How Essential Is Marriage to Eternal Happiness?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to three books of scripture – Genesis 1-2; Moses 2-3; Abraham 4-5 – that teach about the Creation of heaven, the Earth, Adam and Eve, and all the plant and animal life on the earth. This lesson is titled “In the Beginning God Created the Heaven and the Earth,” and it was introduced by the following information. 

Because the world around us is so beautiful and majestic, it’s hard to imagine the earth when it was “without form, and void” and “empty and desolate” (Genesis 1:2; Abraham 4:2). One thing the Creation story teaches us is that God can, over time, make something magnificent out of something unorganized. That’s helpful to remember when life seems chaotic. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are Creators, and Their creative work with us is not finished. They can make light shine in dark moments in our lives. They can fill our emptiness with life. They can transform us into the divine beings we were meant to be. That’s what it means to be created in God’s image, after His likeness (see Genesis 1:26). We have the potential to become like Him: exalted, glorified, heavenly.

This scripture block contained several principles, including the following: (1) “By mine Only Begotten I created these things” (Genesis 1:1-25; Moses 2:1-25; Abraham 4:1-25). (2) I am created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27; Moses 2:26-27; Abraham 4:26-27). (3) Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God (Genesis 1:27-28; 2:18-25; Moses 3:18, 21-24; Abraham 5:14-18). (4) I am responsible for caring for God’s creations (Genesis 1:28; Moses 2:28; Abraham 4:28). (5) God blessed and sanctified the Sabbath day (Genesis 2:2-3; Moses 3:2-3; Abraham 5:2-3).

I feel prompted to discuss principle #3 concerning marriage for eternity. First, we will look at the applicable scriptures. (Emphasis added.)

Genesis 1:27-28 (Old Testament)

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis 2:18-25 (Old Testament)

18 ¶ And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Moses 3:18, 21-25 (Pearl of Great Price)

18 And I, the Lord God, said unto mine Only Begotten, that it was not good that the man should be alone; wherefore, I will make an help meet for him.

21 And I, the Lord God, caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; and he slept, and I took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in the stead thereof;

22 And the rib which I, the Lord God, had taken from man, made I a woman, and brought her unto the man.

23 And Adam said: This I know now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man.

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Abraham 5:14-19 (Pearl of Great Price)

14 And the Gods said: Let us make an help meet for the man, for it is not good that the man should be alone, therefore we will form an help meet for him.

15 And the Gods caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; and he slept, and they took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in the stead thereof;

16 And of the rib which the Gods had taken from man, formed they a woman, and brought her unto the man.

17 And Adam said: This was bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; now she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man;

18 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.

19 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

In short, these scripture references teach the following: Male and female were created in the image of God. God said that it was not good for the man to be alone, so He created the female to be a help meet for the man. It stands to reason that the man was also a help meet for the woman. Help meet means companion or partner. God blessed (or performed a marriage ceremony) Adam and Eve and commanded them to multiply (have children) and to cleave (hold tight) to one another. Now we will turn to the words of latter-day prophets and apostles.

President Russell M. Nelson taught: “Adam and Eve were joined together in marriage for time and for all eternity by the power of [the] everlasting priesthood” (“Lessons from Eve,” Ensign, Nov. 1987, 87). A marriage is sacred and should be treated with reverence and considered holy. Lessons from Eve

"The Family – A Proclamation to the World" was announced to the world 30 years ago. It proclaims that “the family is ordained of God” and “is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.” The proclamation declares “that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force.” It also states, “we further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.” The Family Proclamation

At a different time, then-Elder Russell M. Nelson taught the following to an audience at Brigham Young University: the family is “pivotal to God’s plan…. In fact, a purpose of the plan is to exalt the family.” Faith and Families | Russell M. Nelson | BYU Speeches

Then acting as President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, Dallin H. Oaks gave the following counsel in his address during the October 2025 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: The Family-Centered Gospel of Jesus Christ

The Church of Jesus Christ is sometimes known as a family-centered church. It is! Our relationship to God and the purpose of our mortal life are explained in terms of the family. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the plan of our Heavenly Father for the benefit of His spirit children. We can truly say that the gospel plan was first taught to us in the council of an eternal family, it is implemented through our mortal families, and its intended destiny is to exalt the children of God in eternal families.

 

Marriage for Eternity

                “The Family:  A Proclamation to the World” published by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1995 proclaims that “marriage between a man and woman is ordained of God.”  Marriage has been a law of the gospel since the beginning of life on earth.  Heavenly Father performed the first wedding on earth. The marriage of Adam and Eve was performed before they partook of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; therefore, it was an eternal marriage because it took place before death came into the world.

