VideoGameJunkie Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 If a family member or 2 fall away and damn themselves to either the Terrestrial or Telestial Kingdom, how can the other family members who are in the Celestial Kingdom feel happy and be all about families forever, when they don't have their complete family together. Someone is lost, breaking up the concept that families are forever when there's those in the family that won't make it and throw everything off. Link to comment
VideoGameJunkie Posted February 25, 2016 Author Share Posted February 25, 2016 As someone with a dad who is not a member and doesn't believe in an afterlife he could throw my plan of our family being together forever out the window with his own decisions. His own decisions can affect my own salvation and goals. Link to comment
theplains Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 22 minutes ago, VideoGameJunkie said: If a family member or 2 fall away and damn themselves to either the Terrestrial or Telestial Kingdom, how can the other family members who are in the Celestial Kingdom feel happy and be all about families forever, when they don't have their complete family together. Someone is lost, breaking up the concept that families are forever when there's those in the family that won't make it and throw everything off. If individuals place their families before Jesus and they don't end up in heaven then eternity could be miserable for them. That's what happens when your theology deals more with 'eternal families' than 'eternally with Jesus'. The same is true for those, in this life, who follow the 'prosperity gospel' but end up being poor financially. Regards, Jim Link to comment
VideoGameJunkie Posted February 25, 2016 Author Share Posted February 25, 2016 But those who still follow Jesus are punished with still having an unworthy family member being separated from them for eternity. The worthy should be blessed with everything they desire but having unworthy family not making the cut doesn't sound like enjoying eternity. Link to comment
strappinglad Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Ask yourself if God is happy. If He has done this " world building " many times in the past and some of His children have rejected Him and His plan each time, how must He feel? If ' time heals all wounds' , what does the absence of time do ? So many questions, so little actual information available . 2 Link to comment
Guest Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 50 minutes ago, VideoGameJunkie said: If a family member or 2 fall away and damn themselves to either the Terrestrial or Telestial Kingdom, how can the other family members who are in the Celestial Kingdom feel happy and be all about families forever, when they don't have their complete family together. Someone is lost, breaking up the concept that families are forever when there's those in the family that won't make it and throw everything off. Those inherit the CK, will be able to see a family member...but to your point. The same way people of any family who has a rebellious family members does, love them, see them and have joy with their other family members. You have to mourn the fact that they chose a different path. Link to comment
JLHPROF Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 I think the only people who will be lost will be those that choose to be lost. We really have GOT to get past the reward/punishment model of the eternities. It's not accurate. As for our honorable family members - Elder Bednar gave an applicable talk: https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/03/faithful-parents-and-wayward-children-sustaining-hope-while-overcoming-misunderstanding?lang=eng And it includes one of my favorite quotes from Joseph: When a seal is put upon the father and mother, it secures their posterity, so that they cannot be lost, but will be saved by virtue of the covenant of their father and mother. 2 Link to comment
Bobbieaware Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 (edited) 1 hour ago, VideoGameJunkie said: If a family member or 2 fall away and damn themselves to either the Terrestrial or Telestial Kingdom, how can the other family members who are in the Celestial Kingdom feel happy and be all about families forever, when they don't have their complete family together. Someone is lost, breaking up the concept that families are forever when there's those in the family that won't make it and throw everything off. And one might ask how can life in heaven, as the Book of Mormon testifies, be "a state of happiness that hath no end" when God the Father lost one third (not just merely one or two) of his spirit children as a consequence of their rebellion against him and the Only Begotten Son in the war in heaven? Do you believe it's possible for Heavenly Father to somehow be truly happy in spite of the loss of so many of his beloved spiritual offspring? Or do you believe our Father in Heaven is always miserable, inconsolable and dejected because vast multitudes of his spirit sons and daughters have been banished to hell? Edited February 25, 2016 by Bobbieaware Punctuation Link to comment
VideoGameJunkie Posted February 25, 2016 Author Share Posted February 25, 2016 Well back in 2002 when I was a young teen I talked to my Bishop about the fact that my dad wasn't a member and how we're not sealed as a family. And he said if my dad never converts I won't get to be with him in heaven, and I will have a new dad come into the picture instead. This was very traumatizing to be told by my Bishop at age 16 just after I got my Patriarchal blessing that my eternal family might not be what I hope it will be if my dad doesn't play ball. My mom even confirmed to me that she believes this is true and that if my dad doesn't join she'll get sealed to another worthy man in heaven instead and I'll be sealed to him. I don't want another dad, I want to be sealed to my earthly mom and dad. This is even more important to me getting sealed to my earthly dad because he's not even my biological dad. I was a test tube baby, so I come from the DNA of an anonymous sperm donor. Who I'm sealed to and be with in heaven is very important to me and I've been told by a Bishop I trust, and my own mom that things could go very differently than I hope. Do not put personal threads in the Discussion folder. Link to comment
