Lesson 31 -- "The rest of the story"

Recap: For those of you who missed it, this past Sunday was a real treat. It is only fitting that the Spirit would be stronger with us on the heels of fast and testimony meeting. Even so, I was surprised by the well of emotion that it brought to the surface. And no, I would not attribute the general good sentiment to a BYU win on Saturday (although I'm sure that did not hurt).

I will not mention any names for fear of leaving somebody out, but let me put out a hearty "Thank you" to all who shared their beautiful and moving testimonies with us this Sunday, setting the stage for another excellent Gospel Doctrine discussion.

Our class opened with a general discussion of the meaning of "the new and everlasting covenant." In his chapter on "Sacred Covenants" in The Holy Temple, Boyd K. Packer quoted President Joseph Fielding Smith who reminded the Saints that "there is a clear definition in detail of the new and everlasting covenant. It 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 here given, is a part of the new and everlasting covenant" [Doctrines of Salvation, 1:158].

We read Doctrine and Covenants 131: 1-4, and from the Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, about his feelings of almost inexpressible joy upon learning from the Prophet Joseph that he could be sealed to the "wife of my bosom" (Thankful Halsey Pratt, who had died at Kirtland in the spring of 1837) for time and all eternity and that his relationship with her would continue beyond the veil [see pp. 297-298].

Sister Cindy Woolf then spoke on the importance of Temple Marriage for the next five minutes. She shared how much it meant to her that Bishop Woolf was a good father to their children, and to know that they were sealed for time and all eternity in the temple as a family. She also spoke about the power of couples prayer to tackle life's challenges. Thank you Sister Woolf. The Spirit bore witness that your words were true.

Our discussion then turned to temple marriage as a protection against the adversary. We read from one of my favorite scriptures in the Bible: "Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel" [Ephesians 6: 10-19].

We then discussed a key passage of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," which declares that "marriage between man and woman is essential to [God's] eternal plan." and heard quotes from Boyd K. Packer and Joseph Fielding Smith which outlined eternal marriage and families as part of God's plan for our collective happiness.

We then outlined the promises given to us in Doctrine and Covenants Section 132. These are:

• Couples sealed in the temple will be together in this life and throughout all eternity. Their children may also participate in their eternal family.



• They will be exalted in the highest degree of glory within the Celestial Kingdom.



• They will inherit thrones, kingdoms, and principalities.



• They will continue to have eternal increase (defined as eternal spirit children).



• They shall be gods, because they have all power.
  

We listened to a quote from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin about the joy and happiness that the temple ordinances brought him during his lifetime, and we recited the Family Proclamation again: "Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."

We closed the meeting by hearing from Mike and Jenn Allred who shared the stories of the challenging times that brought them together, their eventual courtship, and marriage. They described the importance that living lives that were "worthy of the temple" brought to their relationship. Finally, they both shared with us the joy that they have felt attending the temple together both before and after their temple marriage together. Mike described time spent in the Celestial Room of the temple as an opportunity to continually relive their wedding day and revisit the covenants that they have made with one another. Thanks Jenn and Mike! I think I can safely speak for the group to say that we were deeply moved by your testimonies. We salute your strength in the Gospel and admire the powerful examples that you are to us all.

And now... "the rest of the story:"

We did not get the chance to discuss the topic: "After a husband and wife are sealed in the temple, they must abide in the covenant to receive the promised blessings."

I had asked a few class members to read to you the following quotes. We ran out of time so here they are:

The first quote is actually a fun one: "I was just sure the first ten years would be bliss. But during our first year together I discovered … there were a lot of adjustments. Of course, they weren’t the kind of thing you ran home to mother about. But I cried into my pillow now and again. The problems were almost always related to learning to live on someone else’s schedule and to do things someone else’s way. We loved each other, there was no doubt about that. But we also had to get used to each other. I think every couple has to get used to each other." This is from Sister Marjorie P. Hinckley, wife of President Gordon B. Hinckley. This quote was taken from: Go Forward with Faith: The Biography of Gordon B. Hinckley [1996, p. 118]. It takes love, work and dedication to have a successful marriage, even if you happen to be married to the man who will eventually become the President of the Church.

This quote reminded me of a talk given in 1997 in the Lutherville Ward in Towson, Maryland, by Kelly Cameron a strong member of the Church. Kelly read to us a quote from the biography of Spencer W. Kimball (I apologize that I am unable to locate the exact quote). Elder Kimball and his wife Camilla were living in Thatcher, Arizona at the time and when it came time to plan out their annual vacation the couple could not agree on a location. In the spirit of compromise, the couple agreed that Elder Kimball would take part of the family and go to his chosen location, while Camilla would take the other part of the family and go to her chosen vacation spot. Elder Cameron remarked very humorously that if President Kimball could get away with that decision, there was still hope for the rest of us. We all nodded our heads in agreement.

Ironically, our next missed quote was from President Kimball who explained what D&C 42:22 means when it says "thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart... and shalt cleave unto her and none else."

"When the Lord says all thy heart, it allows for no sharing nor dividing nor depriving. The words none else eliminate everyone and everything. The spouse then becomes preeminent in the life of the husband or wife, and neither social life nor occupational life nor political life nor any other interest nor person nor thing shall ever take precedence over the companion spouse. Marriage presupposes total allegiance and total fidelity. Each spouse takes the partner with the understanding that he or she gives totally to the spouse all the heart, strength, loyalty, honor, and affection, with all dignity. Any divergence is sin; any sharing of the heart is transgression. As we should have ‘an eye single to the glory of God,’ so should we have an eye, an ear, a heart single to the marriage and the spouse and family" [Faith Precedes the Miracle (1972), 142–43].

Our final missed quote was from Elder Dallin H. Oaks: "We know that many worthy and wonderful Latter-day Saints currently lack the ideal opportunities and essential requirements for their progress. Singleness, childlessness, death, and divorce frustrate ideals and postpone the fulfillment of promised blessings. In addition, some women who desire to be full-time mothers and homemakers have been literally compelled to enter the full-time workforce. But these frustrations are only temporary. The Lord has promised that in the eternities no blessing will be denied his sons and daughters who keep the commandments, are true to their covenants, and desire what is right. Many of the most important deprivations of mortality will be set right in the Millennium, which is the time for fulfilling all that is incomplete in the great plan of happiness for all of our Father’s worthy children. We know that will be true of temple ordinances. I believe it will also be true of family relationships and experiences" [in Conference Report, Oct. 1993, 101; or Ensign, Nov. 1993, 75]. Regardless of whether or not the blessings of temple marriage come to us in this life or in the next, they are predicated upon principles of righteousness. We are to pray for the blessings to come and to live worthy of them, but ultimately accept the timetable set by the Lord.

Well that is all for this week. I will leave you with this nugget of wisdom from President Hinckley: "Be fiercely loyal one to another" [his counsel to married couples in the Feb. 1999 Ensign, p. 4]. May the Lord keep you and bless you this week is my prayer. Remember who you are...

Next week we will discuss the final months of the Prophet Joseph Smith's life and the martyrdom. Read Doctrine and Covenants 135; Our Heritage, pp. 62-66.