The Family Is Ordained of God

Marriage between a man and woman is essential to God's Eternal Plan. Salvation is an individual and personal quest that requires faith in and a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ. But exaltation and eternal life with God is a joint quest; it requires a man and a woman to make and keep eternal covenants with each other and with God. The only way to inherit all that God has and is requires the uniting of the opposite sex, male and female, which is required to multiply or create a posterity. God's work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of His children. As we progress to become like Him, we too will be engaged in the same work; to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life, and that of our posterity. We glorify God, by progressing and increasing in our glory; in light, truth, knowledge and power. He cannot increase in His glory without us increasing in ours.

At the end of our mortal probation, we will be judged by God. If we were evil in this life, we will dwell in the least glorious kingdom; the Telestial Kingdom or Hell. If we lived honorable lives but did not receive the ordinances of Salvation; baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost, we will dwell in the more glorious Terrestrial Kingdom. And if we received the ordinances of Salvation and kept our baptismal covenants, but did not enter into the New and Everlasting Covenant or eternal marriage, authorized by the holy priesthood of God, we will dwell with God in the most glorious kingdom. This Celestial Kingdom consists of different degrees of power and glory. Little children who died without being baptized will also live in this kingdom. In order to obtain the highest degree in the Celestial Kingdom we must enter into the highest order of the priesthood; the New and Everlasting Covenant, or eternal marriage. If we do not, we cannot obtain it. We may enter into the others, but that is the end of our kingdom; we cannot have an increase or posterity.

We enter into the new and everlasting covenant of marriage in holy temples, in ceremonies performed by those who have God-given priesthood authority to seal together marriages and families on earth during this mortal life and throughout all eternity. This sealing ordinance and order of matrimony gives the husband and wife equally important, but different roles in the family organization. It bestows the married couple with power and glory to become as God is. God, our Heavenly Father, entered into this same covenant with His eternal companion, our Heavenly Mother, long ago. As we do the same, we increase in our glory, and we increase their glory.

This is the path of godhood and our divine destiny and inheritance. It is our purpose for coming to earth; receiving our bodies and being tested. Mortal life is the curriculum to become a God. It is where we develop the knowledge, experience and character necessary to become heavenly parents. Our heavenly parents experienced their own mortal lives; they learned the same earthly curriculum, and developed and increased in their own light, truth, knowledge and power. And they continued to increase in power and glory until they received a fullness; they became omniscient and omnipotent almighty Gods.

Immortality and eternal life requires an evolution of man to God; it is one perpetual and eternal round. This is why the divinely designed family is ordained of God and is central to His plan for the eternal destiny of His children. We are the children and posterity of Gods, destined to become as They are; powerful and glorious, immortal and eternal parents to a numberless posterity and eternal family . What a glorious destiny and work we are a part of!