When I was younger, a rebellious teenager, I made a lot of mistakes. One of which was starting to steady date much too soon. Ironically, just like my husband, my very first boyfriend's name was Matthew. He was an ROTC Army kind of kid who thought he was pretty cool. We were Freshman in high school, only barely fifteen and truly the definition of "young and stupid." Though we only dated for a little over a week before guilt got the best of me I like to look back and hope that I might have at least done a little bit of good in his life. I hope that I might have planted a tiny seed in his heart that the LDS Church is a wonderful thing to be a part of. I was by no means perfect and I hope he doesn't look back and think of ME as the epitome of what a Mormon is, but instead remember a small moment in which I did the right thing.
The fact was, Matt was a Christian, non-Mormon and he had been taught his entire life that everyone was going to heaven except for the Mormons. It's sad how many churches there are out there that truly believe that. Matt and I were dating around this same time of the year as General Conference weekend came upon us a week or two after we had broken up. I invited him to turn on his TV that Saturday morning to watch a talk or two from our General Authorities. I didn't really think anything would come of it but he took up my offer and watched one talk. What happened next surprised me. He sent me a text that read something like this
"Do you guys really believe that families will be together in heaven forever?"
This took me aback. Of course we did! What would heaven be without your family? This one fact, the fact that people don't know that they will see their loved ones again hurts me more than anything. In the Church funerals are not dark and depressing events because we Know that our loved ones are happy and that we will be reunited with them as our own lives come to an end. This is not the end. This is simply a stepping stone in our eternal progression.
As I see my husband, my sons, my parents, grandparents, and siblings, I am filled with such an overwhelming joy in knowing that they are mine Forever. I haven't talked to Matt in at least five years, so I don't know what his life is like anymore. I fervently hope though, that as his life goes on and if he looses someone he loves, that he will be filled with comfort to know that he will see them again someday. I truly hope that you know it too.
"Do you guys really believe that families will be together in heaven forever?"
This took me aback. Of course we did! What would heaven be without your family? This one fact, the fact that people don't know that they will see their loved ones again hurts me more than anything. In the Church funerals are not dark and depressing events because we Know that our loved ones are happy and that we will be reunited with them as our own lives come to an end. This is not the end. This is simply a stepping stone in our eternal progression.
As I see my husband, my sons, my parents, grandparents, and siblings, I am filled with such an overwhelming joy in knowing that they are mine Forever. I haven't talked to Matt in at least five years, so I don't know what his life is like anymore. I fervently hope though, that as his life goes on and if he looses someone he loves, that he will be filled with comfort to know that he will see them again someday. I truly hope that you know it too.
"I have a family here on earth.
they are so good to me.
I want to share my life with them
through all eternity.
Families can be together forever
through Heavenly Father's plan.
I always want to be with my own family,
and the Lord has show me how I can.
The Lord has show me how I can."
- Families Can Be Together Forever
they are so good to me.
I want to share my life with them
through all eternity.
Families can be together forever
through Heavenly Father's plan.
I always want to be with my own family,
and the Lord has show me how I can.
The Lord has show me how I can."
- Families Can Be Together Forever