Luke's Talk in Church before he leaves....

 

The Role of Families in Heavenly Father’s Plan

· Families are the central unit of God’s plan for us on earth.

· We had families before we came down to earth. This is meant to echo the perfect structure of families in Heaven

· We all know that families have imperfections and that is totally normal. There are no guarantees for families to be ideal or even functional

· Henry B. Eyring taught that families “give God’s children the best chance to be welcomed to the world with the only love on earth that comes close to what we felt in heaven – parental love.”

· God understands that we need help to return to his kingdom as families and to navigate worldly issues and circumstances. God sent his beloved son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us and heal our families. The adversary, or Satan, is trying in every single way to disrupt the family. The Savior provides protection and dominion over him

· Alma 37:44

· He sent latter day prophets with a proclamation to defend and strengthen families. When we follow the prophets and put our faith in the Savior, even though all mortal families fall short of the divine ideal, we can find hope and true eternal happiness in heaven and also here on earth.

· Russell M. Nelson – “When the focus of our lives is on God’s Plan of Salvation and Jesus Christ and his gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening or not happening in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him. He is the source of all joy.”
“If we look to the world, we will never know joy. Joy is the gift that comes from intentionally trying to live a righteous life, as taught by Jesus Christ.”

· What I love most about this gospel is that no matter how far you stray, what mistakes or addictions you may have, Heavenly Father’s arms are always open to us. His love is everlasting.

· In Elder Neil A. Anderson’s General Conference talk in Oct. 2019 entitled “Fruit,” he speaks of this beautiful doctrinal truth. He said “If you have been without the fruit of the tree for some time, please know that the Savior’s arms are always outstretched to you. He lovingly beckons, “Repent and come unto me.” His fruit is plentiful and always in season. It cannot be purchased with money, and no one who honestly desire it is denied.”

· So what is this Plan of Salvation that our Heavenly Father has for us?

· Brian K. Ashton in a talked called “The Father,” said “In our pre-mortal life, we were born as spirits to Heavenly parents and lived with them as a family. They knew us, taught us, and loved us. We wanted very much to be like our Heavenly Father. However to do so, we recognized that we would have to:

1. Obtain a glorified immortal, physical bodies

2. Be married and form families by the sealing power of the Priesthood

3. Acquire all the knowledge, power and divine attributes

· “Consequently, the Father created a plan that would allow us, upon certain conditions, to obtain physical bodies that would become immortal and glorified in the resurrection; marry and form families in mortality or, for the faithful who did not have this opportunity, after mortality; progress toward perfection; and ultimately return to our Heavenly parents and live with them and our families in a state of exaltation and eternal happiness.”

· This Plan of Salvation is what we all agreed to when it was presented to us. How do I know this to be true? We are all here on earth today. Living out this plan. Each of us chose and accepted the conditions of this plan, including the experiences and challenges of mortality that would help us develop divine attributes.

· The reason I love this gospel so much is because of the emphasis and importance put on eternal families. Not till death do us part.

· My family is everything to me, and so this amazing truth that families can be together forever brings me so much joy.

· I have felt the benefits and amazing qualities of families in my life and what they teach me.

· My mom has taught me through her example, how to be selfless and empathetic to everyone around her. She never judges people and puts others before herself always.

· My dad shows e hard work, resilience, and how to put the Lord first despite any trials or difficulties going on in our lives

· My sister Emma is the most determined and diligent person I know. She radiates beauty inside and out, and is also the most competitive person.

· My brother Gavin shows me strength. He always has a calm and unphased demeanor. He is NEVER afraid to stand up for what he believes in and does not care what other people think of him.

· My sister Eva is the most caring and full of love person I know. She always knows when you need a hug, and is so empathetic and caring toward all people she is like a magnet to all people around her.

· Last but not least my sister Eliza. She is my best bud, and is so so smart. She is so beyond her years and is completely independent. She is strong willed, talented, and a joy to be around. And she’s completely sarcastic and is pretty much a teenager.

· I can’t even fathom not having my family. And that’s what is amazing about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I don’t have to fathom not having my family because families are forever. This is why I got to church, read my scriptures, woke up every morning bright and early for seminary in high school, fulfill my church callings, keep my standards, and most importantly, why I am serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

· I have been called to serve by my Savior in order to bring his children the good news. That Christ lives, and through him we can find peace in a turbulent world, find answers to the struggles and questions we have, find hope and meaning to this life, and live with our Heavenly Father in the Celestial kingdom as families.

· D&C 20:13-17

· D&C 109:76

· I am so thankful for our Savior and the ultimate sacrifice he made to atone for our sins. I’m grateful for the true gospel in these latter days. I’m grateful for the Spirit and the guiding and confirming power it brings. I’m grateful for this beautifully orchestrated plan that our Heavenly Father has for us to gain experience, receive our physical bodies, and become more like him as we are sealed to our eternal families.

· The Lord never leaves us, gives us hope when we make every single mistake, little or big, and all he asks of us is to repent and do our very best to become better.

· TESTIMONY