A few weeks ago Daven and I had the privilege of speaking at our stake's youth fireside. They wanted someone young and fresh to speak to the youth about the importance of a temple marriage. Seeing as how we are the youngest couple in the stake by about 10 years, I'm sure they picked us for our youth rather than our wisdom.
The fireside was surprisingly small, only about 15 youth attended (we were expecting about 100). Although we were few in numbers, the Spirit was very strong thanks to the presence and words from a Denver Temple sealer/Patriarch and his wife.
A lot of people asked about the talks so I thought I would just post it. I don't have Daven's talk and I typically write my talks in outline form, but luckily I wrote out every word for this talk. It's perfect timing too, because a few of the conference addresses spoke about these very things.
"In this day and age marriage is often swept under the rug. Words like "death do us part" are said too much. Even the act of marriage is fast depleting. Friends I've had have asked the question why get married, let alone why is there a need for a temple marriage? To our Heavenly Father those are heartbreaking questions, but thankfully they have an answer. The eternal nature of marriage, the necessity of this sacred unification and finally the protection a temple marriage offers you and your posterity are three answers I wish to focus on today.
We know in the temple we marry for time and all eternity. To better understand why be married in the temple we can look to our first parents: Adam and Eve. In Genesis 2:24 we read
"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his WIFE: and they shall be one flesh."
This marriage took place as they were in their eternal state in the Garden of Eden, BEFORE they partook of the fruit that made them enter into this mortal, temporal world. From this we learn God NEVER intended nor commanded this sacred relationship to be anything less than eternal.
The Lord further declares this intention and command in modern revelation in Doctrine and Covenants 131: 2-4. The Lord states:
"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."
President Joseph Fielding Smith continues to explain this "new and everlasting covenant:"
"The new and everlasting covenant...is everything--the fullness of the gospel. So marriage properly performed, baptism, ordination to the priesthood, everything else--every contract, every obligation, every performance that pertains to the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise according to his law..., is a part of the new and everlasting covenant.
"...Therefore, all who seek a place in the kingdom of God are under the obligation and commandment to abide in the new and everlasting covenant."
Why be married in the temple? Because marriage is meant to be eternal and nothing less.
God commands us to enter into this new and everlasting covenant because he does not desire us to be alone. President Eyring said, "Our Heavenly Father wants our hearts to be knit together. That union in love is not simply an ideal. It is a necessity."
"...The requirement that we be one is not for this life alone. It is to be without end...All of us have felt something of both union and separation. We don't need to be told which we should choose. We know."
Why be married in the temple? Because we were meant to be together in the most enduring and eternal sense possible.
This eternal unity you can experience only through a temple marriage. But, this unity is not only extended to us, but our posterity as well. God's work and glory is (as declared in Moses 1:39) "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." Likewise, ours is to keep his commandments with all our "might, mind and strength." (Doctrine and Covenants 11:20) As we learned from Joseph Fielding Smith, temple marriage is certainly one of those commandments.
When we strive to keep our baptismal covenants and make our choice to be eternally married, sealed and live up to those covenants, the Lord promises our posterity will be blessed, protected and will have the opportunity to hear and choose the Gospel. As they (your posterity) do this, they will make themselves ready--as you have made yourself ready--to obtain the highest; to obtain eternal life. By you keeping the commandments and covenants with all your "might, mind and strength," God's work and glory becomes your work and glory.
Why be married in the temple? To do your part in ensuring an eternal family blessed and protected by the Holy Spirit of promise.
These three reasons are why I chose to marry within the walls of the House of the Lord. I was taught and I knew marriage was designed to be eternal. I wanted to be unified and to be one with my husband both in this life and the next. And, most importantly, I longed for the protection only these sacred and everlasting covenants could offer.
For me, eternal marriage is much more than a commandment. It is the saving grace of a world gone topsy-turvy. One of the greatest gifts I can give to this world, to my Heavenly Father and to my Savior Jesus Christ--who makes our eternity possible-- is the power of a marriage sealed by the power of the Holy Ghost, where the Savior is central in this sacred, eternal relationship."
