Saturday Scott and I had the opportunity to attend the wedding ceremony of a uniquely wonderful young couple we know.
I always feel closest to heaven when I attend a wedding sealing in an LDS temple. It is seriously one of the most beautiful experiences you can have in mortality-to witness two people devote and covenant with each other and Heavenly Father in total faith. It is just well-- celestial!! And to be surrounded by all the people they love most in the world is indescribable.
We believe that when a couple is married in God's temple they are sealed together not just until death do they part but for all eternity. This is done by the power of the priesthood given by God to an authorized sealer. The couple makes real promises to God and to each other and amazing blessings are pronounced upon them which are beautiful and tender. You can learn more about temple marriage here.
This particular sealing was achingly bittersweet because of the experiences both had been through. Both of them had lost their moms in very tragic and heartbreaking circumstances in the last year. While this could have really dampened the ceremony there was actually such a spirit of love and presence encompassing the room. Usually the chairs on each side of the couple are reserved for the moms so they can have the best view of the ceremony. If moms are not there then an aunt, friend or other escort. But this in-tuned couple chose to keep those chairs open because they knew their moms were there and aware of the sacred ceremony taking place. The sealer explained this and then admonished those present to not ever refer to them in the past tense because they are still alive and with us just not physically at the moment. That the most beautiful image and a moving tribute to the love of families.
Before we left the temple that day, Scott and I took some time to go and do some sealings for family members of mine who are no longer with us. I love doing family history. It gives me such a feeling of love to get to know a little more about those people and the lives they led. It is so exciting for me to experience the opportunity to participate in the sealing of children to their parents and couples to each other and to give them the opportunity to choose for themselves. Wonder about why I love family history? Go here to read why.
Just more chances to see the strands of the family web come together!!
Great. You made me cry. I love the idea of never thinking of them in the past tense. Love you Mom!
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