Note from Mom:
When I understood that the whole purpose for the Plan of Salvation was so that we, as God’s children, could form eternal families, I was in awe. I want you to know that God loves us and that he intended us to be a family forever. I will forever be grateful for the atonement which enables our “family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave.” (Family Proclamation)
Having grown up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, every year there would be another lesson on the Plan of Salvation. I used to roll my eyes as the teacher would draw the "same old diagram" on the chalk board. One year your dad and I were tasked with teaching a temple preparation class to a family about to go through the temple for the first time. Wouldn't you know it, we were supposed to teach The Plan of Salvation. I knew I could do the same old boring diagram, but I wanted the lesson to be interesting, so I made an elaborate plan to go from room to room as we talked about the different parts of the plan. However, I hadn't realized that the doctrines in the Plan of Salvation would be new and interesting to them (they'd only been members of the church for a little more than a year). They asked a multitude of questions, which we answered, and our time with them flew by quickly. This experience helped me realize "what I didn't know I knew." I hadn't understood how vital, how basic, knowing the Plan of Salvation was to understand the gospel and what our Father in Heaven has in store for us. |
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IN THE PREMORTAL REALM, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. (The Family)
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We are speaking of the three pillars of heaven, of the three greatest events ever to occur in all eternity, of the three doctrines that are woven inseparably together to form the plan of salvation. We are speaking of the creation, the fall, and the atonement.
~Bruce R. McConkie
The Creation
The Creation of the earth provided a place where families could live. God created a man and a woman who were the two essential halves of a family. It was part of Heavenly Father’s plan that Adam and Eve be sealed and form an eternal family.
~Sister Julie B. Beck
And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.
If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.
~D&C 2:2-3
God created the earth, the garden, and our first parents in order to create families for all of His children to be born into and experience mortal life -- especially mortal family life.
~Daniel K. Judd
The Fall
The Fall provided a way for the family to grow. Adam and Eve were family leaders who chose to have a mortal experience. The Fall made it possible for them to have sons and daughters.
~Sister Julie B. Beck
Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
~2 Nephi 2:25
The Fall occurred because Adam and Eve chose to obey God’s commandment to multiply and replenish the earth and thus create the first family.
~Daniel K. Judd
The Atonement
The Atonement allows for the family to be sealed together eternally. It allows for families to have eternal growth and perfection. The plan of happiness, also called the plan of salvation, was a plan created for families. The rising generation need to understand that the main pillars of our theology are centered in the family.
~Sister Julie B. Beck
For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallenand are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.
~Alma 34:9
The Savior completed the Atonement in order to reconcile God’s children with the Father and with one another. Thus, the great plan of happiness is God’s plan for happiness in time and in eternity.
~Daniel K. Judd
The family concept is one of the major and most important of the whole theological doctrine. In fact, our very concept of heaven itself is the projection of the home into eternity. Salvation, then, is essentially a family affair, and full participation in the plan of salvation can be had only in family units.
~Hugh B. Brown
Ideas for younger members:
- Creation: Play the creation memory game found at JennySmith.net
- Creation: Let children color a picture to represent each day of the creation (variation is to have large outlines of the numbers 1-6 per sheet and decorate the numbers to represent each day of the creation):
- Fall: There is a cute flannel board story at sugardoodle
- Atonement: From the Life of Christ videos at lds.org
Video Links
Talk
Elder Holland: Where Justice, Love, and Mercy Meet
or just watch the highlight
References
Beck, J. B. (2011, March). Teaching the doctrine of the family. Ensign. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/ensign/2011/03/teaching-the-doctrine-of-the-family?lang=eng
The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Retrieved October 15, 2015, from https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation?lang=eng
Judd, D. K. (2012). The eternal family: A plain and precious part of the plan of salvation. In A. J. Hawkins & D. C. Dollahite & T. W. Draper (Eds.), Successful Marriages and families: Proclamation principles and research perspectives (p344). Provo, UT: BYU Studies.
McConkie, B. R. (1981, February 17). The Three Pillars of Eternity. Lecture presented during a devotional address at Brigham Young University, Provo, UT. Retrieved from https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/bruce-r-mcconkie_three-pillars-eternity/
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