Spirit daughters and sons of God watch and wait, for physical bodies and mortal experiences are God’s intent for His children. A veil of forgetting tests these earthly inhabitants’ loyalty to their Father. Years, decades, centuries march on as they subdue, control, and consume the Earth’s bountiful resources. Happiness and prosperity are their frequent companions; but also temptation, sin, vice, disease, war, destruction, death, and misery. The choices and consequences of men and women injure and oppress the once paradisiacal planet.

A seer, who watches the Earth through the eons of its existence and hears its groans from pain and weariness, cries out, “O Lord, wilt thou not have compassion upon the earth?” “When shall the earth rest?” (Moses 7:49, 58).

The Creator whispers hope and assures the seer:

And the day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve;

And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem. . . .

Then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there, and we will receive them into our bosom, and they shall see us; and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other;

And there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion, which shall come forth out of all the creations which I have made; and for the space of a thousand years the earth shall rest (Moses 7:61–64).

The thousand-year rest is preparatory, fortifying; for the ultimate destiny of God’s Earth requires cleansing, purging, purification:

The earth shall be rolled together as a scroll, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat” (Mormon 9:2).

It must needs be sanctified from all unrighteousness, that it may be prepared for the celestial glory;

For after it hath filled the measure of its creation, it shall be crowned with glory, even with the presence of God the Father;

That bodies who are of the celestial kingdom may possess it forever and ever; for, for this intent was it made and created, and for this intent are they sanctified. . . .

The earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law—

Wherefore, it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it is quickened. (Doctrine and Covenants 88:18–20, 25–26)

Through apocalyptic death and glorious resurrection, the Earth becomes a New Heaven and a New Earth, a “sea of glass and fire, where all things” are manifest “past, present, and future, and are continually before the Lord,” a sanctified orb of revelation (Doctrine and Covenants 130:7).

The story is not fantasy; it is prophecy. The great prophets Isaiah and John the Revelator saw this destiny for the earth.

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. . . .

For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord. (Isaiah 65:17–18; 66:22)

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away. (Revelation 21:1)

God revealed the destiny of the earth to other prophets:

And there shall be a new heaven and a new earth; and they shall be like unto the old save the old have passed away, and all things have become new. (Ether 13:9)

And also that of element shall melt with fervent heat; and all things shall become new, that my knowledge and glory may dwell upon all the earth. (Doctrine and Covenants 101:25)

The earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory. (Article of Faith 1:10)

In its transformed and glorified state, the New Heaven and New Earth is a celestial and eternal abode for God and His Son.

It is a fantastic story that can be believed. Beautiful Earth was created for each of God’s children by a loving Heavenly Father. When it completes the “measure of its creation,” it will receive its eternal reward of rebirth and eternal life.

Every person experiences tribulation of some kind during life. Although difficult or painful, trials are an essential part of the earthly experience God intended for each of His children.

Tribulation Comes as Part of the Gift of Agency

Agency is the ability and freedom to choose good or evil. Latter-day Saints believe that the ability to choose is God-given, a fundamental part of His plan of salvation and happiness for His children.

Each of us faces tests to our morals, principles, and commitments. We encounter temptations and tribulation. Because of agency we are able to choose what we will do or say in each experience we have. With freedom of choice comes responsibility for our choices. We can make choices, but our choices are connected to consequences that affect not only us but other people.

We can learn from our choices and their consequences. “The knowledge that our Father lets us taste the bitter precisely so we can prize the good should be a source of courage and good cheer to those who, in their yearning to become like him, seek to do all they can do” (Bruce C. Hafen, The Broken Heart: Applying the Atonement to Life’s Experiences (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1989), 139).

God’s Law of Opposition

All inhabitants of the earth experience times of tribulation as a result of Adam and Eve’s choice to partake of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden.

And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. . . .

And [Adam and Eve] would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin (2 Nephi 2:22–23).

