This is a guest post submitted by David T.
A friend, son of a former temple president, once shared something with me his father suggested to him, and I still mull over the implications.
“You know how before we came to this earth, we were all brothers and sisters, children of our Heavenly Father?”
Uh-huh.
“We were brothers and sisters to our parents, our grandparents and our children.”
Right.
“Well, once our missions on earth are over and we go back, do you think that dynamic has changed? That suddenly we’re parents and children to our brothers and sisters?”
Um . . . I don’t know.
“Well, this isn’t official, but doesn’t it make sense that once we go back, remembering everything, we’ll be brothers and sisters like before?”
What about families are forever?
“Let’s put it this way: In this earth life, we need each other to get back as close to Heavenly Father as we can ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù you can’t get there alone. But when you die, it’s going to be just you and the Lord there when you’re looking at your life.”
Okay.
“I don’t know. Just don’t be surprised if you’re still close to your parents and ancestors and children, but that the family structure you understand here might not be the same there.”
Every once in a while, a curve ball like that whizzes past me and makes me stop and think. Do I believe what he told me? I know him well enough to believe that’s what his father told him, and I believe if his father’s dwelling on it, there might be something to it. Does it affect my testimony? Not detrimentally. Does it change my opinion of the Plan of Salvation? A little, but not in such a way that it alters my behaviour or direction. When my friend first told this to me it was almost as if my perception was re-focused to a stronger clarity. I’m not saying I had a revelation, but I felt “empowered” and that feeling strengthened my testimony.
This is what the gospel does to me. Not often enough for my liking, and not causing me to go off into evangelical callisthenics (see “chicken dance”). But every once in a while, it provides me with a little surprise that edifies me and reaffirms my loyalty.
Ironic that you have posted this thought. I have always believed all these years that I got “sent” to the wrong family that a part of me has always been elsewhere and that I have been pulled in a different direction but I don’t know from who or what? Your post has made me think if that is correct and really I am pretty sure Heavenly Father does not make mistakes, then what will happen on resurrection day?
Rick eats his hat.