Successful Marriages & Families allows us to explore the prophetic promises made to faithful parents that are challenged with straying children. In Successful Marriages & Families, it states, "Thankfully, latter-day prophets and apostles assure us that the Atonement and sealing ordinances are sufficiently powerful to eventually bring salvation to the children of parents who diligently seek to keep their temple covenants. The Prophet Joseph Smith promised that "when a seal is put upon the father and mother, it secures their posterity, so that they cannot be lost, but will be saved by virtue of the covenant of their father and mother" (1976, p.321)". It continues by stressing that God, our Father in Heaven that loves us so infinitely, is the one that judges the ultimate reward of those that deviate from holding onto the iron rod.
The Atonement can save our spirits as it is both infinite and eternal. We learn of this in Alma 34:10, 14. "There is no limit to it's capacity to cover sins of every type, severity, and frequency". It is effective in this life and the next. We have been warned that intentionally putting off our repentance is disobedient and puts one's individual reward at risk of not being received.
In the scriptures, Mosiah 3:19, D&C 121: 141-142 counsel in favor of warm emotions, such as patience, love unfeigned, and long-suffering. At the same time, the scriptures warn against anger, hate, resentment, envy and jealousy. Nurturing those warm emotions will aid family members in managing the tribulations they face when parenting and loving children that choose to go astray.
Successful Marriages & Families highlight the commands in The Family: A Proclamation to The World. "Love is virtually commanded and tied to moral commitment and obligation, even toward family members who seem committed to breaking God's commandments". The commands in the Proclamation are clear. "Husband and wife have the solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children" ... and "parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness ... to teach them to love and serve one another".
President Boyd K. Packer elaborated on the binding power of the sealing ordinance in a 2018 Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting: "Now, sometimes there are those that are lost. We have the promise of the prophets that they are not lost permanently, that if they are sealed in the temple ordinances, and if they covenants are kept by the parents, in due time, after all the correction that's necessary to be given, that they will not be lost". President Joseph Fielding Smith once declared that "those born under the covenant, throughout all eternity, are the children of their parents. Nothing except the unquestionable sin, or sin unto death, can break this tie."
Sacred covenants that are made in the temple and honored wherever we go, are ways provided by God so that His promises can be kept. As a parent, you are assured that as long as you righteously do all that you can, you can leave the timing of your child's commitment and acceptance of the gospel to the Lord. As individuals and as families, we can progress "through righteous participation and commitment to covenants ... These covenants are the Lord's way of giving us far more than is asked in return. Through covenants we partake of the mercy of a loving God, willing to bring us back into His presence if we do our comparatively small part." (Successful Marriages and Families).
I desire that Elder D. Todd Christofferson's message may echo in your hearts: "I urge each one to qualify for and receive all the priesthood ordinances you can and then faithfully keep the promises you have made by the covenant. In times of distress, let your covenants be paramount and let your obedience be exact. Then you can ask in faith, nothing wavering, according to your need, and God will answer. He will sustain you as you work and watch. In His own time and way He will stretch forth his hand to you, saying, Here am I (2009, p.22)".
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