Community of Christ and fellow people,

Today I would like to speak about what eternal family means to me.

As I have grown older, I have spent more time reflecting on my parents, my grandparents, my children, and the generations that came before me. I have looked at photographs, studied family records, listened to stories, and compared my life to theirs.

I have found myself wondering what my grandparents were doing when they were my age. What challenges did they face? What sacrifices did they make? What did they understand that I am only now beginning to comprehend?

As I have reflected upon these things, I have come to understand something important.

Eternal family is not simply a chart of names.

It is not merely a record of births, marriages, and deaths.

To me, eternal family is the people who endure with us.

Some are living beside us today.

Some have already completed their mortal journey.

Some are children and grandchildren who will carry our stories forward.

Yet all remain connected through love, sacrifice, memory, faith, service, and enduring influence.

I think of Grandmother Audrey and Grandpa Joe.

I think of Grandma Vera, whom I knew as a child.

I think of Grandpa Ray and Grandpa Ralph.

I think of Mema and the grandparents on Corey’s side of the family.

Some I knew well. Some I knew only through stories. Yet all of them helped create the path that led to me.

Because they lived, I live.

Because they endured, I stand.

Because they loved, I know love.

Some of my ancestors never lived as long as I have.

Some never saw grandchildren.

Some never experienced the opportunities I have been given.

Because of that, I feel gratitude.

I do not take these years for granted.

I recognize that every day I am alive is another opportunity to honor those who came before me.

As I compare my life to theirs, I begin to understand them better.

I see patterns.

I see struggles.

I see victories.

I see lessons.

I see that while circumstances change, many of life’s great questions remain the same.

Faith.

Family.

Service.

Courage.

Hope.

Endurance.

These things connect generations.

For me, one of the most sacred purposes of the sacrament is remembrance.

I partake of the sacrament to remember Jesus Christ.

I remember His teachings.

I remember His example.

I remember His invitation to love God and love one another.

I remember the covenants I have made.

And I remember those who taught me to follow Him.

Many people ask what it means when we say that Jesus Christ lives.

For me, that statement is not limited to history.

Christ lives when we choose to follow Him.

He lives when we serve.

He lives when we forgive.

He lives when we show mercy.

He lives when we lift another person’s burden.

He lives when we choose righteousness over pride.

The scriptures teach that our bodies are temples.

I often think about that principle.

My body is the temple through which I choose to serve.

My hands are the hands that can help.

My voice is the voice that can encourage.

My life is the life through which I choose to remember Christ and follow His example.

I cannot control the choices of others.

But I can choose how I live.

I can choose integrity.

I can choose charity.

I can choose service.

I can choose remembrance.

As I look across generations, I have come to believe that family is much larger than a moment in time.

When I was born into this world, there were already people who loved me.

There were already ancestors whose lives made my life possible.

There were already stories, examples, sacrifices, and blessings surrounding me.

I believe those influences continue.

Those we love do not go away.

Their examples remain.

Their teachings remain.

Their love remains.

Their influence remains.

They continue to shape who we are.

That is one reason I treasure family history.

Not because it is about the past.

But because it helps me understand the present.

When I compare my life to my Mother’s life, my Father’s life, my grandparents’ lives, and the lives of those who came before them, I gain perspective.

I learn.

I grow.

I understand.

And I become more grateful.

I have come to believe that eternal family is the family that endures with us.

The family that teaches us.

The family that loves us.

The family that helps shape our character.

The family whose influence continues through generations.

Most of all, I am grateful for Jesus Christ.

I am grateful for His example.

I am grateful for His teachings.

I am grateful for His invitation to remember Him.

As I strive to follow Him, I hope to honor my parents, my grandparents, my children, and the generations connected to me.

I hope to leave behind a legacy of faith, service, integrity, and love.

And I hope that one day, those who come after me will know that I loved them enough to live the principles I taught.

This is what eternal family means to me:

The ones who endure with us.

The ones we remember.

The ones we learn from.

The ones we love.

And the ones whose influence continues long after a single mortal lifetime.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.