The role of opposition in life is explained in a passage in the Book of Mormon: “For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so . . . righteousness could not be brought to pass. . . . And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery” (2 Nephi 2:11, 13).

Opposition allows God’s children to learn to treasure the good in life. “As surely as the dark gives meaning to the dawn, so does pain give meaning to pleasure, and sorrow to joy. All that we love, all that we strive for, all that we relish, we know only by contrast”< (Terryl Givens and Fiona Givens, The God Who Weeps: How Mormonism Makes Sense of Life ([Salt Lake City]: Ensign Peak, 2012), 33).

Latter-day Saints believe that life’s tribulations are evidence of a loving Father in Heaven who helps His children to develop spiritual strength and Christ-like qualities. In a compelling revelation given to Joseph Smith while he was persecuted and imprisoned in Liberty Jail, the Lord described harrowing tribulation that Joseph was enduring and concluded with the lesson “know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?” (Doctrine and Covenants 122:7–8).

Jesus Christ Teaches about Tribulation

Jesus understands the trials and tribulations of earthlife. His mortal life was a perfect example of tribulation well endured. Latter-day Saints believe that Jesus Christ suffered every feeling of pain, sorrow, despair, loneliness, and temptation that anyone has ever felt so that he would be able to succor them.  This He did in the Garden of Gethsemane. (See Alma 7:11–13.)

During some of His last moments with His disciples, Jesus told them He would soon die and be resurrected. In an effort to give them peace and hope about his departure, He told them: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Turn to the Lord for Help During Tribulation

Moses promised the Israelites that “When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; . . . he will not forsake thee” (Deuteronomy 4:30). Latter-day Saints believe the same promise applies to anyone who turns to the Lord for help and strives to become better at becoming more like the Savior.

Because of their increased or intensified prayers to God for relief and direction during times of tribulation, God’s children often feel His love more abundantly.

The apostle Paul wrote that “tribulation worketh patience” (Romans 5:3). Latter-day Saints believe that hard experiences refine each of us spiritually when we keep our faith in Jesus Christ. Like heat tempers glass or fire refines gold, we can become stronger and purified through the intensity of life’s difficulties.

Jesus Christ’s counsel to His disciples, as recorded in John 16:33, also remind us that these difficult times are only small moments in the span of eternity. We are assured that because Christ overcame the tribulation of mortality, we will also.

Additional Insights:

Faith Through Tribulation Brings Peace and Joy

But the two quotations represent a paradox, because life is not trouble free. How do you feel joy or happiness when you experience adversity?

When I was going through an acute trial in my life many years ago, a friend said to me, “You’re being spiritually refined. So don’t resent it.” His counsel had a profound effect on me. I no longer saw what I was going through as arbitrary or destructive. I knew I could come through my ordeal a stronger, wiser person. Rather than feel that my Heavenly Father had rejected me or forgotten me, I felt closer to Him. I felt Him teaching and helping me. I felt His love and His attention. And I actually felt protected by Him. I could separate myself from the experience: I was not the pain I was going through; but I could use the pain to grow.

Elder Richard G. Scott said, “Sadness, disappointment, and severe challenge are events in life, not life itself.” He also said that we are here on the earth “for a divine purpose. It is not to be endlessly entertained or to be constantly in full pursuit of pleasure.”

Opposition In Life

The Book of Mormon teaches that “there must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things” (2 Nephi 2:11). When we know sickness, we better appreciate when we are well. When we are without enough money for our needs, we appreciate more when we have plenty.

Terryl and Fiona Givens explain this opposition: “As surely as the dark gives meaning to the dawn, so does pain give meaning to pleasure, and sorrow to joy. All that we love, all that we strive for, all that we relish, we know only by contrast” (Terryl Givens and Fiona Givens, The God Who Weeps: How Mormonism Makes Sense of Life ([Salt Lake City]: Ensign Peak, 2012), 33.).

