues this sealed family gives about biological inheritance.  The dad was telling me the only other thing, is that his bio kids all sat on the floor cross-legged, and his adopted kids had a tendency to sit by squatting.  Something about the Korean people having a slightly longer tibias or something like that.  

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, NeuroTypical said:

That's a cool story Carb.  A family I know adopted four part-Korean children as babies.  One after the other, as quickly as their drug-addicted mother would crank them out and get them seized by social services.  Each one has a different father.  All were in this family's home being raised by these totally American parents and siblings within a year of their lives.  

Eye shape and skin coloring are about the only clues this sealed family gives about biological inheritance.  The dad was telling me the only other thing, is that his bio kids all sat on the floor cross-legged, and his adopted kids had a tendency to sit by squatting.  Something about the Korean people having a slightly longer tibias or something like that.  

In my case, it's the calf muscles.  For some reason, the soft tissues between the thigh and tibia are highly movable.  So, I can squat for hours at a time without blood flow being impeded.  However, this displaces my C.G. rearward to the point that if I were to squat without placing my hands forward, I would fall backwards.  My fencing instructor refused to believe me and told me to continue the balancing exercise without putting my hands forward.  Well, I didn't.

[Traveler]

On ‎9‎/‎25‎/‎2017 at 9:26 AM, Always learning said:

 My family is very active in the church. I  I am a returned missionary and I  hold the priesthood and understand its purposes. But I've never been comfortable with any explanation that I have given to a nonmember about "why they will not be a together forever family after this life even though they love each other".    I do understand that it is because they are not sealed by the holy priesthood. But I'm looking for an explanation that is easier to understand by somebody  that does not believe in the priesthood or the Book of Mormon  or Joseph Smith.  My daughters boyfriend, who is not a member, asked for the same question last night. Any suggestions on how To answer this question best?

 

Generally, it is my impression that few understand very basic principles.  Take the concept of covenant and ownership as an example.  There is a difference between purchasing a home over time and renting or otherwise using the same home temporarily.  If someone enters into a contract (covenant) to purchase a house by making regular payments, then when the contract has been completed they will own the home.  Someone else may observe someone so coming into ownership over time by making payments and then think that if they live in a building and pay rent that they will eventually own that place as well.

Although this is a somewhat simplified example – hopefully it makes the point.  If we want an eternal family, we must make an eternal contract to that end.  Doctrine and Covenants section 132 gives some details specifically concerning eternal contracts which include an eternal marriage contract.  Just because someone is living in a place does not mean that they can suddenly think to change the rules and claim ownership.  Just because someone rides in your car (if you are an Uber driver) and pays you some money does not; now mean that they can claim your car as their property – even if they like or love your car an awful lot.

If someone intends to have an eternal relationship (marriage) they, at the very least, must understand and apply the principles (rules if you will) that will cause such a thing to happen.  If they are not even willing to seek out such principles – if is utter foolishness to think the universe is ordered such that it will just happen for them because they want it to. 

It is my observation that ownership requires that we take care of our possessions or they will not serve any useful purpose.  If we do not put gas in our automobile it will cease to serve the purpose of why we own it and it will become useless to us regardless of how much we like or love the car – likely sitting at some faraway place awaiting someone that understands the principle of making car go to put gas in it and properly maintain it.

 

The Traveler

[james12]

On 9/25/2017 at 9:26 AM, Always learning said:

 My family is very active in the church. I  I am a returned missionary and I  hold the priesthood and understand its purposes. But I've never been comfortable with any explanation that I have given to a nonmember about "why they will not be a together forever family after this life even though they love each other".    I do understand that it is because they are not sealed by the holy priesthood. But I'm looking for an explanation that is easier to understand by somebody  that does not believe in the priesthood or the Book of Mormon  or Joseph Smith.  My daughters boyfriend, who is not a member, asked for the same question last night. Any suggestions on how To answer this question best?

This question has been on my mind. Particularly how to provide a simple explanation regarding celestial marriage that actually fits with our doctrine but is not so simplistic as to be confusing. So here is where my thinking lies...

Celestial marriage is about much more than being together in the here after. Certainly many husbands and wives, family and friends will be together. It is not the Lord's plan or purpose to split up families. The importance of celestial marriage has to do with glory, light and exaltation. Such glory and exaltation is intimately tied to priesthood. We believe that in order to receive the highest glory a man and woman must enter into the highest order of the priesthood. This order of priesthood in ancient days was called the Patriarchal Order but in our day is called the "new and everlasting covenant of marriage". To enter this priesthood order a man and woman must be sealed to each other by authority and then live worthy to receive the Lord's confirmation through the Holy Spirit. Then and only then, will they enter the glory prepared for those who keep this covenant.