Families Can Be Together Forever

The family bonds you form in this life can last beyond death. Strengthening your relationship with God can lead to stronger relationships with your family.
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A family enjoys their time together as they walk down a sidewalk.

Families Are Central to God’s Plan

As your loving Father in Heaven, God wants you to learn and grow in life. Families play a crucial role in that growth. We believe:
  • Families are a central building block of a strong society.
  • Home can be a place where we feel support, safety, and love.
  • Connecting with God helps create strong families where spiritual, emotional, and physical needs are met.
A mother bakes cookies with her three children in the kitchen.

You Can Be with Your Family Forever

If your family is a great source of love and joy in your life, it might be hard to imagine heaven without relationships with those people. Part of the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that families can be together forever.

In the Bible, Jesus gave the Twelve Apostles priesthood authority, promising that “whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven” (Matthew 18:18). That same authority from God unites—or seals—husbands and wives and parents and children together for eternity.

Family life in Hong Kong. Images include: Family at ocean, laughing together, reading, praying, playing games etc.
Marriage ceremonies are performed in temples by this same authority with the promise that the marriages of those who are faithful to God and each other can last for eternity instead of ending at death.

We perform these same sealing ceremonies on behalf of our ancestors, who we believe can choose to accept or reject the sealings.

Family relationships and circumstances can be complicated, and we don’t know exactly how everything will work out in the next life. But we have faith in God’s perfect wisdom and love, and we believe that heaven will be a place of unimaginable joy.

You Can Find Help to Strengthen Your Family

Julie Hillyard On Family
Julie Hillyard on family relationships
Finding Joy in a Family That Looks Different
Loving family relationships are most likely to be achieved when founded on the principles Jesus Christ taught, such as:
  • Charity
  • Forgiveness
  • Honesty
  • Gratitude
  • Prayer
  • Worshipping together
As your family draws closer to God through these habits, you will draw closer to each other.

Because we believe families are so important in this life and the next, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints works hard to support healthy family relationships. Here are a few ways you can find support for your family.

Church Resources for Families

The Church offers resources for individuals and families to use while they study the gospel of Jesus Christ. These study resources provide you with opportunities to apply what you learn and increase your faith. The principles are reinforced each week at church.

Access the study plans, called Come, Follow Me.
The Church’s youth programs support parents in teaching Christlike values to their children, and they allow teenagers to connect with others who share similar values. Some of the opportunities for youth include:
  • Religion classes
  • Weekly youth-group activities
  • Service projects
  • Dances
  • Summer camps
  • Conferences
Home evening is a tradition where families are encouraged to dedicate one night a week to spending time together. This could mean studying the gospel, playing games, enjoying food, and participating in other activities that build unity. Whatever works best for your family is great! The important thing is to make quality family time a priority. This may also be a time to gather with friends, neighbors, and members of your congregation.
Church members are assigned to minister to a few people within their congregations. When we minister to others, we try to serve them as the Savior would. This ensures that all members of the congregation have someone looking out for them and someone they can turn to if they need anything. For example, a ministering brother or sister might offer transportation to church, arrange for meals to be brought over when a family has a new baby, or simply be a friendly face in the pews.
If families or individuals struggle to provide for their needs, the Church’s welfare program can help with resources such as groceries. The Church’s employment services can assist people in finding a new job or improving job-seeking skills. We offer Church-sponsored classes, which are open to all, on personal finance, emotional resilience, and starting a business.
Every individual is part of the family of our heavenly parents. Not everyone who goes to church lives with family, but everyone can find spiritual support and community at church. Single adults can choose to worship in a congregation that includes families and children—or, in some areas of the world, they may attend a congregation specifically for single adults in their age group. Attending religion classes and social activities specific to single adults can provide unique opportunities for friendship and spiritual development.

Let’s Talk About Family

Church can help you strengthen your family and preserve precious relationships for eternity. You can learn more by talking with missionaries online or in person.
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