                Adam and Eve taught eternal marriage to their children and grandchildren; however, some of the people became wicked and did not have eternal marriages performed.  Eventually the authority to perform marriages for eternal was taken from the earth; it was not restored until after the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

                Marriage is not only a social custom or legal agreement between two people who desire to live together.  To members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, marriage is something much more important.  We believe that “marriage is the most sacred relationship that can exist between a man and a woman.”  We believe that marriage can be eternal and that our eternal exaltation depends on how well we live this law.  We believe that this “sacred relationship affects our happiness now as well as in the eternities.”  We know that the law of eternal marriage is part of Heavenly Father’s plan for the happiness of His children.  We know that Heavenly Father instituted the law of eternal marriage to help us become like Him.  We must live this law in order to have spirit children as He does.

                We can read about the law of eternal marriage in modern revelation.  “In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees.  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” (Doctrine and Covenants 131:1-3).

                To obey the law of eternal marriage all marriages should be performed in the proper place by one holding the proper authority.  “If a man marry a wife by … the new and everlasting covenant… by him who is anointed … it … shall be of full force when they are out of the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 132:19).  The House of the Lord or temple is the proper place for an eternal marriage; one holding the holy Melchizedek Priesthood and the proper authority performs marriages there.

                In the temple the bride and groom kneel at the sacred altars surrounded by family and friends as well as two special witnesses of their own choosing.  There they make sacred covenants with each other and with God with their marriage being witnessed by angels.  Acting under the direction of God, the promises blessings to the couple and then instructs them in how to obtain those blessings.  He also reminds them that they must be obedient to the commandments of God in order to receive the blessings. One of the blessings of eternal marriage is the opportunity to live together as families – as parents and children eternally.

                Any marriage performed by any other authority or in any other place is for this life only.  The phrase “unto death do us part” literally means that the marriage will end at the time either marriage partner dies.  The marriage is over and neither partner has claim upon the other or any children that may bless the marriage.

                There are numerous blessings that come from an eternal marriage, and the blessings are our in this life as well as the life to come.  Blessings of an eternal marriage that come during this life include (1) Knowledge that our marriage will last forever if we do the necessary work for a happy, successful marriage.  (2) Knowledge that our children will be ours for eternity if we live to obtain that blessing.  This knowledge causes parents to teach and train their children more diligently, show greater patience, and be more loving – and these behaviors can make our homes happier.

 

                Eternal blessings that come from marrying in the right place and by the proper authority include:  (1) Living forever in the presence of Heavenly Father in the Celestial Kingdom; (2) Exaltation and a fulness of joy, and (3) Opportunity at a future time to become the parents of spirit children.

Eternal Marriage

                    Have you ever considered the difference between a temple marriage and an eternal marriage?   In my younger years, I thought that they were the same thing, but I as I matured I realized they are different.  A "temple marriage" is one performed in the temple; an "eternal marriage" is one that lasts forever.

                    A marriage performed for eternity in the temple is a necessary step along the way to having an eternal marriage.  A temple marriage opens the door to exaltation in the celestial kingdom.  In the temple, through the power of the priesthood, men and women can be married for eternity, not just until death.  Any children born to a couple that has been "sealed" in the temple would then be "born in the covenant," meaning that they could be sealed together as a family forever.

                    After a husband and wife have been sealed in the temple, they must keep the covenants they made in the temple and live the laws of the gospel.  By keeping those covenants and living the principles of the gospel, they can achieve an eternal marriage.  Those who live for eternal marriage will realize great blessings here on earth as well as in the next life.  

                    Some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do not understand the importance of being married in the temple.  They may believe that "eternity" is too far in the future to be a cause of concern or they may think that temple marriage is not for everyone.  They may simply consider it as unimportant.  In the following story, one such young woman described her journey to understanding why temple marriage is so important for each of us.

                    Chris and her husband were first married in a civil ceremony conducted by their branch president.  Later Chris said of that ceremony:  "I remember nothing of what was said except the final words:  `as long as you both shall live.'  We were in love and the fact that we had not been married in the temple seemed unimportant."

                    At the time Chris did not plan on ever being married in the temple.  She said:  "I had joined the Church five years earlier and had received several lessons concerning the importance of temple marriage.  But … eternity seemed such a long way off….  I also felt temple marriage was for the `elite' of the Church, not for someone like me who was still stumbling about with a youthful testimony."

                    Five months after the wedding, Chris and her husband discovered that they were expecting their first child.  This blessed event changed her way of thinking.  I had a similar experience in having my thinking changed once I was responsible for a tiny human being; I became converted to the importance of having food available to feed her and got serious about food storage!

                    Chris said:  "My greatest jolt about the nearness of eternity came … when I discovered that we were expecting our first child.  I felt nauseated, thrilled, humbled, and terrified all at the same time.  As the months passed, a deep love for that little person inside of me began to grow and fill my very being.  As this love grew, so did the reality that I wanted this child to be ours for all eternity….

                    "My love for my husband was also blossoming beyond anything I had ever imagined….  The words `as long as you both shall live' began to haunt me.  Eternity was creeping ever closer, and I wanted our happiness to last forever."

