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Our belief about Eternal Life (life our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ forever) includes being with our families forever. This is one of my greatest sources of joy, realizing that there is a way to be with my family forever. It is, however, not an automatic, because the marriages and the binding of the children must be performed as prescribed by God, himself. It is a blessing that is reserved for those who become his true followers and who live worthy of such a lofty blessing. It also involves entering into sacred covenants which are performed by those holding the "keys of the kingdom" as was given by the Lord to Peter as he told him: 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:19) These keys were restored to the earth in these "latter days" along with the instruction to build holy temples in which these sacred ordinances were performed. We now know that this "binding on earth that which will be bound in heaven" has to do with binding families together forever. These binding covenants are performed in the temples for those who have demonstrated a willingness and ability to find, accept and live by the restored true gospel of Jesus Christ.
My explanation as to how one can look forward to all of the eternal blessings that our Heavenly Father has to offer including eternal families in spite of divorce or other reasons that complete families are not formed here in this life has as a prerequisite the acceptance and following the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. All are invited to:
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" (Matthew 7:7)
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. " (James 1:5)
I must caution you that this is not that easy of a course: "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."(Matthew 7:14) But it is a good way of life and offers eternal success: "But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever." (Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 9:18)
Sincerely,
Donny Osmond
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