Have you ever driven past a Mormon temple and wondered what happens inside?
Temples are holy places of worship where members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participate in sacred ordinances performed by the authority of the priesthood. Temple ordinances lead to the greatest blessings available through the atonement of Jesus Christ. One temple ordinance is celestial marriage, in which a husband and wife are sealed to one another for eternity.
"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." -Matt. 16:19
Through a temple sealing, a husband and wife and their children can have the promise of being an eternal family. For Latter-day Saints, the covenants they make in the temple (bound on earth) will last forever (be bound in heaven), if they stay worthy.
Below, ten Mormons explain why they were sealed in the temple:
1. Tiffany, Utah. Married August 2009 in the Mt. Timpanogos, Utah temple.
"I got married in the temple because I knew it was the right way back to our Father in Heaven. I loved my husband so much and wanted to be sealed to him forever. I also only wanted my children to be born into an eternal family. It was the only way for me."
2. Corrine, California. Married August 2010 in the Bountiful, Utah temple.
“I wanted to marry my husband in the temple because we both believe so passionately in forever families. I wanted to know that when we die, that’s not the end, but we get to be together forever and that our kids are stuck with us forever too, haha. I lost Neil once when we broke off our engagement and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I knew when we got married I never wanted to lose him again.”
3. Jessica, Florida. Married August 2008 in the Los Angeles, California temple.
"I have always wanted to be married in the temple so I could have an eternal companion. My choice to be sealed in the temple has brought me so much happiness and comfort. Six years and three little girls later, I love my family and am so grateful we can be together forever."
4. Eric, Texas. Married September 2009 in the Redlands, California temple.
"I believe in God and I believe that temples are a place where we can be sealed together for time and all eternity which extends past death. I love my wife so much that I wanted to be with her for all eternity and not just this life. And now that we have two children, I can't imagine eternity without them by our side. I believe that temples bind families together forever."
5. Richard, Texas. Married 2007 in the Bountiful, Utah temple.
"When I was ten years old I attended the dedication of the Bountiful Temple, sitting in a sealing room for the service. I was blessed to receive my endowment there, and later to marry my beautiful bride for time and all eternity in the same building. After getting married, I wrote in my journal 'The feeling of peace and joy was fantastic, and the Spirit confirmed that we had made a good choice.' Because we were sealed by Priesthood power in the House of the Lord, our family can be together forever."
6. Amanda, Texas. Married August 2009 in the Salt Lake City temple.
"We chose to marry in the temple because it is the only place we can be sealed together for time and all eternity. The sacred covenants we made in the temple with each other and Heavenly Father have strengthened us as individuals, as a couple, and as a family. These covenants have also brought us closer to Jesus Christ and we strive each day to live worthy of the blessings of love, peace, and happiness that come with having an eternal marriage."
7. Amy, Florida. Married April 2000, Mt. Timpanogos, Utah temple.
"Growing up LDS, temple marriage was always the goal for me. I wanted to follow in my parents footsteps; to build my marriage on the foundation of Christ; and above all, a relationship that didn't end with death. Having been married fourteen years now, I feel one of the biggest blessings of temple marriage has been the perspective that we are in this for the long haul. With half of marriages ending in divorce, I'm so grateful for a level of commitment to our relationship that is strong, solid, and sacred--so that even when it isn't smooth sailing, we keep our 'eye on the prize' of a lasting marriage, eternal family, and safe haven for our growing children."
8. Stephanie, Utah. Married August 2013 in the Salt Lake City, UT temple.
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| Photo via Ceebee Photography |
"There was never a time in my life that I thought of anything other than marrying in the temple. I had assumed that of myself, but had not really put much thought or heart into that decision. It wasn't until I experienced the heartbreak of an important promise being broken that I fully felt the depth of how desperately I needed a promise to mean something. I thought of our Father in Heaven, and His ultimate example of someone who will always keep His word, and that's when I really came to realize that there is no promise more important or more binding than the covenants made when you are sealed together in the temple. The thought of being married in the temple went from casual to it being everything to me. This world is filled with uncertainties, and getting married in the temple doesn't change that, but as long as you both strive to be equally devoted to the covenants made there, it gives you a real sense of being grounded in an increasingly unstable world. It's meant everything to me to have those covenants to hold on to."
9. Katie, Utah. Sealed July 2011 in the Draper temple.
"My husband and I went through a lot of difficult times on the road to each other. When we finally found each other we were so happy and we knew we wanted our marriage to be eternal. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we were not able to be sealed until about a year after we were married. Our wedding day was such a happy day but does not even compare to the day we were sealed in the Draper temple. The day was perfect. It was the happiest day of our lives and one we will never forget."
10. Brooke, Nevada. Sealed to her family January 2014 in the Salt Lake City temple.
"Righteous love and renewal of our covenants has given me and my husband a foundation for a successful marriage. Our temple sealing has given us greater joy and fulfillment in this life. The gratitude and love I feel for the two men in my life is indescribable, and knowing nothing will ever keep us apart is the most comforting feeling."
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The closest temple for members of the LDS Church in Aggieland (College Station and Bryan, Texas) is the Houston, Texas temple, which is about 90 minutes away.
Have more questions about LDS temples? Visit LDS.org