                    The members of the ward [parish] where Chris and her husband lived often went on trips to the temple.  Chris later recorded how she felt when she could not go with them:  "I was learning that unless I made the covenants that are part of the temple ceremony, I would be on the outside looking in for the rest of eternity."

                    After Chris decided that she wanted to marry her husband in the temple, her outlook on life changed.  "All of my thoughts became centered around what I would have to do to be worthy of entering the temple," she said.  Chris was very fortunate that her husband was willing to prepare for temple marriage also.

                    "Finally, one year and two days after our civil marriage, my wonderful husband and I knelt across the altar from each other in the Ogden Temple, surrounded by smiling friends and family members.  We gazed on our `eternal' reflection in the mirrors, tears cascading down our cheeks.

                    "Four weeks later, our first beautiful baby was born in the covenant.  Never had we seen such a living miracle, and she was ours for eternity.

                    "Over 16 years have passed since that day in the Ogden Temple.  The doubts and fears of our first year have been replaced by the peace of knowing ours is a forever family.  I shudder to think of the chance we took, and of what these past 16 years would have been like if we had not been sealed in the temple.  Many of the couples who begin as we did never do go to the temple.

                    "I cherish being able to return often to the temple.  Within its walls I am reminded that I now possess all I need to be truly happy - forever."  Chris Geilman, "As Long As You Both Shall Live," New Era, Jan. 1994, 9-11)

http://www.lds.org/new-era/1994/01/as-long-as-you-both-shall-live?lang=eng

                    Many people consider marriage to be only a social custom or a legal agreement between a man and a woman that they will live together.  Others consider it to be "just a piece of paper."  Still others see marriage as being old fashioned, outdated, and unnecessary.

To members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, marriage is much more.  Our Heavenly Father ordained marriage from the very beginning when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden.  "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife:  and they shall be one flesh" (Genesis 2:24).

God continued to give this same instruction to different prophets.  To Moses, God gave the same commandment:  "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh" (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 3:24).

God renewed this instruction in a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith in March 1831:  "And again, verily I say unto you, that whoso forbiddeth to marry is not ordained of God, for marriage is ordained of God unto man" (Doctrine and Covenants 49:15).

In our day this commandment was included in "The Family - A Proclamation to the World."  https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it begins with this statement:  "We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children."

One of the main reasons for getting married in the temple is because we love our families and want to be with them forever.  If we want to be with our spouse, our children, and our children's children for eternity, we must be married for eternity.

God has a plan for the eternal happiness of His children, and He told us about His plan before we came to earth.  We understood that our life on earth would be for a short time; we understood that we needed to come to earth to get our physical bodies and experience in making good choices and doing good works.  We understood that there would be a judgment day, and then we would be assigned our eternal destinations.  Those destinations are known as kingdoms - Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial.  We understood that the greatest blessings would come through being qualified for the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom.

The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches the requirements to attain the Celestial Kingdom:  baptism by immersion, gift of the Holy Ghost, faith in Jesus Christ, and obedience to God's commandments.  There is an additional requirement to attain the highest degree of that kingdom:  marriage in the temple for eternity.

"In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;

"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" (Doctrine and Covenants 131:1-4).  I know that those who are married in the temple and live worthily can receive exaltation in the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom.

                    President Spencer W. Kimball made the following statement:  "Marriage is perhaps the most vital of all the decisions and has the most far-reaching effects for it has to do not only with the immediate happiness, but eternal joys.  It affects not only the two people involved, but their children and … their children's children down through the latest generations.

                    "In selecting a companion for life and for eternity, certainly the most careful planning and thinking and praying and fasting should be done to be sure that of all the decisions, this one must not be wrong….

                    "We recommend then that all boys and girls from their infancy up plan to be married only in the temple, to keep their lives spotless so that this can be accomplished" (The Matter of Marriage [address delivered at the Salt Lake Institute of Religion, 22 Oct. 1976], 4-5).

                    Parents and leaders in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teach the rising generation to aspire to a higher form of marriage.  Children and youth are taught about the temple and the importance of preparing for temple marriage by obedience, thought, and prayer.

                    President Howard W. Hunter, fourteenth President of the Church, made the following statement:

                    "I invite the Latter-day Saints to look to the temple of the Lord as the great symbol of your membership.  It is the deepest desire of my heart to have every member of the Church worthy to enter the temple….  The things that we must do and not do to be worthy of a temple recommend are the very things that ensure we will be happy as individuals and as families.

                    "Let us be a temple-attending people.  Attend the temple as frequently as personal circumstances allow" (Ensign, Nov. 1994, 8).

                    We are encouraged to have pictures of the temple in our homes and to visit the temple grounds with our children.  We do our best to help our posterity to live righteous lives and prepare for temple marriage.  We teach our children about temples in numerous ways.  An example is a song entitled "Families Can Be Together Forever" (words written by Ruth Muir Gardner with music written by Vanja Y. Watkins; Hymns, No. 300).