“Come What May, and Love It”

Elder Joseph F. Wirthlin said that when he was young, he sometimes expressed disappointments to his mother and she often told him, “Come what may, and love it.” Applying her counsel throughout his life, he learned:

In spite of discouragement and adversity, those who are happiest seem to have a way of learning from difficult times, becoming stronger, wiser, and happier as a result. . . . If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness.

The apostle Paul expressed a similar understanding that he gleaned from his life:

I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (1 Philippians 4:11–13).

Choosing Joy

Joy and happiness, then, become a choice for each of us. There are times when joy is easier to feel, but it is possible under any circumstance.

Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend . . . when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth. (Sarah Ban Breathnach in John Cook, comp., The Book of Positive Quotations, 2nded. (2007), 342, as quoted in Thomas S. Monson, “Finding Joy in the Journey, Ensign, November 2008.)

Actions that Foster Joy

From that difficult experience almost twenty years ago till now, I have discovered activities that bring me joy, almost instantly:

Gratitude. Whether I write a thank you card, make a list, or express thanks in prayer to Heavenly Father, daily expressions of gratitude help me see my abundance and recognize goodness all around me. The more I express, the greater my joy.

Service. The late President Gordon B. Hinckley, late president of The Church of Jesus Christ, said that when he felt like giving up on his full-time proselyting mission in England, his father advised him to “Forget yourself and go to work.” Any time I set aside my problems and go do something for someone else, I feel joy. Sometimes the service is simply smiling at someone. Sometimes it is helping someone with a difficult task. Whatever I do for someone else, service is always a balm.

Creation. Any time I create something, I feel joy. One year I felt like my life was drudgery and all I accomplished was going to work every day. I decided to start sewing so that I could look back on the year and see tangible evidence that I had done more than make a living. It was a very fulfilling year. Other acts of creation— such as gardening, painting, writing, or cooking—help me feel joy.

Prayer. The apostle Paul said it well when he said “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Praying to Heavenly Father for guidance and comfort has consistently helped me. Connected to praying is making an effort to do the will of God, which included obeying His commandments and trying to live a good life.

At the end of a long life, full of marriage, children, military service, work dedicated to the study of ancient civilizations and languages, travel, and professional accolades, an acquaintance said at the end of his life that he had figured it out:  Life is all about joy. He was right. Life is about joy—finding it, creating it, sharing it, and thanking God for it.

Most members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called the Mormon Church) will recognize this as an object lesson on the resurrection. Every human being is comprised of a physical body (the glove) and a spirit (the hand). When we die, the spirit leaves the body (remove the glove), which causes the body (the glove) to lose its source of life: the spirit (the hand). Through resurrection, body and spirit are reunited to live forever in perfected form, never to die again.

Jesus Christ, the First to Be Resurrected

The resurrection of all God’s children—every person who has lived, is living, or will yet live—is made possible through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In our premortal life with our Heavenly Father, Jesus was designated as the Savior who would redeem us from the effects of the fall of Adam—which brought mortality, sin, and death into the world. Jesus declared that He would lay down His life and take it up again. (See John 10:15–18.)

The New Testament records several accounts of those who saw the resurrected Lord; for instance:

• Mary Magdalene (John 20:16–17)

• Other women (Mark 16:1)

• His apostles (Matthew 28:16–19; Luke 24:42–43; John 20:26–28; John 21:1–24)

• Peter (1 Corinthians 15:5)

• Five hundred men (1 Corinthians 15:6)

• James (1 Corinthians 15:7)

• Paul (1 Corinthians 15:8)

• Stephen (Acts 7:55)

Christ also visited the Nephites (3 Nephi 11 through 26) in the New World. Joseph Smith, the first president of The Church of Jesus Christ, saw Him many times. (See Joseph Smith—History 1:17, for example.) Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery (an early Church leader) recorded one of the more descriptive accounts of Jesus Christ:

We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber.

