My Greatest Wish

BY: Hannah Nielson

If someone were to come up to you and ask you: "What is the most important thing to you? What do you fear to lose the most?" for me, it would be my family.

Family has always been important to me. I love each and ever one of my siblings and my wonderful parents (Yes, even on the days when I get so mad at some of them). Whenever I go home to visit my parents, it feels like home. Not because of the familiar house or the old toys and memories the old building brings to me, but because my family is there. Family is what makes a home. To me, heaven would not be heaven without my family together. Heaven would not feel like home.

We have temples. For Mormons, temples are the world’s most sacred spaces, places where heaven and earth meet.

What do temples have to do with family? In these temples, we have sealings. You see, when you get married, the husband and wife are sealed in earth as in heaven (Thus, one reason why we think that temples are the place where heaven and earth meet). This is not "'Till death do you part.” You're married for time and all eternity. You can be together forever. We have sealings for families. Children are sealed to their parents. From that, they will be together with them forever. Families will be together even in heaven.

What of those who have died before they are sealed? Death cannot stop it. You can still be sealed. You see, some people see death as the end. But really, death is not an end at all. It can be thought of as a new beginning. And since death is not an end, these sealings can be performed on behalf for that person and their family so they can be together forever.

How grateful am I to know that I can be with my family. How grateful am I for God's plan and for temples that keep my family intact in this life and the next life to come.

I have arranged my own version of a song that is popular in the Mormon community called: “I Love to See the Temple." I would like to share the second verse of it:

I love to see the temple.

I'll go inside someday.

I'll cov'nant with my Father;

I'll promise to obey.

For the temple is a holy place

Where we are sealed together.

As a child of God, I've learned this truth:

A fam'ly is forever.