                    I have a fam'ly here on earth.  They are so good to me.

                    I want to share my life with them through all eternity.

                     

    Families can be together forever

    Through Heav'nly Father's plan.

                    I always want to be with my own family,

   And the Lord has shown me how I can.

                    The Lord has shown me how I can.

                    While I am in my early years, I'll prepare most carefully,

                    So I can marry in God's temple for eternity.

                    Families can be together forever

                    Through Heav'nly Father's plan.

                    I always want to be with my own family,

                    And the Lord has shown me how I can.

                    The Lord has shown me how I can.

                    The temple was an important part of my life long before I was old enough to enter it.  I remember going on trips with my family from eastern Utah to the Salt Lake Valley.  As we drove through the mountains and down the canyon, we began to watch closely because each of us wanted to be the first to see the spires of the Salt Lake Temple, the highest building in the valley at that time.  I also remember with fondness my first trip to the temple as a twelve-year-old girl to do baptisms for the dead.

                    Serving in the temple as a teenager helps us prepare to be married in the temple later.  Temple service brings us great joy and helps us draw nearer to our Heavenly Father.  Everyone who enters the temple must have a temple recommend signed by their bishop to show their worthiness to be there. 

To obtain a temple recommend, we must have an interview with our bishop [or branch president] to determine whether or not we are worthy to enter the temple.  The bishop has the responsibility to determine our worthiness, and he asks some basic questions, such as the following:  1) Do you have a testimony of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost?  2) Do you sustain the prophet and other Church leaders?  3) Do you strive to keep the commandments?  4) Do you treat your family members with love and respect?  5) Do you attend your Church meetings?  6) Are you honest with those around you?  7) Do you keep the Word of Wisdom?  8) Are you morally clean?  9) Do you pay a full tithe?

                    It is not an easy thing to quality for exaltation in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom, but it is possible.  To qualify, a husband and wife must have a temple wedding ceremony plus develop celestial character traits.  The continued righteousness of those married in the temple is as important as the marriage ceremony itself.

                    Eternal marriage brings peace, comfort, and true happiness.  The temple is the most beautiful place for a marriage to take place as well as being the most important place.  I am grateful for the temple and its blessings in my life.  I am grateful for the promise that we can be together forever with our family members.  I encourage you to become temple worthy and receive that promise.

                   

                   

Blessings of Eternal Marriage

                    "Two of the vital pillars that sustain Father in Heaven's plan of happiness are marriage and the family.  Their lofty significance is underscored by Satan's relentless efforts to splinter the family and to undermine the significance of temple ordinances, which bind the family together for eternity.  The temple sealing has greater meaning as life unfolds.  It will help you draw ever closer together and find greater joy and fulfillment in mortality.  (See Richard G. Scott, "The Eternal Blessings of Marriage," Ensign, May 2011, p. 94.)

                    Eternal marriage has been part of the gospel of Jesus Christ since the beginning of time.  The marriage of Adam and Eve was performed by God in the Garden of Eden; since their marriage was performed by God and took place before death entered the world, they were married for eternity.  (See Genesis 2:21-24.)  Their eternal marriage is an indication that marriages can and do last forever and not just until death.

                    Adam and Eve taught the law of eternal marriage to their children and other posterity.  Through the generations of time, the posterity of Adam became so wicked that the authority to perform the sacred ordinance of eternal marriage was taken from the earth.  This authority was restored to the earth through the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the latter days.

                    To members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, marriage is more than a social custom or a legal agreement between a man and a woman to live together.  "Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God" declared the First Presidency.  (See "The Family:  A Proclamation to the World," Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102.)

                    Marriage is a sacred covenant, even a sacrament, and the most sacred relationship that can exist between a man and a woman.  Marriage affects our happiness here on earth as well as in the eternities and is a requirement for exaltation.  Because of the importance of marriage, we must be wise in choosing a companion and totally loyal to that companion after marriage.  Husbands and wives are equal partners in marriage who walk side by side as sons and daughters of God.  Neither the husband nor the wife is superior or inferior to the other.

                    President Howard W. Hunter taught, "Being happily and successfully married is generally not so much a matter of marrying the right person as it is being the right person."  He also taught, "The conscious effort to do one's part fully is the greatest element contributing to success." (See Ensign, May 2011, p. 68.)

                    One of the basic truths taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that human beings can become like Heavenly Father by following the teachings of Jesus Christ.  Obedience to the law of eternal marriage is very important to this process.  The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, "In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; 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" (Doctrine and Covenants 131:1-3).

                    For a marriage to last for eternity, it must be performed by the proper authority and in the proper place.  A marriage must be performed by one who holds the sealing power in order to receive the promised blessing of the Lord:  "If a man marry a wife by … the new and everlasting covenant … by him who is anointed, … and if [they] abide in [the Lord's] covenant, … it … shall be of full force when they are out of the world" (Doctrine and Covenants 132:19).  The proper place for an eternal marriage is one of the holy temples of our Lord - the only place where a marriage for eternity can be performed.

