Institute class today was marvelous. We listened to an interview with Richard G. Scott on the Mormon Channel. which you can subscribe to in iTunes. I caught something he said that I had never heard before and there is no spriptural reference to it, yet it makes perfect sense. I cannot do him justice by trying to recall the exact quote, but in essence he said it is his belief that in the spirit world we will not be immediately united with our spouse. There will be a period of time to ponder with the Lord and decide if we want to press forward with our covenanted marriage. What a strange idea to me! My first reaction was, "you mean a temple sealing isn't set in stone?" and then I thought about it some more and it makes sense. I've come up with two main reasons:
1. We are always using our agency here in mortality. Our spouse should have the opportunity to decide if they would like to continue as a sealed couple into the celestial kingdom. How wonderful would it be to not just once, but twice say, "for time and all eternity"? Even after a sealing both partners can use their agency for good or ill. If you decide to become a nasty husband or wife, I think it's only fair that your spouse be given the chance to discontinue your sealed marriage if they so choose.
2. Richard G. Scott said he was working hard so that his wife would once again marry him and remain sealed. Puts some perspective on the whole enduring to the end concept, doesn't it? Just because your spouse has passed away and you were sealed in the temple does not guarantee you anything. It is not a time to say, "well, we were married in the temple so now all I have to do is wait it out." We should be diligently working to be worthy of our spouses love and attention, even after they have passed.
I'm sure there are WAY more than two reasons for this. I was just caught off guard by what Richard G. Scott said. President Sherry and I discussed it more after class. He mentioned another term I have heard but am not familiar with, the Spirit of Promise. We were able to come up with some wonderful ideas on the matter. What are your thoughts?
It makes sense. Especially when you consider that there are temple marriages in which one or both partners are unhappy. You don't ever get forced into being with someone.
ReplyDeleteThat's intense studies right there Devon. I agree with Kelly's comment too.
ReplyDeleteAlso I would say that there's to it than that. I remember doing a study on this same topic at the beginning of my Mission. The conclusion that a Scholar and I came up with was this;
1. Being sealed to our families will give us the "opportunity" in the next life to choose whether to accept them as a family or whether we wish to be in a different location than them. (This gives us yet a second chance as Elder Scott said, to accept them as those we wish to be with for eternity or not.)
2. Someone once confronted me about polygamy being in the next life. They said "You still practice it!" I agreed, but I also explained to them that not only would that gospel truth be in accordance to that our decision and our spouse's choice in the next life, but also according God's decision on how righteous (worthy) we were, and if we are worthy of such a great gospel truth. Essentially, my response to them was. "True we do practice it through Temple marriages, but than again, how about you ask God about that in the next life!"