Well, that's mostly it. I added a few ad-libs here and there in the original. Hope you enjoyed.
The fireside was surprisingly small, only about 15 youth attended (we were expecting about 100). Although we were few in numbers, the Spirit was very strong thanks to the presence and words from a Denver Temple sealer/Patriarch and his wife.
A lot of people asked about the talks so I thought I would just post it. I don't have Daven's talk and I typically write my talks in outline form, but luckily I wrote out every word for this talk. It's perfect timing too, because a few of the conference addresses spoke about these very things.
"In this day and age marriage is often swept under the rug. Words like "death do us part" are said too much. Even the act of marriage is fast depleting. Friends I've had have asked the question why get married, let alone why is there a need for a temple marriage? To our Heavenly Father those are heartbreaking questions, but thankfully they have an answer. The eternal nature of marriage, the necessity of this sacred unification and finally the protection a temple marriage offers you and your posterity are three answers I wish to focus on today.
We know in the temple we marry for time and all eternity. To better understand why be married in the temple we can look to our first parents: Adam and Eve. In Genesis 2:24 we read
"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his WIFE: and they shall be one flesh."
This marriage took place as they were in their eternal state in the Garden of Eden, BEFORE they partook of the fruit that made them enter into this mortal, temporal world. From this we learn God NEVER intended nor commanded this sacred relationship to be anything less than eternal.
The Lord further declares this intention and command in modern revelation in Doctrine and Covenants 131: 2-4. The Lord states:
"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."
President Joseph Fielding Smith continues to explain this "new and everlasting covenant:"
"The new and everlasting covenant...is everything--the fullness of the gospel. So marriage properly performed, baptism, ordination to the priesthood, everything else--every contract, every obligation, every performance that pertains to the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise according to his law..., is a part of the new and everlasting covenant.
"...Therefore, all who seek a place in the kingdom of God are under the obligation and commandment to abide in the new and everlasting covenant."
Why be married in the temple? Because marriage is meant to be eternal and nothing less.
God commands us to enter into this new and everlasting covenant because he does not desire us to be alone. President Eyring said, "Our Heavenly Father wants our hearts to be knit together. That union in love is not simply an ideal. It is a necessity."
"...The requirement that we be one is not for this life alone. It is to be without end...All of us have felt something of both union and separation. We don't need to be told which we should choose. We know."
Why be married in the temple? Because we were meant to be together in the most enduring and eternal sense possible.
This eternal unity you can experience only through a temple marriage. But, this unity is not only extended to us, but our posterity as well. God's work and glory is (as declared in Moses 1:39) "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." Likewise, ours is to keep his commandments with all our "might, mind and strength." (Doctrine and Covenants 11:20) As we learned from Joseph Fielding Smith, temple marriage is certainly one of those commandments.
When we strive to keep our baptismal covenants and make our choice to be eternally married, sealed and live up to those covenants, the Lord promises our posterity will be blessed, protected and will have the opportunity to hear and choose the Gospel. As they (your posterity) do this, they will make themselves ready--as you have made yourself ready--to obtain the highest; to obtain eternal life. By you keeping the commandments and covenants with all your "might, mind and strength," God's work and glory becomes your work and glory.
Why be married in the temple? To do your part in ensuring an eternal family blessed and protected by the Holy Spirit of promise.
These three reasons are why I chose to marry within the walls of the House of the Lord. I was taught and I knew marriage was designed to be eternal. I wanted to be unified and to be one with my husband both in this life and the next. And, most importantly, I longed for the protection only these sacred and everlasting covenants could offer.
For me, eternal marriage is much more than a commandment. It is the saving grace of a world gone topsy-turvy. One of the greatest gifts I can give to this world, to my Heavenly Father and to my Savior Jesus Christ--who makes our eternity possible-- is the power of a marriage sealed by the power of the Holy Ghost, where the Savior is central in this sacred, eternal relationship."
Well, that's mostly it. I added a few ad-libs here and there in the original. Hope you enjoyed.
2 comments:
You're so talented! I wish I could speak like you!
I loved seeing your cute wedding pictures! It makes me miss you so much. I wish I could have been to the fireside.
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