                    Latter-day Saint couples kneel at a sacred altar in the temple to make their marriage covenants before God and in the presence of their family and friends who have received the temple endowment.  The marriage is performed by a man who holds the holy priesthood of God and who has received the authority to perform this sacred ordinance.  Acting under the direction of God, he promises the blessings of exaltation to the couple as well as gives them instructions in how to obtain those blessings - with a reminder that all blessings depend on obedience to God's laws.

                    A marriage performed by any authority other than by the priesthood in the temple is for this life only, and the marriage partners have no claim on each other or on their children after death.  A marriage for eternity presents the opportunity for families to continue after this life.  Couples who have previously been married by civil authority may prepare themselves to go to the temple to be sealed for eternity, but a civil marriage is not a requirement for a temple marriage.

                    There are numerous blessings of an eternal marriage, both in this life and in eternity.  Blessings in this life include: 

1) Knowledge and comfort that our marriage can last forever and will not end at death except through our own disobedience.  This knowledge helps us to strive harder to make a happy, successful marriage.  2) Knowledge that our family relationships can continue throughout eternity helps us to be more careful in teaching and training our children.  This knowledge helps us to use more patience and love in dealing with family members and thus helps to make a happier home.  3) When our marriage is performed in God's ordained way, we have the right to the blessings of God upon our marriage as long as we live worthy of those blessings.

                    Heavenly blessings to enjoy include living in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom of God, being exalted as God is, and receiving a fulness of joy.  Keeping an eternal perspective has a great influence on all that we say and do.

                    President Spencer W. Kimball taught, "Marriage is perhaps the most vital of all the decisions and has the most far-reaching effects, for it has to do not only with immediate happiness, but also with eternal joys.  It affects not only the two people involved, but also their families and particularly their children and their children's children down through the many generations.  In selecting a companion for life and for eternity, certainly the most careful planning and thinking and praying and fasting should be done to be sure that of all the decisions, this one must not be wrong"  (Teachings of Presidents of the Church:  Spencer W. Kimball [2006], 193).

Families Are Forever

                    Families are strengthened by the knowledge that family life is meant to last for eternity and when priority is put on the family.  The Proclamation on the Family tells us:  "Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God….  The family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children." (See "The Family:  A Proclamation to the World," Ensign, Nov. 1995, p. 102.)

                    We know that Heavenly Father brought Adam and Eve together in marriage and then commanded them to have children (see Genesis 1:28).  He revealed to them that one of the purposes for marriage is to provide physical or mortal bodies for His spirit children still in heaven.

                    President David O. McKay said, "With all my heart I believe that the best place to prepare for … eternal life is in the home" ("Blueprint for Family Living," Improvement Era, April. 1963, p. 252).  It is in our homes that we learn to love, to share and to serve each other.  It is in our homes that we learn self-control, sacrifice, loyalty, and the value of work.

                    I recently purchased a small placard that I really like.  It says, "Family:  Other things may change us, but we start and end with family."  I found this same thought in the posting of a friend on Facebook:  "FriEND, BoyfriEND, GirlfriEND, Best FriEND.  Every close relationship has an END except FamILY!  Family has three letters that say I LOVE YOU."

                    This is so true.  I always make time for family whenever I return to my home area, but I seldom have time to visit friends.  In fact, in the past fifty years, I can remember only a few visits since graduation with my very best friend from junior high school and high school.  Even our letters and telephone calls have become infrequent.  Yet I stay in close contact with family.

                    One of my very favorite songs is about families.  It is entitled "Families Can Be Together Forever" and was written by Ruth M. Gardner.

I have a family here on earth.

They are so good to me.

I want to share my life with them

Through all eternity.

Families can be together forever

Through Heavenly Father's plan.

I always want to be with my own family,

And the Lord has shown me how I can.

While I am in my early years,

I'll prepare most carefully,

So I can marry in God's temple

For eternity.

Families can be together forever

Through Heavenly Father's plan.

I always want to be with my own family,

And the Lord has shown me how I can.

                    Families gather in circles for many different reasons - blessings, confirmations, ordinations, etc.  Families gather to share reunions, weddings, baby showers, and other happy events.  Families also gather together in difficult times such as serious accidents, fatal illnesses, deaths, funerals, and the reading of wills.  Sometimes friends become as close as family, but usually "blood" is thicker than friendship.  Friends are very important in lives, but we must put our priorities on family.

                    Marriage as ordained by our Heavenly Father was not meant to end in divorce or at death.  It was meant to last for all eternity.  I firmly believe that husbands and wives, fathers, mothers, and children can be together for eternity because love lasts for eternity.  Prophets have taught that heaven is only an extension of an ideal home, and I believe this is true.  Families are forever!

