Monday, July 11, 2011

Eternal Families

I feel like not very many people read this and those that do will not judge me for my feeling on this topic or they have heard me talk about it before.
Let me preface by saying that I believe in eternal families and that I do hope, pray and plan on having one of my own.
With that said I kinda want to vent a little bit in the hopes that it will maybe help people to be a little bit more sensitive to this topic when they are at church and it is brought up. I will give you a brief history of my family and then maybe talk about ways that this topic can be so hurtful/hard to hear about at church. Sorry this was the topic in my Sunday school class yesterday and I'm way to shy to say anything in church but I always come away from these lessons feeling sad and a little alone.
Our background: My mom was adopted and then because of problems with her adoptive family she grew up in foster care. In one of the foster homes she was in the family was LDS and she was baptized. Then the next familiy she was in was not LDS and so she didn't return to church because they were another religion and insisted that she attend the church that they went to. My mom has told me that she always knew that the LDS church was true and so when she and my father were married they were married by an LDS bishop but they never attended church (neither were in a place in there lives where they were willing to put God first). My parents were divorced when I was 8 and my mom remarried. My step dad is LDS but has not been active since he was a child. My mom and step dad were separated really early on and stayed that way (they saw each other every day but we didn't live together) and while they were separated my mom contacted the LDS missionaries to have me and my sister baptized. We took the lessons and decided to be baptized. I remember that during one of the lessons my mom asked if she could be sealed to my sister and I and was of course told not at this time because my step dad was not active and she needed a Priesthood holder to be sealed with (her husband). My mom had been active during this time but when she was told that being sealed to her children was contingent on a worthy Priesthood holder she was really hurt and quit going to church. My sister and I were baptized but we both became inactive really quickly. To be honest I was baptized because I felt like it was the right thing but I had never read the Book of Mormon or really asked myself if it was the right thing to be doing (I was really young). I don't ever regret my decision and I have since gained a very strong testimony.
Ok so with all of that being said I'm sure you can see why I have such a hard time with the topic of eternal families. I don't have one. My mom is not active, my dad doesn't believe in this church (he is very active in his church), my step dad is not active, my sister is not active and none of my other siblings are members of the church. I believe that just because my family can't be sealed at this time (I don't think realistically in this lifetime) that things will work themselves out and we will be together but that is of course not doctrine. I just feel like my family will not be broken up. But with that being said hearing all about how great eternal families are and (I hear this almost everytime this topic is discussed) how sad people are for families that are not eternal because they will no longer be families in Heaven is very hurtful. I just feel like there has to be a better way to handle the topic. I'm not blaming the authorities of the church for this at all. Really I don't blame anyone, I just think that people don't really think about what they are saying before they say it.
Wow, sorry that is a really long post. Please don't be offended. I was just feeling really sad and upset when I left church yesterday and thought because I don't journal that I would type it up for my blog. Love you all!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I saw your blog from a friend's. I completly understand what you are saying.

I joined the church and it was so hard as a single female. I had my name withdrawn from the church because I just couldn't handle it anymore. Not being married, no kids, and not having an eternal family was always mentioned-and I didn't have that.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. You are not alone.

Kristi said...

Steph,

This breaks my heart to read. I think you're right that it just boils down to some people being insensitive. This is one of my biggest fears, that I would say something in church that would hurt or offend someone. I usually don't voice my thoughts for this reason.

I haven't been in your exact situation, but I do have family members that are not likely to return to the church. I believe that we just have to trust in a loving Heavenly Father who cares about each of us and know that He cares about our happiness.

Sorry about my long comment. :) We love you! Hopefully you'll come to dinner SOON!!!

Becka Beacham said...

Steph, I can understand where you're coming from. I do not agree with the way a lot of sensitive topics are handled a lot of times. We are a tactless group, there are too many blanket statements that don't apply to everyone.
I would like to think that the people making these comments aren't trying to make you and others in similar situations feel like a second class citizen. You're not. Hopefully it gives you something to look forward to (after you're mad for them saying it in the first place), look forward to doing your family's work later in life, starting your own family in the temple.
I don't want that to come across as telling you to buck up or trying to fix your problem. You are entitled to your own feelings and expressing them. I'm glad you trust us your dedicated readers to listen and send you cyber hugs. XOXO