Having finished the washing, anointing, and given the endowment there remains one important ceremony to be done in this life. Men and women must be sealed together as husband and wife, forming a family unit that will last the eternities. In a revelation to Joseph Smith it was revealed, echoing 1 Tim 4:3, "And again, verily I say unto you, that whoso forbiddeth to marry is not ordained of God, for marriage is ordained of God unto man. Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation; And that it might be filled with the measure of man, according to his creation before the world was made." (Doctrine and Covenants 49:15-17). Marriage was at first considered a temporal condition blessed by God to continue human life. Later, the importance of the bond between husband and wife was revealed to be far more important than a single lifetime.
Recorded in Doc. and Cov. 131:1-4 is a teaching of Joseph Smith about the eternal nature of marriage. It is a necessary part of what is known as "Exaltation" in the Mormon doctrine of Salvation. He stated, "
In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; And in order to obtain the
highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.
He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase." Soon after this teaching, Joseph Smith pondered how Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David and Solomon were allowed to have so many wives and concubines. In the controversial revelation of Doc. and Cov. 132, he was answered that they were under contract obligation to marry them; with any additional marriage past the first
not approved or commanded by God to be considered adultery. As for at least the first marriage it reads, "Therefore, if a man
marry him a wife in the world, and he marry her not by me nor by my
word, and he covenant with her so long as he is in the world and she
with him, their covenant and marriage are not of force when they are
dead, and when they are out of the world; therefore, they are not bound
by any law when they are out of the world.
Therefore, when they are out of the world they neither marry nor are given in marriage; but are appointed angels in heaven, which angels are ministering servants, to minister for those who are worthy of a far more, and an exceeding, and an eternal weight of glory."
|
Vancouver British Columbia Temple - Sealing Room |
As with all holy and eternal ceremonies, marriages or more properly
"sealing" are done inside temples. There are rooms set apart for men and
women to be made husband and wife, binding them together as a family
unit. Not only that, but children both natural and adopted can be sealed
to parents. It is a fundamental belief that we are all spiritual (in
the sense of relatedness and not necessarily moral equivalence) Sons and
Daughters of Heavenly Parents. The temple sealing is the
reestablishment of that relationship while it also creates new and more
glorious promises.