                    

God Ordained Marriage

Families are strengthened when children are taught that "marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children" (The Family - A Proclamation to the World). Children should also be taught that marriage is sacred and not to be taken lightly and that two very important reasons for marriage are for the procreation and nurturing of children and for the protection of women and children. The same proclamation on the family proclaimed that the father is responsible for protecting, presiding, and providing for his family while the mother is mainly responsible for nurturing and caring for her husband and children.

The very first marriage on earth took place when God joined Adam and Eve in holy matrimony in the Garden of Eden, and during that marriage ceremony God commanded them to have children. God created male and female in order that each could "complete" the other.
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" …
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
"And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth" (Genesis 1:26-28.)

We know that Adam and Eve were married because the next chapter tells us that they were: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
"And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed" (Genesis 2:24-25).

The greatest joys of life are found within the family. Happy and healthy marriages and strong family relationships take great effort, but the results are great happiness in this life and joy throughout eternity.

Our Heavenly Father has a plan where all of His children can achieve eternal happiness and joy. In His plan, a man and a woman can be sealed to each other for time and for all eternity. When a marriage is performed in the proper place (temple) and by proper authority (priesthood), we have the assurance that our relationship will continue forever if we are true to the covenants we made. Such a marriage carries the promise that nothing, not even death, can separate us permanently.

An eternal marriage does not just happen. Each of us must carefully prepare ourselves for marriage and live a life worthy of such a marriage. Since marriage means we are to give our entire heart, our entire love, our entire allegiance, and our entire loyalty, we must choose our companion wisely - someone we can always honor and respect as well as someone who will complement us in our life. There is no substitute for marrying the right person in the right place at the right time and by the right authority.

Friendship and love between a man and his wife should be a cherished relationship. Our spouse is the only person besides the Lord whom we have been commanded to love "with all thy heart" (see Doctrine and Covenants 42:22).

A true marriage is a partnership of equals. Neither partner should exercise dominion over the other, but each partner should encourage, comfort, help, and be a sustaining influence to the other.

Since marriage is such an important relationship, it needs and deserves quality time. We should never give higher priority to commitments that are less important. Marriage requires that we take the necessary time to talk together, to listen to each other, and to work together towards common goals. Healthy marriages involve thoughtfulness, respect, tender feelings, and frequent affection.

We should never let anything disrupt our marriages or come between us. Each marriage will face challenges of one kind or another, but we should always be loyal to each other and faithful in our marriage covenants in our thoughts, words, and actions. This means that we should stay away from anything that could lead to unfaithfulness and we should avoid every kind of pornography. When the Lord said, "Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else" (Doctrine and Covenants 42:22), the phrase "none else" means that no person, activity, or possession should ever take precedence over the marriage relationship.

Parents should work together in managing finances and cooperate in establishing and following a budget. By handling our money wisely and staying free from debt, we can contribute to having peace in our homes.

In order to have an eternal marriage, we must center our lives in the gospel of Jesus Christ and help each other to keep our covenants. We can strengthen our marriages by attending Church and the temple together, by studying the scriptures together, and by kneeling together in prayer.

God meant for marriage and the family relationship to continue throughout all eternity and has shown us the way to make it so. Parents can teach by word and example that marriage between a man and a woman is important and sacred in the eyes of God and mankind.

Fall of Adam and Eve

God created or organized this earth as a home for His sons and daughters. He selected Adam and Eve to be the first people on the earth and placed them in the Garden of Eden (see Moses 1:34; 4:26). Their part of God's plan for His children was to bring mortality into the world. They were given the job to be the first parents on earth, and they were foreordained to this responsibility.

Adam and Eve were among the most noble of our Father's children. Adam was known as Michael the archangel in the spirit world (Jude 1:9), and Heavenly Father selected Adam to lead the righteous forces in the battle against Satan (see Revelation 12:7-9). God brought Adam and Eve together in marriage because “it was not good that the man should be alone” (Moses 3:18; see also 1 Corinthians 11:11). Eve was "the mother of all living" (Moses 4:26) and shared Adam's responsibilities, accomplishments, and blessings.

When Adam and Eve were put in the Garden of Eden, they were not yet mortal. They could not have children or die. They did not know good from evil. God commanded them to have children and said, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over … every living thing that moveth upon the earth" (Moses 2:28). God told them to take care of the Garden of Eden and to eat of every tree in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He told them that they would die if they partook of the fruit of that tree (Moses 3:17).

Satan did not know what was in God's mind; his only desire was to destroy God's plan for His children. He tempted Eve to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He told her a half truth when he said that she and Adam would not die but would "be as the gods, knowing good and evil" (Moses 4:11). Eve listened to Satan and ate the fruit. When Adam understood what she had done, he chose to eat of the fruit also in order that they could remain together. Because they ate of the fruit, change came upon their bodies. This change is known as the Fall.

