Marriage: A Solemn Covenant
The world’s view of a marriage has changed drastically over
time. Something that has long been known as a formal, solemn, and binding covenant
could now be argued is viewed more as a contract which can easily be broken if the
marriage doesn’t turn out to be as easy or satisfying as they thought it would be.
Many times, it’s easier to end a marriage than get out of a housing contract. A
marriage isn’t something to be taken lightly. You are committing to stand by
another person until death or, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, for time and all eternity. There are instances when a marriage must end because of
individual circumstances, but everything should be done to repair the marriage
if possible. It is not a casual choice to get married, neither should it be to end
a marriage.
When one is preparing to be married in the temple of God, you
should be preparing to make the most important step in your journey here in
mortality by sanctifying yourself. Many people begin this solemn covenant by
having a bachelor or bachelorette party where you toy with the promises you’ve
already made to obey the law of chastity.
Those who enter into this sealing covenant with the right
intentions and an understanding of the importance of this promise will experience
great blessings. Doctrine and Covenants 132 covers three different types of
marriages. The first one would be a civil marriage where you are bound together
while on this Earth but not in the life to come.
“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.”
Second, is a marriage performed in the temple, but not
sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise. The ceremony is performed but not sealed
in heaven.
“If a man marry a wife, and make a covenant with her for
time and for all eternity, if that covenant is
not by me or by my word, which is my law, and is not sealed by the Holy Spirit
of promise, through him whom I have anointed and appointed unto this power,
then it is not valid neither of force when they are out of the world, because
they are not joined by me, saith the Lord, neither by my word; when they are
out of the world it cannot be received there.”
Third, is a temple marriage which is sealed by the Holy
Spirit of promise.
“If a man marry a
wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and
everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto
them by the Holy Spirit of promise…
Ye shall inherit thrones,
kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths… and
shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by
the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and
glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be
a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever
and ever.”
What beautiful blessings available to those who enter into
this covenant and live righteously so the Holy Spirit of promise can grant them
the things God desires us to have. Those who are faithful to their covenants
and strive to live worthy of the spirit can receive special blessings that
affect them and their family for all eternity.
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