Today's Favorite Verse: Ephesians 3:15
"Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,"
Families in heaven? Just like we have on earth? Of course, it would not be heaven if we could not continue our family relationships in the next life. Not only that we enjoyed a great family relationship with our Heavenly Father in the world before we came to earth. We must live worthy in this life to have our family relationships continue in the next.
"The Lord went into the spirit world, himself, turned the key for the salvation of the dead and our elders when they pass to the next world, go into that world to continue their labors of preaching the gospel, bringing to repentance all who are willing to repent and receive the truth, that they might come into the kingdom of God or as Paul calls it, "the family of God in heaven and on earth" For it is the family of God. The kingdom of God will be one great family. We call ourselves brothers and sisters. In very deed we become joint heirs with Jesus Christ through the gospel of Jesus Christ, sons and daughters of God, and entitled to the fullness of the blessings of his kingdom if we will repent and keep these commandments."
(Joseph Fielding Smith, "Temple Work", Apr 1959 General Conference)
"I might have rendered a plainer translation to this, but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times."
(Doctrine and Covenants 128:18)