Adam and Eve were changed both physically and spiritually. Because they ate of the fruit, God sent them out of the Garden of Eden into the world where they would need to work to provide for their own needs. Their bodies changed and became mortal. They could have children. They and their children would experience sickness and pain and would eventually die just as God had promised. Because Adam and Eve disobeyed and transgressed Heavenly Father's law, they suffered spiritual death. This meant that they could no longer walk and talk with God face to face. They and their posterity were separated from God both physically and spiritually.

Many people believe that Adam and Eve committed a serious sin when they ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. I believe that they took a noble and necessary step in God's plan. I believe that their Fall was a great blessing to themselves and to their posterity. I believe that the Fall was a step forward and upward. Because of the Fall, we have many blessings, opportunities and privileges that we would not have received if Adam and Eve had remained in the Garden of Eden. We are blessed with physical bodies, the right to choose between good and evil, and the opportunity to gain eternal life.

After the Fall, Eve realized the importance of the step taken. She said, "Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed [children], and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient" (Moses 5:11).

A prophet named Lehi saw the "big picture" and explained it to his children. He said, "And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen [been cut off from God's presence], but he would have remained in the Garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created…. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:22-25).

I believe that it is very important for us to know about the Fall and to understand how it influences us. It is good for us to know of the greatness and nobility of our first parents. It is important that we understand why Adam and Eve needed to become mortal and then honor them for their courage and willingness to do so. We must always remember that Adam and Eve were among the most noble of Heavenly Father's children and that He chose them to perform a very important part of His plan for His children. They helped to prepare the way for the rest of us. I look forward to the day when I can meet them and thank them personally for their courage and commitment.

Exaltation

In our pre-earth life, Heavenly Father called all of His children together and explained His plan for our eternal progression. He told us that if we followed His plan, we could become like Him, an exalted being. As part of His plan, we would need to leave His presence and come to earth for a time. He explained that this temporary separation was necessary in order that we might prove whether we would keep His commandments when we were no longer with Him. Another part of His plan provided that we would be judged and rewarded according to our faith and obedience.

The scriptures teach that there are three kingdoms of glory in heaven. In 2 Corinthians 12:2, the Apostle Paul mentioned that he knew a man who was “caught up to the third heaven.” Paul told us the names of two of the kingdoms in heaven: the celestial and the terrestrial (see 1 Corinthians 15:40-42). The celestial kingdom is the highest, and the terrestrial kingdom is second. The Lord revealed through latter-day revelation that the third kingdom is the telestial kingdom (see Doctrine and Covenants 76:81). We also know from latter-day revelation that the celestial kingdom has three heavens or degrees in it (see Doctrine and Covenants 131:1).

All those who prove faithful to the Lord will live in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom of heaven and will become exalted. They will live with Heavenly Father in eternal families. Exaltation is the greatest gift of God to His children (see Doctrine and Covenants 14:7).

Exaltation means to have eternal life or the kind of life that God lives. God is perfect and lives in great glory. He possesses all knowledge and all wisdom. He is the Father of spirit children. He is a creator. If we are worthy of exaltation, we can become like our Heavenly Father.

Heavenly Father is perfect, and He created a perfect plan for the salvation of His children. He wants all of us to become like Him. His work and glory is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).

By exercising faith in Jesus Christ, we can receive exaltation in the celestial kingdom as well as other special blessings. The Lord promised, “All things are theirs” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:59). Some of the special blessings given to exalted people are: 1) They will live eternally in the presence of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ (see Doctrine and Covenants 76:62). 2) They will become gods (see Doctrine and Covenants 132:20-23). 3) They will be united eternally with their righteous family members and will be able to have eternal increase. 4) They will receive a fullness of joy. 5) They will have everything that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have – all power, glory, dominion, and knowledge (see Doctrine and Covenants 132:19-20).

President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: “The Father has promised through the Son that all that he has shall be given to those who are obedient to His commandments. They shall increase in knowledge, wisdom, and power, going from grace to grace, until the fullness of the perfect day shall burst upon them” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols, [1954-56], 2:36; italics in original).

If we desire to receive exaltation and these special blessings, we must meet the requirements now (see Alma 34:32-34). President Joseph Fielding Smith said, “In order to obtain the exaltation we must accept the gospel and all its covenants; and take upon us the obligations which the Lord has offered; and walk in the light and the understanding of the truth; and `live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God’” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:43).

The first requirement for exaltation is to place our faith in Jesus Christ and continue in that faith to the end of our lives. We show our faith in Jesus Christ when we repent of our sins and obey His commandments. He commands us to receive certain ordinances. Those ordinances are: 1) We must be baptized. 2) We must receive the laying on of hands to be confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 3) Brethren must receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and magnify their callings in the priesthood. 4) We must receive the temple endowment. 5) We must be married for eternity, either in this life or in the next.