BCSpace Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 How can God be happy having lost 1/3 of His children previously and the prospect of many more? Probably most if one considers anyone not attaining a Celestial glory as "lost". Link to comment
thesometimesaint Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 (edited) God is a successful parent. The vast majority of his children will repent and accept him in this life or the next. Only those that continue to reject him will be lost. "God will force no man(woman) to Heaven". Edited February 25, 2016 by thesometimesaint Link to comment
Glenn101 Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Keep in mind that if a loved one does not make it, it is not God who punishes the family, but the person him or herself that is depriving the family of the Celestial family relationships by their recalcitrance.The very first thing that we have to do is to make it to the Celestial Kingdom ourselves and not "punish" those other of our families that do make it. There will be many families with broken circles that God will heal. And I just would bet, if I were a betting man, that once we make it to the other side of the veil, the glorious future that God has in store for those who keep His commandments and Covenants will completely overshadow any other earthly concerns that we may have. I think that is something that we lose sight of, or maybe never get a glimpse of, i.e. just what God does have in store for us. We read things like God "open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10 on paying tithing) but maybe we do not really comprehend just how great that blessing is and will be. Maybe we are getting caught up in the emotions of the moment and not looking forward enough to what we are actually working and living for. Glenn Link to comment
Garden Girl Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 On 2/25/2016 at 5:46 PM, VideoGameJunkie said: As someone with a dad who is not a member and doesn't believe in an afterlife he could throw my plan of our family being together forever out the window with his own decisions. His own decisions can affect my own salvation and goals. Well then, VGJ, I suggest it would be helpful if you would live your life so that when your dad is gone, you will be able to go to the Temple and perform the saving ordinances for him (and any other family members)... By doing so, he (and they) will at least have the choice to accept or reject the ordinances that will bind your family together. I have every confidence that my dear non-LDS husband, who has been gone for 17 years, has been taught the gospel and accepted the ordinances that were performed for him, including our being sealed as an eternal couple, and now awaits me to begin our eternal journey together... GG 1 Link to comment
VideoGameJunkie Posted February 26, 2016 Author Share Posted February 26, 2016 44 minutes ago, Garden Girl said: Well then, VGJ, I suggest it would be helpful if you would live your life so that when your dad is gone, you will be able to go to the Temple and perform the saving ordinances for him (and any other family members)... By doing so, he (and they) will at least have the choice to accept or reject the ordinances that will bind your family together. I have every confidence that my dear non-LDS husband, who has been gone for 17 years, has been taught the gospel and accepted the ordinances that were performed for him, including our being sealed as an eternal couple, and now awaits me to begin our eternal journey together... GG Oh I already plan on doing the temple work for him but I have no idea if he will accept. Link to comment
UtahTexan Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 I think that is like asking "how does a family feel when one of their members breaks the law and gets thrown in jail?" Well, having had that happen, I can tell you, we did not like it, we missed him, but it was HIS choice to break the law and there are consequences. If a member does not make it to the CK, we will not like it, we will miss that person, but that person made choices and their are always consequences. 2 Link to comment
The Nehor Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 While I would cry if one of my siblings or their children were to reject the gospel (they have not yet) I would carry on. The Savior promised he could wipe away all tears from my eyes and I believe him. On a more practical level hell does not get a veto over heaven. One person cannot ruin heaven for everyone else by refusing to come. We do not live this way on earth. Despite my afflictions and trials I am pretty happy. There are lots of miserable people around me every day. I am not going to spend my days on earth worried about the self-inflicted misery of others so I can drag myself down to their level. I will help as my circumstances allow but I am not going to become a neurotic worried about other's happiness to the point where I taint my own. I do not expect to change if I am ever exalted. 2 Link to comment
SeekerB Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 (edited) 19 hours ago, VideoGameJunkie said: Oh I already plan on doing the temple work for him but I have no idea if he will accept. Your dad may change his mind after he gets visits from missionaries in the spirit world and realizes that he had errors in belief. Edited February 26, 2016 by SeekerB 1 Link to comment
VideoGameJunkie Posted February 26, 2016 Author Share Posted February 26, 2016 4 minutes ago, SeekerB said: Your dad may change his mind after he gets visits from missionaries in the spirit world and realizes that he had errors in belief. That's basically my prayers at this point. Link to comment
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