Sister Ann Elgaaen in Houston, Texas South: April 2020

Hello family and friends!

This week my testimony about Eternal Families has grown so much!

A few years ago I had a dream. In this dream I was told that my youngest sister Ashley (who was around 9 or 10 at the time) was going to die. She would be taken to a building and left alone to pass away from this mortal life. No one was to go with her. I, however, refused to let this happen. I didn't want my sister to suffer alone; so despite what I had been told by doctors and other family members, I snuck into the building at night. I found her laying on a flat table waiting to die. She was in pain and cried out to me when I came into her view. I climbed onto the table and curled up next to her. I pulled her into my embrace and held her tightly as she slowly passed away.

I woke up from this dream with tears streaming down my face! Ashley was sleeping across the room from me. I called out to her quietly in the night. She responded with a groan. I told her I loved her before I laid back down and once again fell asleep.

Occasionally this dream comes to my mind, and I remember the emotions that accompanied it. In the moment, they completely overwhelmed me! After that dream, I was more careful in the way I treated my siblings. I started doing what we called "sibling dates", where each sibling took a specific month where they could choose anything that they wanted to do, and I would do it with them. I went to movies, restaurants, shopping trips, long drives, hot Cheeto eating contests, game nights, I read them books, and many other fun one on one activities. The idea that one of my beloved family members might possibly leave this earth sooner then expected haunted me!

Loosing my family has been my biggest fear for as long as I can remember. Family means everything to me!

During this general conference, I was touched by the many uplifting messages that the prophet, apostles and other speakers shared. When Jeffery R. Holland spoke, my heart was touched by the spirit when he shared a message about families. In summary he said something along the lines of: If he was to obtain one of the mansions that our Father in Heaven has prepared for us, and his family was not there to enjoy it with him, then it would be worth as much to him as a broken down shack.

Just as Lehi wanted to share the fruit of the tree of life with his family, shouldn't we desire to share our blessings and eternal life with our own family?

As general conference rolled on, we were able to participate in the Hosanna shout. I was overcome with emotion as I stood and waved my hand in unison with the prophet and millions of other faithful disciples of Christ. The last time I had participated in the Hosanna shout was the dedication of the breathtaking City Center Temple.

The temple is a sacred place where we make covenants with God. We can be sealed together with our families for all time and eternity!

I know that if I live worthy of the covenants I have made (and will make in the future) I can live with my family in the mansions of God for all time and Eternity!

Death will not separate us!

We often catch ourselves treating our own family members worse than we treat anyone else! I hope and pray that we can begin to recognize the importance of families in gods plan! We weren't randomly placed into our families, they are given to us by Devine design from our Loving Heavenly Father. So yes, siblings may be annoying at times and children my drive you crazy, but parents have been entrusted with these precious souls to raise and to love, and siblings I believe were inseparable in heaven, so much so that God had to put them together here on this earth or he would never hear the end of it when we return to his presence!

Families are of the greatest importance! We need to council together as families! Let us share our spiritual experiences and our understanding of the gospel with one another. We need to create a safe environment with our families where we can share anything with one another and we will feel unified and supported!

Let us do as we have been directed and as families create a blueprint for a complete spiritual renovation of our homes! The world is getting progressively worse! The adversary is working day and night to build up and justify pride, hatred, vulgar and crude behavior and so much more! He hates the family unit! He will do everything in his power to destroy the pure love we can have for our families.

So when the world rejects a precious child of god, telling them the horrible lie that they have to suffer alone, that no one knows what they are going through and it would be better if they weren't even here. When Satan tries to convince them that there is no one who truly care for them, I pray that as families we will be able to meet that child where they are, pull them into our embrace and hold them tightly until their trials pass. And they will pass.

I know the power that comes from a family that is United in love through the savior Jesus Christ! That kind of power terrifies Satan, because he knows he cannot win against a family such as this. So let us unite together with our families and send Satan running!

I love you all more than you could ever know!

Have the greatest week ever!