Are Families Forever?

A common phrase within the LDS church is "Families are Forever". In fact, if you visit the home of an LDS family it is not unusual to see this phrase in some decorative art piece on the wall. The other thing you most likely will see are pictures of the LDS temple(s).

A fundamental concept in Mormonism is the "Plan of Salvation". This plan involves a pre-existence, where they believe we lived as spirit children with God before we received a body, our Earthly existence where we prove ourselves worthy to earn the highest reward in the after-life, and an after-life where those who lived by the "laws and ordinances" of the LDS gospel will live with their families forever (assuming the family members lived up to the standards required to get there too). The LDS Temple and Priesthood is the key in Mormonism to the fulfillment of these promises by God.

In the Temple using the power of the LDS Melchizedek Priesthood ordinance are performed and covenants made which they believe make it possible to live with your families in heaven. Without having a temple marriage, using the LDS priesthood it is not possible to be married for time & all eternity.

To many people this plan sounds like an awesome promise. God created a sense of relationship in each one of us that makes it appealing to think that we can have our kids and spouse with us forever. So the thought of Families are Forever is extremely appealing. In fact, it is one of the big lures that draw a lot of people into the LDS Church, which is why the LDS missionaries focus heavily on it. The other piece which is key to this concept is that only those who go to the Celestial Kingdom get this reward. Oh, and God only lives in the Celestial Kingdom so if you end up in a lower kingdom, although the LDS church says it is Heaven, God will not be there.

From a Biblical perspective, we know that these things are not taught. Heaven is with God, and Hell will be the absence of God, there is no in-between. If your family members accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they can have the assurance that they will be in Heaven with God and their family members. Now that is good news.  

Although our saved family members will be in heaven, marriage will not exist in heaven.  In Matthew 22:30 Jesus said that "at the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven". Now the LDS church asserts that this passage is saying that no marriages will be performed, therefore you must have a "Temple Marriage" here on Earth. The problem with the LDS assertion is there is nothing to support this assertion.

The other issue here is that Temples in the Bible were used to perform the sacrifices as the representation of the payment of sin, not to make eternal ordinances that allow us to achieve Godhood and be married forever. This is why after Jesus dies, and the veil was torn, the need for a Temple ended, since we were once and for all reconciled to God through Christ's sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10-14).

The good news of the Gospel is that Christ died for us while we we're sinners. It is impossible to be righteous before God by anything we do. The only way you can have assurance that you will live with God is to trust in Jesus Christ alone. When Christ died He paid for our sins past, present and future.  If your want to live with your family when you die, put your hope and trust in Christ. A temple ceremony will not do anything for you, it is Christ!