January 28, 2017....." The Eternal Family is Part of God's Plan"

     So what is God's Plan?  I opened up my son's Preach My Gospel book that he used on his mission and above the chapter heading of "The Plan of Salvation", my son had in quotations, "The Happy Plan".  I believe God's Plan truly is the happy plan.  Have you ever wondered, where you came from, why you are here on earth and where you are going after death?  God's Plan enables us to become like Him. be perfected through the Atonement and live in his presence forever.

     Eternal marriage is part of God's Plan. "Latter-day scripture and the words of latter-day prophets teach us that not only are covenant marriages intended to last beyond the grave, but so can sibling and family relationships endure across generations." (Smith 1955, p.84)  This is fantastic!  We can be together forever!

A litter more about me:

     Sometimes things don't go as planned.  I was first married at the age of 18 to my college sweetheart.  He was a convert to the church and still learning about the gospel. I had high hopes that he would continue his learning and that our temple marriage would only grow stronger as we both grew together in the gospel. I prayed for this marriage to work.  After 18 years, I conceded the fight, took my 3 children and left.  This was my "Eternal Marriage", it wasn't supposed to fail.  Thus began my journey.  As I healed, I continued to raise my children in the church, giving them the consistency of the gospel and surrounding them with a ward family who loved them.

     I often pondered over the years about my eternal marriage that was still intact.  I still took my covenants seriously as I attended the temple alone and with family and I prayed that I would find someone who took his covenants seriously also.

President Spencer W. Kimball taught:

     “Now, since life is eternal—and that is absolutely certain—true marriage must also be eternal. It is a most important event and a most necessary one. Marriage by civil officers or local leaders is “till death do you part,” and terminates with death. Only celestial marriage extends beyond the grave. Celestial marriage is performed in holy temples erected and dedicated for that special purpose. Only such marriage transcends the grave and perpetuates the husband/wife and parent/child relationships.

     That's the type of marriage I want and will have, a celestial marriage.

 

January 25, 2017..."Sharing and Defending the Proclamation"

           Elder Ballard said, “I testify, there is not greater goal in mortality than to live eternity with our Heavenly Parents and our beloved Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, but it is more than just our goal—it is also Their goal.  They have a perfect love for us, more powerful than we can even begin to comprehend.  They are totally, completely, eternally aligned with us.  We are Their work.  Our glory is Their glory.  More than anything else, They want us to come home—to return and to receive eternal happiness in Their presence.”

            It is no wonder that God gave us families to help us both (God and us) to accomplish the goal of living eternally with our Heavenly Parents.  It is no wonder that we are Their work when our own families are our work.  It is no wonder that They want us to come home and experience that celestial glory They want for us ALL. I emphasize ALL because of something Spencer W. Kimball said, “The Family: The Proclamation to the World” should motivate us not only to apply true principles to protect our own families, but it should also move us to share these principles with others”.  (Successful Marriages and Families, A. Hawkins, p.354)

            When my oldest son was on a mission, one of his good friends started investigating the church.  The elders teaching him asked if they could teach him in our home, which I gladly consented to.  Before each lesson, I would pray for guidance and inspiration that if I was called upon to help teach, I would know the right things to say.  It was near the end of his lessons and a baptism date had been set, but his parents were threatening to disown him.  He was distraught and stressed with worry.  He said his parents thought the missionaries were brainwashing him and trying to take him away from his family.  The elders turned to me for help and immediately I was prompted to look on the wall behind where they sat.  There was my framed copy of the Proclamation.  I asked the elders to read it for me. I then turned to my sons’ friend and told him that God’s Eternal Plan is centered around the family and in this document, we read how much He loves the family and we as members of the church would never do anything that would jeopardize the family, including his.  I asked him to please take it home and share with his parents in hopes that they would know that their family is also important to God.  He did, and was eventually baptized.  Although his parents didn’t attend, the fact that they supported him was enough.

            The Proclamation was given to us as members of the church and all the world, to help defend the family.  It is our ammunition when we are under attack, it is our testimony when someone has questions, it is our revelation from God in which he makes known how important the family is to Him.  President Boyd K. Packer called it “revelatory” and “scripturelike” in is power”. (Successful Marriages and Families, A. Hawkins, p. 358)

January 21, 2017...."The Family: A Proclamation to the World"

Hello, my name is Sherri Scatena and I have created a blog for my BYUi Marriage and Family Course.  I'm excited to share the things I have learned with whoever reads this but most of all my testimony that the family truly is ordained of God and central to His plan.

            I am a mother of 6 children, 3 being my own and 3 I've blessed with through a second marriage.    I hate the term "Stepmother" because it reminds me of the mean stepmother in the moving Cinderella.  My oldest stepson, Elder Chandler Scatena has always called me "Step monster" as a joke but I'm beginning to wonder. I love my blended family, extended family and the family yet to come.  I can't imagine my life without them, let alone eternity. 

            In 1995, President Gordon B. Hinckley read this profound declaration at the General Relief Society Meeting.  I remember at the time, I was a divorced, single mother of my son, Queston.  We were living on the Church Ranch in Florida where my Dad was one of the managers.  I remember my first thought was one of sadness for not having a husband by my side to help me raise and nurture my son.  As I prayed about it that night, I had an overwhelming feeling of peace and comfort for my situation.  I knew then that this was true revelation from the Lord about His plan for eternal families.

I share with you the reading of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World".  Enjoy!