YOU NO LOVE JESUS
Families Can Be Together Forever
I have a family here on earth.
They are so good to me.
I want to share my life with them
through all eternity.
While I am in my early years,
I’ll prepare most carefully ,
So I can marry in God’s temple for eternity.
Families can be together forever
Through Heavenly Father’s plan.
I always want to be with my own family,
And the Lord has shown me how I can.
Words: Ruth Muir Gardner, 1927–1999. © 1980 IRI
Music: Vanja Y. Watkins, b. 1938. © 1980 IRI
Today our lesson in Relief Society was "Eternal Marriage". It was a beautiful lesson given by a beautiful sister. She successfully taught us how important it is that we be married in the temple and at one point in the lesson asked what we could do to help as parents to help encourage young people to set goals to be married in the temple as they are growing up.
How can we help prepare them for this? The answers were many from hanging a picture of a temple in our home for the children to see each day, hanging a picture of Christ, setting the example, etc. I listened to my daughter tell how she and her husband had made the conscience decision that they would go once a month to the temple and take their 8 month old and 3 year old daughter with them. Once having been to the temple with her parents and walking around the temple grounds and sitting in the foyer watching the brothers and sisters and youth come and go doing the ordinances for themselves and for the dead, Anai begs every month to go back to the temple. Her favorite song is "I Love to See the Temple" and at three years old knows every word by heart. She has a picture of the Orlando temple in her nursery and a picture of Christ who is her "best friend". One day when her parents were planning a trip to the temple, her aunt was invited to go. Because her aunt had made previous plans, she was unable to go. Little Anai looked her aunt in the eyes and said, "You not going to the temple"? "No", her aunt replied. Without missing a beat, Anai replied, "You no love Jesus". It took us all quite by surprise. A three year old child knew in her little heart how important it was to go to the temple and felt that if you didn't go you didn't love Jesus. It made me stop and think about being sealed to my parents in the Swiss temple.
Coming out of the temple, my mother said that I looked up at her and asked how I could be married like that. Mother explained what I had to do and the goals I would have to set and keep. From that day on I set my goals to be married in the temple and 39 years ago on July 26th I was married and sealed to my loving husband in the Provo temple. Yet, how many times have I made excuses for not going to the temple as often as I should? The drive is too long (4 hours), my back and legs hurt (I have seen those who can barely move in the temple with smiles on their faces), I can't afford the expense right now (we have brothers and sisters who make the trip in bus loads and travel for many hours to go to the temple and sacrifice much to do this sacred work). This work is so important and there is no excuse.
"You not go to the temple? You no love Jesus". How much do we love Jesus? What is our excuse? Temple marriage is worth any sacrifice. It is a way of obtaining eternal blessings beyond measure. Are we willing to make the sacrifices necessary to obtain blessings beyond measure? To be an eternal celestial family? I am thankful for a three year old and parents who remind me of how important temple work is. Out of the mouth of babes
..."You not going to the temple? You no love Jesus".
