Shared by Katie Peterson, on lds song leaders Facebook page
Families Can Be Together Forever Song Story
From" The Price of Priesthood Power" by President Russell M. Nelson
You all have heard that our prophet, President Nelson, was a heart surgeon. He told us all a story about a family he met because he was their surgeon. The parents
names were Ruth and Jimmy Hatfield. This is a story about President Nelson and the Hatfields.
(sing) "I have a fam’ly here on earth.
They are so good to me,
I want to share my life with them through
All eternity."
Ruth and Jimmy’s first son, Jimmy Jr. had already died, they thought, because of heart disease. But they also had two little girls:Laural Ann and
Gay Lynn. Those girls
had heart disease, too. The parents asked for President Nelson’s help; he was Dr. Nelson back then. He did the surgeries, but he couldn’t save them. Both little girls
died.
"Fam’lies can be together forever
Through Heav’nly Father’s plan.
I always want to be with my own family,
And the Lord has shown me how I can.
The Lord has shown me how I can."
You can imagine how Ruth and Jimmy felt when they learned that their little girls were gone. They were heartbroken. But they were also angry. They were mad at President Nelson, at the church, and maybe mad at Heavenly Father, too.
President Nelson was so sad for them. He said he felt “haunted” by the situation and grieved for them for almost 60 years. Over that time, he tried to contact them, but they didn’t want to talk to him.
One night in May 2015, President Nelson woke up suddenly in the middle of the night. He could feel the presence of those two little girls, Laural Ann and Gay Lynn.
He couldn’t see them or hear them with his ears, but spiritually he could hear them say “Brother Nelson, we are not sealed to anyone! Can you help us?”
Soon after that night, he learned that their mother, who had lived a long life, had
passed away. Because of those two girls, President Nelson tried again to contact the
father and finally he agreed to meet. Jimmy was now 88 years old, and President
Nelson was over 90, but he knelt on the floor in front of Jimmy and spoke from his
heart about his daughters’ pleadings. He told him he wanted to seal his family
together, but that it would take time and work to be ready and worthy to enter the
temple.
"While I am in my early years,
I’ll prepare most carefully,
So I can marry in God’s temple for eternity."
Jimmy accepted and began preparing to enter the temple. He worked hard and had a
lot of help from the people in his ward. President Nelson called him a hero for what
he was willing to do. And not long ago, President Nelson sealed him to his wife Ruth,
and to all his children. And many hearts were healed.
"Fam’lies can be together forever
Through Heav’nly Father’s plan.
I always want to be with my own family,
And the Lord has shown me how I can.
The Lord has shown me how I can."
