Heavenly Father’s Plan for Families
The teachings, ordinances, and covenants of the temple bless all the families of the earth.
Illustrations by Shawna Tenney
Recently, Sister Uchtdorf and I attended the baptism of one of our great-grandchildren. As we watched multiple generations joyfully celebrate this event, we felt deep gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His plan of salvation for His children. We sensed how important family and sacred covenants have been to Him since the very beginning.
That importance can be seen in the Old Testament account of faithful Jacob, who took a long and strenuous journey to find a wife, marry in the covenant, and establish a family.
One evening, Jacob stopped to rest for the night but found only stones for his pillow. He must have been very tired, because he still managed to fall asleep—and had a dream.
Jacob saw “a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
“And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac” (Genesis 28:12–13).
The Lord then made some important covenant promises to Jacob—promises He had also made with Jacob’s father and grandfather, Isaac and Abraham, including:
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Promises that Jacob would become the father of “a multitude of people” (Genesis 28:3, 14).
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A promised land for Jacob’s posterity (see Genesis 28:4, 13).
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Promises that through Jacob and his “seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 28:14; emphasis added).
So sacred was Jacob’s experience that he declared, “Surely the Lord is in this place. … This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:16–17). And so, Jacob named the area Beth-el, which means “house of God” (see Genesis 28:19, footnote a).
Temples are a lot like that ladder Jacob saw. The teachings, ordinances, and covenants of the house of the Lord connect heaven and earth. The covenants could be compared to rungs on a ladder that draw us closer to the Lord. And through our service in holy temples, we bless “all the families of the earth”—past, present, and future.
A Happy View of Heaven
Elder Bruce C. Hafen, an emeritus member of the Seventy, once received a phone call from the editor of a national news magazine to talk about a book that explored the history of beliefs about heaven across different religions.
“The authors found that the public feels a widespread hunger for heaven—families in heaven,” Elder Hafen said. But “most Christian churches offer little response to this inner hunger”—with one exception: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In the Savior’s restored Church, we have sacred temples. We have eternal marriage, with sealing authority that blesses beyond physical death. We have the promise of an eternal future with loved ones in the presence of the Father and the Son. Given all of this, the authors concluded that the Latter-day Saint concept of heaven is the most complete—and, I would add, the happiest.
As President Russell M. Nelson has taught, “The Lord … created the earth that we could gain physical bodies and form families. He established His Church to exalt families. He provides temples so that families can be together forever.”
Defending the Family
It shouldn’t surprise us that something so important to God’s plan would face opposition. President M. Russell Ballard (1928–2023) said, “Satan knows that the surest and most effective way to disrupt the Lord’s work is to diminish the effectiveness of the family and the sanctity of the home.”
Knowing what we know, we should be among the world’s most diligent defenders of the family.
How do we do this?
We can do “small and simple things” (Alma 37:6) that strengthen family relationships. This includes following the principles outlined in the family proclamation: “faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.” Regardless of your current family situation, you can show by your actions that family relationships are eternally important to you.
By living, defending, and sharing the eternal truths about families, we can help others see that “the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children” and that “holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.”
The Chosen One, by Dan Wilson
“I Am with Thee”
When Sister Uchtdorf and I watch our family members make sacred covenants with our loving, eternal Heavenly Father, our hearts fill with joy and gratitude. We rejoice not only in our children and their children but also in our parents and their parents. We ponder with profound love how gospel covenants unite us across generations.
The blessings the Lord promised to Abraham, Isaac, and to Jacob in his dream have everything to do with families. And they extend to all His covenant children—including you and me. “Behold,” the Lord said, “I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, … for I will not leave thee” (Genesis 28:15).
I promise that as you follow and share our Heavenly Father’s plan for families, He will be with you, especially when trials come to you or to your loved ones. He will carry you, lift you up, and lead you to a fulness of joy with Him, with His Son Jesus Christ, and with your family—eternally.