I went to the temple today. During the endowment session I was thinking about Adam and Eve. I knew that Adam and Eve came from "amongst our midst" in the preexistence.
They were together as they entered this world. I have thought, especially lately, that Marianne and I were also together before we entered this world. Even that each of us (our family) knew each other and have covenanted to achieve exaltation together. I have been studying this and have come across the following teachings. Here are some of them. I might make some italicized comments here and there.
President Kimball:
It is said that the very hairs of your head are all numbered; is it not to teach us that nothing, not the smallest things imaginable, happen to us by chance?
But if the smallest things we can conceive of are declared to be under the divine direction, need we, or can we, be more plainly taught that the greatest things of life, such as the manner of our coming into the world, our parents, the time, and other circumstances of our birth and condition, are all according to the eternal purposes, direction, and appointment of divine Providence?It seems appropriate at this point, with respect to a discussion of fathers and children, to quote Moroni's version of Malachi and ask who the fathers might be in the statements on fathers and children: "Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet. . . . And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming" (Joseph Smith—History 1:38–39).
Why would it be wasted? Because the great premortal arrangements for the eternal sealing of loved ones to each other and to the Gods would not be realized if our hearts did not turn us to fulfill the premortal promises made among the fathers and children leading to the eternal sealing of these people. It was for this purpose that the earth was created, and without those sealings, the earth's purpose would be for nothing.Since much of what we experience here on earth was spiritually created in the premortal world, we might see that, in the premortal world, those who would be earthly children and parents entered into covenants with other spirits in order to be saved and also to have a saving relationship with them. Joseph Smith said, "God is Good & all his acts are for the benefit of inferior intelligences."10 If the desire to bless other intelligences was true of God, it was also true of many in the house of Israel—the greater lights would bless the lesser lights so that all might be together in eternity (Abraham 3:18; D&C 88:44).
It is likely that many of the premortal house of Israel, that is, that many of us, entered into covenants with those who would be our ancestors as well as with those who would be our posterity. We did this for the express purpose of having a saving influence in both directions—on our ancestors through work for the dead and on our posterity through nurturing work for the living, all under the continuing direction of the great Redeemer.It would have been hard for me to realize that Marianne and I had made covenants to each other and to you when we first got married. However looking back I am certain that Marianne and I being sealed in the temple was the beginning of fulfilling covenants we had made together before this life. I am sure of it. I am sure that Katherine and Bobby, Richard and Kristy, and Julia and Grant are fulfilling the same kind of covenants, That Maggie and Annie will have the same oppurtunities.Likely our own labors with many spirits commenced in the spirit world, our hearts being bound together in love from our associations through eons. (That means a long, long time.) There we received specific missions to perform a saving work for those with whom we covenanted in the premortal world. Genealogical chains of parents and children were formed, specifically arranged to promote a variety of the Lord's saving purposes. The plan seemed to be that each of the premortal house of Israel would, as part of their progress toward godhood, experience being redeemed by mortal and immortal beings and also learn the role of redeemer; each would be labored with until he or she could labor with others. The redeemed would become the redeemers. To each of us covenant people it would be said, "Freely ye have received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8).Godhood is the fulfillment of the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood and the New and Everlasting Covenant (DC 84). We can receive all that the Father has.President Joseph F. Smith, himself a man of deep family feeling, also taught on the feelings of the departed spirits and their nearness to us:
Sometimes the Lord expands our vision from this point of view and this side of the veil, that we feel and seem to realize that we can look beyond the thin veil which separates us from that other sphere. If we can see, by the enlightening influence of the Spirit of God and through the words that have been spoken by the holy prophets of God, beyond the veil that separates us from the spirit world, surely those who have passed beyond, can see more clearly through the veil back here to us than it is possible for us to see them from our sphere of action. I believe we move and have our being in the presence of heavenly messengers and of heavenly beings. We are not separated from them. We begin to realize more and more fully, as we become acquainted with the principles of the gospel, as they have been revealed anew in this dispensation, that we are closely related to our kindred, to our ancestors, to our friends and associates and co-laborers who have preceded us into the spirit world. We cannot forget them; we do not cease to love them; we always hold them in our hearts, in memory, and thus we are associated and united to them by ties we cannot break. . . . [They] can see us better than we can see them— . . . they know us better than we know them. They have advanced; we are advancing; we are growing as they have grown; we are reaching the goal that they have attained unto; and therefore, I claim that we live in their presence, they see us, they are solicitous for our welfare, they love us now more than ever.I know how hard it is for all of you. But there is comfort to be found. It is in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our beautiful Marianne I promise is in our midst and she loves us more than ever.I also learned something else on another visit to the temple. Your Mom was preparing you and I for the last year and a half or so before she left us. I could name so many things that your Mom did to make it now so obvious. Yet she didn’t know. It came to me in the temple that her Mom was leading and guiding her. Just as Marianne didn’t know what her Mom was doing for her, we don’t know in the present what your Mom is doing for us. Yet as we look back we will understand.I read through some notes from a talk that your Mom gave to the Stake Relief Society in Huntington Beach. It was mostly about losing her Mom and the Plan of Salvation. The last note was that looking back her Mom was always there for her when she needed her.I promise youi that she is involved with each one of us. She is with us, more than we can possibly realize.From time to time thoughts will come into your mind and you will realize that it came from your Mom.I went to bed late the other night and Maggie had left a note on my pillow. She had a hard time thinking about your Mom and things and was very sad. In the note she told me that a song that she sang in choir that everytime Marianne heard she would cry came into her mind. The song gave her comfort and she wanted to share it with me. So she cued up the song on my CD player in our bedroom and suggested I listen to it before I went to bed. Although I cried during the song I knew that Marianne was concerned for us and loves us.Remember when I had that terrible day when I was home alone and I just couldn’t be comforted. The thought came to me to look towards the bookshelf and my eye immediately caught the book “Adversity.” When I opened the book Marianne had written on six little sheets of paper serving as bookmarks a description of each story. It was then that I realized that Marianne was with me and that a trial like this can tutor us to become more like the Savior and bring us closer to our Father in Heaven.This is an amazing thing that has happened to our family. I know it’s hard, but I also kinow that this is part of Heavenly Father’s plan for us. I am confident that we understood what our circumstances would be in this life when we were in His presence.We can be with your Mom and you can also be with your spouses and children forever.How can we possibly comprehend what it means to be given “ all that the Father has.”I pray that we will be faithful. There are many on both sides of the veil praying for our welfare. I can feel it. Love you guys. Can’t wait till Julia and Grant’s wedding when we will all be together again. That includes your beautiful Mom.By the way, Frannie asked to talk to me today. Pretty cool.Love Dad
What a great day. We had such a great time with all of you guys. The weather was perfect. Even though mom wasn't there in a mortal body, I am sure that she was there with us laughing crying and maybe even being a little ireverant ha ha. Welcome to the family Grant We love you man. You hurt herand I will kill you jk. But seriously
ity of elevated exalted feeling which would lift my soul from the transitory things of this grovelling sphere and expand it as the ocean. I felt that God was my Heavenly Father, indeed that Jesus was my brother, and that the wife of my bosom was an immortal eternal companion, a kind ministering angel given to me as a comfort and a crown of glory forever and ever, in short I could now love with the spirit and with the uinderstanding also.
Yesterday I was yelling at my kids for some reason. I think Sophie was poking poor sick Franny in the face and I was getting tired of telling her to stop and I lost my patience. I got up to leave the room and Franny said, "Bye Dinosaur Mommy."
I AM SO PROUD OF YOU. YOU ARE THE BEST. YOU ARE MY FAVORITE FOUR YEAR OLD IN THE WHOLE WORLD. HAVE A GREAT BIRTHDAY. LOVE GRANDPA
