Save Families, Not Just Ourselves

I knew who she was and I knew who she married, but for 20 years, I could not find any evidence of  my great aunt Evelyn.  Last night that changed.  I put her name into the search engine for the 100th plus time, and this time, something came up.  Aevelyn.  I checked the data and sure enough, that was her!  What had separated me from my great-aunt, for 20 years , was a single misplaced vowel.  Along with finding her, I discovered her siblings and parents.  One single mistake had prevented me from completing the temple work for an entire family.

I was searching for an individual, in the end, what I found was a family.  In a talk published in the Eternal Marriage Student manual, Elder Hales tells us that when we work to meet the needs of an individual, we must also do it with extended family in mind.


Elder Robert D. Hales
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
In Conference Report, Oct. 1996, 86–90; or Ensign, Nov. 1996, 64–68
The Doctrine of Eternal Families

Save Families, Not Just Ourselves
While our individual salvation is based on our individual obedience, it is equally important that we understand that we are each an important and integral part of a family and that the highest blessings can be received only within an eternal family. When families are functioning as designed by God, the relationships found therein are the most valued of mortality. The plan of the Father is that family love and companionship will continue into the eternities. Being one in a family carries a great responsibility of caring, loving, lifting, and strengthening each member of the family so that all can righteously endure to the end in mortality and dwell together throughout eternity. It is not enough just to save ourselves. It is equally important that parents, brothers, and sisters are saved in our families. If we return home alone to our Heavenly Father, we will be asked, “Where is the rest of the family?” This is why we teach that families are forever. The eternal nature of an individual becomes the eternal nature of the family. (Eternal Marriage Student Manual. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 2003. pg 102 ) http://www.ldsces.org/inst_manuals/marriage35311000/start_here.pdf