His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:

I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father (Doctrine and Covenants 110:1–4).

What Happens to Spirits after Death?

The Book of Mormon teaches that there is “a space betwixt the time of death and time of the resurrection” (Alma 40:6):

Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.

And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part or portion of the Spirit of the Lord . . . and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil.

Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection. . . .

There is a space between death and the resurrection of the body, and a state of the soul in happiness or in misery until the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both soul and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works.  (Alma 40:6, 11–14, 21)

During this time, all beings will be given the chance to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and to accept Him as their Savior. (See Doctrine and Covenants 138:19–37.) Mormons believe this is a time for preparing God’s children for judgment and resurrection.  Spirits of men and women in the spirit world awaiting resurrection have just as much freedom of choice as they did on earth, and thus, they can repent after learning the doctrines of Christ.  Since Christ’s atonement and visit to the spirit world, spirits in spirit prison who repent, move to spirit paradise to await resurrection.

The Beginning of the Resurrection of Mankind

Latter-day revelation teaches that the first resurrection began immediately after Jesus Christ was resurrected, when the righteous dead who had lived from the day of Adam to the time of Christ arose with him. (See Doctrine and Covenants 133: 54–55.) The New Testament bears the same testimony:

“And, behold the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection” (Matthew 27:51–53).

The Righteous Resurrected at the Second Coming of Christ

This first resurrection will continue at the time of Christ’s second coming to the earth:

And the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be quickened and be caught up to meet him.

And they who have slept in their graves shall come forth, for their graves shall be opened; and they also shall be caught up to meet him in the midst of the pillar of heaven—

They are Christ’s, the first fruits. (Doctrine and Covenants 88:96–98)

The Timing of the Second Resurrection

The rest of those spirits who wait for resurrection, who are part of the resurrection of the unjust (Doctrine and Covenants 76:17), or as John calls it, “the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:29), shall come forth after a period of a thousand years—the millennial period of peace and righteousness when Christ will reign personally upon the earth and fully establish the kingdom of God on the earth. (See Doctrine and Covenants 88:101; 133:25).

“In My Father’s House Are Many Mansions . . .”

Joseph Smith revealed that the word mansions is better translated as kingdoms.¹ Latter-day revelation defines and describes those main kingdoms of glory as celestial, terrestrial, and telestial, with divisions within these kingdoms. (See Doctrine and Covenants 76.)

Each person is assigned a kingdom according to God’s judgment of his life, his obedience, and his desires. Each of God’s children will receive glory according to his or her ability to abide that glory, and according to the person’s comfort. (See Doctrine and Covenants 88:20–33.) “For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:33).

Conclusion

Our Father in Heaven planned for our eternal fullness of joy. He intended for His children to rejoin Him in His heavenly home after their earth life to live with Him eternally. He has revealed His plan of salvation through revelation. Through His plan, He has provided comfort, direction, and blessings to help His children come home.

Note:

1. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1938), 366.

One thoughtful article was written by Kathryn Jean Lopez and appeared in the National Review Online. At the beginning of her article, she quotes writer Andy Ferguson’s highlights of an amicus brief filed by Leon Kass and Harvey Mansfield:

“Marriage is many things, all at once—much more than a simple mechanism for stability between husband and wife. The institution that social science has been studying so exhaustively for so many years is of a singular kind, with singular features. It is an ancient practice grooved by tradition and myth, shaped by social expectations as old as civilization. It arises from the natural sexual complementarity of woman and man, and formalizes the possibility of procreation and the renewal of life.

“There’s no way of knowing what combination of these singular features of marriage confers which of its demonstrated advantages, culturally and psychologically. We do know, however, that if the state suddenly creates the institution of gay marriage by fiat, the result will lack most of the features that make marriage unique—and uniquely beneficial. It will not be the same institution that has won the unanimous endorsement of social scientists. It will be a novel and revolutionary institution owing its existence to the devaluation of an old and settled one. Should we assume that the former will confer the same social and personal benefits as the latter, the two being different in such fundamental ways? The only honest answer—the only intellectually respectable answer—is, Who knows?”

