Will the Circle be Unbroken?

The Carter Family - Will The Circle Be Unbroken

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and as a genealogist, I can answer this question. The circle can be unbroken through the sealing power of the Priesthood in the temples. Quoting from "The Family: A Proclamation to the World:"

marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 129).

Quoting from the webpage entitled, "About the Temple Sealing" on LDS.org:

The family proclamation also states that “the divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.” 

The sealing power also extends from parents to children, across all generations from the beginning of the world. President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) declared that children who are born in the covenant—which includes all those who are sealed to their parents in the temple—“have claims upon the blessings of the gospel beyond what those not so born are entitled to receive. They may receive a greater guidance, a greater protection, a greater inspiration from the Spirit of the Lord; and then there is no power that can take them away from their parents” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie (1955), 2:90.) 

Children born to parents who have been sealed in the temple are born in the covenant. These children automatically become part of an eternal family. Children who are not born in the covenant can also become part of an eternal family once their natural or adoptive parents have been sealed to one another. The ordinance of sealing children to parents is performed only in the temple. To extend these blessings to all people, those who are living are also able to perform proxy sealings on behalf of those who have died. In this way, all families may be together forever. 

The promise that our families can be together after death brings more meaning in life. It encourages us to be faithful and loyal. It improves and enriches our family relationships. It helps us find joy and hope as we deal with the everyday challenges of life. And knowing that we can be together again brings comfort and peace as we deal with the suffering or death of loved ones. 

The sealing ordinance is the crowning blessing of the temple. It is God’s greatest gift to His children because it enables us to return to live with Him and all of our loved ones forever. It offers marvelous blessings for this life and the next. It is a constant reminder that families are central to God’s plan and our happiness here and in the eternities. It provides peace, hope, and joy for all who faithfully receive it.

One of the basic questions of our existence here on earth has been answered. The faith exhibited by that old country tune is not in vain. There is a purpose to life here on earth.