The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (or Mormon Church,) teaches that not only can we find the love of our life here on earth, but we can spend eternity in the happy family bonds we build. In Mormon beliefs, the family can be forever. In 1995 the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church issued “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” which teaches us:
“… that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.”
The First Presidency goes on to say:
“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. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.
“We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.”
This proclamation lays out the path we should follow in order to find our happily ever after. And the path to happiness is made easier when we can do it with hands firmly grasped. No one likes to go through life alone and alone is not how we’re meant to do it. You, too, can have your happy ending if you keep your heart and hands clean, and go forward in faith. In his talk “Happy Endings,” (New Era, Oct 1999, 44,) Bruce C. Hafen, a leader in the Church says:
“The longing of the human heart for this fullness is a source of great power, even—especially—on those cloudy days, or years, when your dreams seem impossible. Your longing to belong forever to a loving family comes from God, and He has promised its fulfillment to the faithful: “For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness” (Ps. 107:9.) You can live happily ever after, for the Lord God has spoken it.”
Elder Hafen tells the story of a group of young women who were growing up in a small town where the prospects of finding a good husband were slim. Their Church leader encouraged them to pray earnestly for their future companion, who was alive somewhere, and to keep themselves worthy of that companion in the meantime. Through diligent obedience to their teachers’ council, all six girls found, and were worthy of, the men of their dreams.
Cultivate the image in your mind of a happy union between yourself and the person of your dreams. The person need not be perfect, but the union can be, through obedience to the commandments of God and the council of His prophets. Follow the example of Viktor Frankl, who found the strength to survive the agonies of a Nazi concentration camp by clinging to an image of his wife in his mind’s eye. This experience prompted Frankl to declare: “The salvation of man is through love.” and, “He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how” (Man’s Search for Meaning, 1984, 56–57, 12.)
“The Family: A Proclamation to the World” can aid you in your quest to find your own happy ending. I encourage you to read it and to apply it to your own life.