Lopez also quotes from What Is Marriage?, written by Ryan Anderson, Robert P. George, and Sherif Girgis:

“Marriage exists to bring a man and a woman together as husband and wife to be father and mother to any children their union produces. It is based on the anthropological truth that men and women are different and complementary, on the biological fact that reproduction depends on a man and a woman, and on the social reality that children need a mother and a father. Marriage has public purposes that transcend its private purposes.”

Many believe the discussion of marriage has been reduced to adults’ desires opposed to children’s needs.

The family is on the minds of at least some of the Justices. During oral arguments, Justice Antonin Scalia questioned whether there was sufficient data to show that children are not adversely affected if raised by same-sex couples. Likewise, Justice Samuel Alito responded to Solicitor General Donald Verrilli:

“Traditional marriage has been around for thousands of years. Same-sex marriage is very new. There isn’t a lot of data about its effect. And it may turn out to be a good thing; it may turn out not to be a good thing, as the supporters of Proposition 8 apparently believe. But you want us to step in and render a decision based on an assessment of the effects of this institution which is newer than cell phones and the Internet?”

The traditional family is a primary concern for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often mistakenly called Mormons) and the leaders of the Church. They believe the family is “ordained of God” and that “marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.”1

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recently spoke on the well being of children. Part of his talk addressed the disadvantages a child suffers when raised without a married father and mother, including when raised by couples of the same gender:

“The social science literature is controversial and politically charged on the long-term effect of [same-sex marriage] on children, principally because, as a New York Times writer observed, “same-sex marriage is a social experiment, and like most experiments it will take time to understand its consequences.”2

American citizens are waiting anxiously for the June decision of the Supreme Court. What should they do? Many believe the Court should leave the decision regarding marriage and families to the citizens and their elected officials.

Notes:

1. The Family: A Proclamation to the World

2. Dallin H. Oaks, “Protect the Children,” Ensign, November 2012

Resource:

Beware the ‘Science’ of Same-Sex Marriage

This article was written by Paula Hicken, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Paula Hicken was an editor with the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship from 2000 to 2013. She earned her BA degree in English from Brigham Young University. She edited Insights, the Maxwell Institute newsletter, and was the production editor for Faith, Philosophy, Scripture, Hebrew Law in Biblical Times (2nd ed.), Third Nephi: An Incomparable Scripture, and was one of the copy editors for Analysis of the Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon. She also helped manage the Maxwell Institute intellectual property and oversaw rights and permissions. She has published in the Ensign, the Liahona, the LDS Church News, and the FARMS Review.

A national poll taken by the Washington Post and ABC News found that support for same-sex marriage is now at an all-time high nationwide. A Pew Research Center survey found that 1 in 7 Americans had changed their minds, going from opposing same-sex marriage to supporting it.

But the Reuters Corporation released the results of an even bigger poll than the Post’s this week, which found that only 41 percent of America support same-sex marriage. The Reuters survey sampled 24,455 people while the Washington Post surveyed only 1,455.

The Family Research Council said that the Reuters numbers “are far and away more consistent with the findings of trustworthy survey houses in the last few months on marriage.”

Reuters’ findings are also significant given the fact that the corporate parent of the Reuters news agency, Thomson Reuters Corporation, is among the various groups that are calling for the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to be struck down.

The Family Research Council concludes, “If 41 percent was all the support Reuters could scrounge up for same-sex ‘marriage,’ then you know they exhausted every avenue trying to push that number higher—and couldn’t.”

The Family Research Council also found that the Post’s questions were “specifically structured to generate a more favorable response. When you frame the debate as the Post did—in criminal terms—Americans are far more wary of opposing same-sex marriage.”

