{"id":1248,"date":"2011-07-20T11:24:54","date_gmt":"2011-07-20T11:24:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/projectconversion.com\/?p=1248"},"modified":"2011-07-22T02:34:55","modified_gmt":"2011-07-22T02:34:55","slug":"going-to-the-temple-and-were-well-you-cant-come","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/projectconversion\/2011\/07\/going-to-the-temple-and-were-well-you-cant-come.html","title":{"rendered":"Marriage In The Temple…Members Only"},"content":{"rendered":"

Growing up, my family lived on a few acres out in the country with a field we rented out\u00a0on our right and a patch of woods\u00a0on our left.\u00a0The woods had a\u00a0small slope on\u00a0all sides, making it perfect for a fort. My best friend and I spent all summer building\u00a0the fort, complete with a draw bridge\u00a0down the slope and paths and clearings inside the woods for meetings. We had\u00a0rules for our fort.<\/p>\n

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  1. Only members of the fort were permitted\u00a0inside<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Girls were not allowed under any circumstances (except when Mom made us let my little sister play along)\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Did you have a fort or club when you were a kid with similar rules? Many of us have. So when I started looking into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regarding the temple and “eternal marriages,” I immediately thought of my exclusive fort in the woods.<\/p>\n

    In an earlier post <\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong>we talked about the temples of the LDS church. These are the exclusive “clubhouses” of the faith. Not only are non-LDS persons\u00a0prohibited from entering, but\u00a0you must be\u00a0an LDS\u00a0member in good standing.\u00a0This is especially true if you want to perform one of\u00a0the most sacred ordinances in the church: sealing an eternal marriage.<\/p>\n

    Eternal marriages\u00a0are so important because only through this ordinance can we achieve “exaltation,” that highest degree of glory and reward in heaven.\u00a0When we are eternally married, we are sealed to our spouse not only in this life, but for eternity in the next.\u00a0LDS members include their children as well. Keep in mind, all Latter-day Saint belief and doctrine is eternally guided. Yes, this life is important, but our eternal fate is\u00a0the focus and goal of every LDS member.<\/p>\n

    Members\u00a0may\u00a0establish themselves as man\u00a0and wife in a civil marriage\u00a0for this life, however for an eternal sealing, you must visit the\u00a0temple. This is no light affair.\u00a0The couple must obtain a temple recommend and the ordinance performed by\u00a0the proper priesthood\u00a0authority within the temple. Even family and friends attending the ceremony must have\u00a0a temple recommend. Once the date\u00a0and time is determined\u00a0for the sealing and all prerequisites\u00a0met, the couple and their temple recommend-holding family and a few friends enter the “sealing room.”<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Here, the couple kneels,\u00a0performs the sacred vows under the direction and blessing of a temple priesthood\u00a0authority and soon, they are sealed\u00a0in marriage for eternity. Let’s hope you made the right choice, eternity is, you know, FOREVER!<\/p>\n

    Meanwhile, those without temple recommend or who aren’t part of the LDS church must wait outside the temple or in a waiting room until the ceremony is complete.<\/p>\n

    That’s right. If this is the only marriage\u00a0ceremony for your child\u00a0(i.e. no civil marriage), and you aren’t a member, you just missed your kid getting hitched. Harsh. I have two daughters and I can see it now: Some guy telling me that I can’t watch one of my daughters marry because I’m not a good-standing member of the church. I can also see him knocked out cold on the ground with a bloody nose.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    This happens to be\u00a0one of the most controversial issues in the LDS church today, as families are rightfully upset over not seeing one of their child’s most important days. It’s common to throw insults and judgement of the church for being overly exclusive, a cult, et cetera. Trust me, I get it. But I started thinking about this idea of a sacred space in the temple and suddenly a whole world of “members only” popped into my mind.<\/p>\n