So, my "non-member" friend asked me the following question - Why do we have to be sealed? ... and more specifically, if we're going to be in the same kingdom as our family/friends, why does it matter if we are sealed?" What are YOUR thoughts, people?
3 comments:
I feel that we are sealed, so that we can more easily find each other after we pass on to the next part of our journey. Sealing is more of a guarantee we will be with our families, where anything else isn't a guarantee. As long as we live worthily, then we get our happily forever after.
On the churches website it explains celestial marriage and being "sealed" much better than I can...It states "Being married in a temple means being together for all time and all eternity and having an eternal family. When a couple is sealed to each other on earth (with the proper authority) they are also sealed to each other in heaven. Through this sealing power families can be together, after death, in the next life. For a marriage to be eternal a couple must be sealed together in God's holy temple and by his holy priesthood power, if not their marriage will only be "until death do you part."
"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 Family... paragraph 3).
(Also see D&C 132: 18.)
Temple Marriage is a Celestial Marriage:
The Celestial Kingdom is where God lives. To be exalted to the highest order of this kingdom a person must receive the sacred sealing ordinance of marriage.
"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" (see D&C 131:1-3).
Thus, to achieve our greatest potential (to be with our Heavenly Father and with our family) we must work to achieve a celestial, temple marriage.
I asked Ben this question and he had some very deep insights, which he can explain much better than me. If you still have this question on your mind next time you see him, ask and I'm sure he'll give you much more info than you probably would want. :)
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