The debate over same-sex marriage has been on the minds of Americans as the U.S. Supreme Court has been hearing oral arguments on marriage law. The Justices will rule in June on two cases: one challenging the legality of DOMA—which was enacted in 1996 under President Bill Clinton—and one challenging California’s ban on gay marriage (Proposition 8).

The Washington Post wrote that after Wednesday’s oral arguments, the Supreme Court appeared ready to strike down a key section of the Defense of Marriage Act that withholds federal benefits from gay married couples “but it was a different story for Proposition 8 with Justices signaling that they may take a narrow approach to avoid setting a national precedent on the issue of same-sex marriage.” The Post wrote that the Justices were “as divided as the rest of the nation over same-sex marriage.”

A Reuters article that appeared in the Chicago Tribune on March 27 said: “Overall, a majority of the Justices made it clear that, while they might not impede the recent movement among some states toward gay marriage, they were not willing to pave the way either.” Nine states recognize gay marriage, 30 states have constitutional amendments banning it, and the remaining 11 states are somewhere in the middle or undeclared.

The health of the family is on the minds of at least some of the Justices. During Tuesday’s oral arguments, Justice Antonin Scalia questioned whether there was sufficient data to show that children are not adversely affected if raised by same-sex couples. Likewise, Justice Samuel Alito noted the concept of gay marriage is “newer than cellphones and the Internet.”

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ, recently spoke for the leadership of the Church on the well being of children:

“Most of the children born to unmarried mothers—58 percent—were born to couples who were cohabitating. Whatever we may say about these couples’ forgoing marriage, studies show that their children suffer significant comparative disadvantages. For children, the relative stability of marriage matters.

“We should assume the same disadvantages for children raised by couples of the same gender. The social science literature is controversial and politically charged on the long-term effect of this on children, principally because, as a New York Times writer observed, “same-sex marriage is a social experiment, and like most experiments it will take time to understand its consequences.”1

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ (often mistakenly called Mormons) and the leaders of the Church believe the family is “ordained of God” and that “marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.”2 In The Family: A Proclamation to the World, the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles warned that “the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.”

Notes:

Dallin H. Oaks, “Protect the Children,” Ensign, November 2012

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

Reference:

Are Voters Getting Cold Feet on Same-Sex Marriage?

This article was written by Paula Hicken, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Paula Hicken was an editor with the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship from 2000 to 2013. She earned her BA degree in English from Brigham Young University. She edited Insights, the Maxwell Institute newsletter, and was the production editor for Faith, Philosophy, Scripture, Hebrew Law in Biblical Times (2nd ed.), Third Nephi: An Incomparable Scripture, and was one of the copy editors for Analysis of the Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon. She also helped manage the Maxwell Institute intellectual property and oversaw rights and permissions. She has published in the Ensign, the Liahona, the LDS Church News, and the FARMS Review.

Additional Resources:

Family Research Council

]]> https://mormonbeliefs.org/2013/04/01/where-do-americans-stand-on-same-sex-marriage-and-the-health-of-the-family/feed/ 0 https://mormonbeliefs.org/2013/03/05/young-man-faces-loss-of-family-members-with-faith/ https://mormonbeliefs.org/2013/03/05/young-man-faces-loss-of-family-members-with-faith/#respond Tue, 05 Mar 2013 01:01:48 +0000 http://en.elds.org/mormonbeliefs-org/?p=4928 Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly referred to as Mormons, believe that death does not permanently separate family members. This belief helped member Caleb Ceran when his mother and two siblings were killed in a car accident in 2006. Caleb, his father, mother, and brother and sister were returning home on Christmas Eve from a cast party for a production of “A Christmas Carol” when a drunk driver hit them.

This was not the first time Caleb lost family members in death: three siblings died from malignant brain tumors and twin siblings died at birth. From the moment that Caleb’s dad told him that his mother and two more siblings had died, his testimony of his family being together eternally “was confirmed with an overwhelming peace that has never left him.”

