Come Follow Me & Family History: 2 Kings 2-7

 "fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them."

2 Kings 6:16

Elisha's servant believed they were alone. All he could see was the enemy surrounding the city. But Elisha knew there was another reality that his servant could not yet see.

When the Lord opened the servant's eyes, he saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire protecting them.

I wonder how often we feel the same way.

Family history has taught me that our family extends beyond those who are sitting around our dinner table. Because of the Savior, families continue beyond the veil.

While we cannot always see them, I believe our ancestors are deeply interested in our lives. They rejoice in our successes, care about our struggles, and desire for us to come unto Christ.

President Joseph F. Smith taught:

"We live in their presence, they see us, they are solicitous for our welfare, they love us now more than ever... They see the temptations and evils that beset us in life... hence their solicitude for us and their love for us and their desire for our welfare."

One of my favorite family treasures is my great-grandmother's patriarchal blessing. In it, she was promised that as she fulfilled her calling as a family historian and performed the temple work for her ancestors, angels would attend her.

I don't know exactly who those angels were or how the Lord fulfilled that promise. But I do know that He was aware of her efforts to gather her family.

Sometimes I wonder if those she was serving were also cheering her on from the other side of the veil.

That thought gives me hope.

It also reminds me of a sacred experience I had on my wedding day.

As I sat in the celestial room waiting for Aaron, I felt my grandmother's presence with every fiber of my being. It was a quiet but unmistakable reminder that death does not end our family relationships.

Like Elisha's servant, I couldn't always see what was beyond the veil. But for a brief moment, the Lord allowed me to feel that those who were with us were indeed more than those we could see.

I don't pretend to understand exactly how the veil works. But I do know that because of Jesus Christ, our family story doesn't end with death. Through Him, our families continue, His work continues on both sides of the veil, and we are never as alone as we sometimes feel.

President Joseph F. Smith taught that our departed loved ones "see us... they love us now more than ever... and [have] their desire for our welfare." Barbara Morgan Gardner reminds us that through our covenants we have the privilege of the ministering of angels, "seen or unseen."

Elisha's servant wasn't protected only after his eyes were opened. He had been surrounded by the Lord's heavenly help all along. The miracle was that the Lord allowed him to see what had already been there.

Perhaps the same is true for us.

Although we cannot always see beyond the veil, we can trust that the Lord is mindful of His children on both sides of it. As we keep our covenants, we can seek heaven's help with faith.

Sister Wendy Watson Nelson taught:

"As we keep our covenants, we can ask for angels to help us. Literally!"

I don't know exactly how the Lord sends that help, but I know He does. Sometimes He opens our eyes. Sometimes He grants us peace. Sometimes He allows us to feel the love of those who have gone before us.

Whatever the means, His promise remains the same:

"Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them."

ACTIVITY: ANGELS IN MY STORY

Elisha's servant couldn't see the heavenly help surrounding him until the Lord opened his eyes. While we may not always recognize how the Lord is working in our lives, we can look back and see moments when He strengthened, protected, comforted, or guided our family.

Take a few minutes together to remember one of those experiences. Draw or write about it, then share it with one another. As you record these stories, you're preserving more than memories, you are preserving a testimony of the Lord's hand in your family's life for future generations.

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