Other commandments besides the required ordinances are: 1) Love God and our neighbors. 2) Keep the commandments. 3) Repent of our wrongdoings. 4) Search out our kindred dead and receive the saving ordinances of the gospel for them. 5) Attend our Church meetings as regularly as possible in order to renew our baptismal covenants by partaking of the sacrament. 6) Love our family members and strengthen them in the ways of the Lord. 7) Have family and individual prayers every day. 8) Teach the gospel to others by word and deed. 9) Study the scriptures. 10) Listen to and obey the inspired words of the prophets of the Lord. 11) Receive the Holy Ghost and learn to follow His promptings to us.

To all those who are faithful disciples of Christ to the end of their mortal lives, the Lord promises, “If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 14:7. President Joseph Fielding Smith said, “If we will continue in God; that is, keep his commandments, worship him and live his truth; then the time will come when we shall be bathed in the fullness of truth, which shall grow brighter and brighter until the perfect day” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:36).

The Prophet Joseph Smith explained how to achieve exaltation: “When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the gospel – you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil [died] before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 268).

The Prophet Joseph Smith also taught: “It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God. … He was once a man like us; … God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 345-346).

Heavenly Father loves each of His children. He desires all of us to return to Him. He knows our trials as well as our weaknesses and sins. He has compassion for our struggles and offers mercy to us. He wants us to succeed like He did. I can imagine the great joy felt by those who return home to our Father and hear Him say, “Well done…; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:23).

Marriage for Eternity

"Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God" ("The Family: A Proclamation to the World," Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102). Marriage has been a law of the gospel since the beginning of time. Because Adam and Eve were married by God while they lived in the Garden of Eden and before there was death in the world, they were married for eternity. (See Genesis 2:21-24.) The eternal marriage of Adam and Eve indicates that marriages are intended to last forever and not just until death.

Adam and Eve taught the law of eternal marriage to their children as well as to their grandchildren and other posterity. Through the generations of time, the posterity of Adam became so wicked that the authority to perform the sacred ordinance of eternal marriage was taken from the earth. This authority was restored to earth through the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
To members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, marriage is more than a social custom or a legal agreement between a man and a woman to live together. Marriage is a sacred covenant, a sacrament, and the most sacred relationship that can exist between a man and a woman. Marriage affects our happiness here on earth as well as in the eternities and is a requirement for exaltation.

By obedience to the law of eternal marriage, we can become like Heavenly Father. The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, "In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; 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" (Doctrine and Covenants 131:1-3).

For a marriage to last for eternity, it must be performed by the proper authority and in the proper place. A marriage must be performed by one who holds the sealing power in order to receive the promised blessing of the Lord: "If a man marry a wife by … the new and everlasting covenant … by him who is anointed, … and if [they] abide in [the Lord's] covenant, … it … shall be of full force when they are out of the world" (Doctrine and Covenants 132:19). The proper place for an eternal marriage is one of the holy temples of our Lord - the only place where a marriage for eternity can be performed.

Latter-day Saint couples kneel at one of the sacred altars in the temple and make their marriage covenants before God and in the presence of their family and friends who have received the temple endowment. The marriage is performed by a man who holds the holy priesthood of God and who has received the authority to perform this sacred ordinance. Acting under the direction of God, he promises the blessings of exaltation to the couple as well as instructs them in how to obtain those blessings - with a reminder that all blessings depend on obedience to God's laws.

A marriage performed by any authority other than by the priesthood in the temple is for this life only, and the marriage partners have no claim on each other or on their children after death. A marriage for eternity presents the opportunity for families to continue after this life. Couples who have previously been married by civil authority may prepare themselves to go to the temple to be sealed for eternity, but a civil marriage is not a requirement for a temple marriage.

There are numerous blessings of an eternal marriage, both in this life and in eternity. Blessings in this life include: 1) The knowledge and comfort that our marriage can last forever and will not end at death except through our own disobedience. This knowledge helps us to strive harder to make a happy, successful marriage. 2) The knowledge that our family relationships can continue throughout eternity helps us to be more careful in teaching and training our children. This knowledge helps us to use more patience and love in dealing with family members and thus helps to make a happier home. 3) When our marriage is performed in God's ordained way, we have the right to the blessings of God upon our marriage as long as we live worthy of those blessings.

Blessings we can enjoy in heaven include living in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom of God, being exalted as God is, and receiving a fulness of joy. Keeping an eternal perspective has a great influence on all that we say and do.

President Spencer W. Kimball taught, "Marriage is perhaps the most vital of all the decisions and has the most far-reaching effects, for it has to do not only with immediate happiness, but also with eternal joys. It affects not only the two people involved, but also their families and particularly their children and their children's children down through the many generations. In selecting a companion for life and for eternity, certainly the most careful planning and thinking and praying and fasting should be done to be sure that of all the decisions, this one must not be wrong" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball [2006], 193).