“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” a declaration by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ detailing the eternal nature of the family and the responsibilities of family members, reminds Latter-day Saints—as well as the world—that God intends that His children keep their family structures intact: “The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave.”

The proclamation also teaches that “Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.” The Church of Jesus Christ builds temples throughout the world so that members who meet specific entrance requirements may go to the temple and make covenants with God. (There are currently 168 LDS temples operating, planned, or under construction in the world.

Instead of feeling angry about the tragic death of his mother, Caleb “felt grateful for a merciful Father in Heaven who would reunite his mother with her five children who had passed away years earlier.” He said, “I knew at that moment that God loved every one of us. There is no way my mom could have handled losing two more of her children.”

Questioning or blaming God is a natural reaction when tragedy strikes. Caleb looks to his father as an example of feeling gratitude instead of questioning God. “Instead of asking, ‘Why are you doing this to me?’,” Caleb’s father asks God this question: “‘Why are you trying to make me more like you?’ It is this perspective that has helped the Ceran’s understand why they go through the trials they do.”

Caleb has also been blessed by forgiving the drunk driver who hit their car. “I’ve never even thought to be angry at him, which sometimes makes me feel like I’m not a normal person,” Caleb said. “I hope that one day he’ll be able to find that hope and joy and find forgiveness through the Savior, so he can live a meaningful life.”

Caleb maintains a positive attitude in his life, which is a reflection of his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in his belief that he will be with his mother and siblings again. “He often thinks about what his mom would think of his life or if she’d be proud of him.” He senses that his beloved family members are aware of him and are “guiding” him.

In 2008, Caleb’s father remarried and Caleb feels deeply grateful for his stepmother and four stepsiblings. In 2010 the family grew again when the family hosted four children from the Ukraine for two weeks. The Ceran’s decided that “they wanted to adopt three of the children who were siblings” which they were able to do despite changes in Ukrainian adoption laws. Caleb’s adopted siblings are “honestly some of my best friends. I feel like I’m in a movie or something. It’s just too good to be true that we have them.”

Life hasn’t been completely easy for Caleb, however. During his senior year of high school, he began “to struggle with resurfacing emotions of loss and to feel pain he’d never experienced before. Although he felt like a truly happy person, he realized he hadn’t completely been able to heal from his loss.” But again his faith in Jesus Christ helped him overcome that pain and he said he now has “so much more compassion for others” and that “one of the greatest blessings” of his trials has been to “speak with other people who have dealt with trials.”

Caleb has relied upon prayer, scripture study, and playing the piano to get him through his difficulties and to bring him peace. He recently recorded a CD, which he dedicated, in part, to his mom and a friend who moved to Germany. Caleb said he wanted to write the song “Part of Me” because both his friend and his mom are part of him. “I just had that feeling where I know part of me is missing, but I know that it will come back.” He said the song is an expression of gratitude for the way they touched his life and inspired him. “It’s a song to let them know I’ll never forget them.”

The Church of Jesus Christ recently released a video that includes Caleb sharing his testimony on the 2013 theme for the youth of the Church: “Stand Ye in Holy Places.”

This article was written by Paula Hicken, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Paula Hicken was an editor with the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship from 2000 to 2013. She earned her BA degree in English from Brigham Young University. She edited Insights, the Maxwell Institute newsletter, and was the production editor for Faith, Philosophy, Scripture, Hebrew Law in Biblical Times (2nd ed.), Third Nephi: An Incomparable Scripture, and was one of the copy editors for Analysis of the Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon. She also helped manage the Maxwell Institute intellectual property and oversaw rights and permissions. She has published in the Ensign, the Liahona, the LDS Church News, and the FARMS Review.

Reference:

Megan Marsden, “Mormon young man faces loss of three family members with faith,” Deseret News, February 11, 2013.

The Proclamation on the Family

From Mormon Channel