Love— perfect love —is the greatest power in the universe. Love motivates God to do all that He does. The greatest expression of His love is to give and redeem life. He invites His children to experience His type of life, for therein is His joy made full. ¹ By following His example—giving life and redeeming life—our joy is also made full. ² Therein is the perfection of and hope for our love. Therein are children given and therein are children saved.

Following is a story of a Nevada couple who drew upon the power of their marriage sealing and simply loved.

Power in the Sealing for both Single and Married Parents

Though love is powerful, it requires a sealing of that love—in the temples of our God—to fully and finally save our children and cement our marriages. For single parents and those wishing to be sealed in the temple, this can be a painful reminder. However, though this article deals specifically with the power given to married couples who are sealed in the temple, many of its principles apply to singles, single parents, those working for eternal union with less-active spouses, and to children who are praying for their wayward parents. Faith and grace allow us to act as if we were in possession of that which we lack and to do all that we can do with the assurance that the Lord will make up the difference. Attesting to the truth of this comforting fact, President Lorenzo Snow said,

If this is the case, then why is a review of the value of temple marriage important? We can be comforted by an examination of these blessings of such a marriage, and we can be inspired to keep our eyes on the goal. When one finally has or again has the opportunity to fall in love, that love between a husband and a wife—through a temple marriage—solidifies the initial sealing of their marriage covenant into an unbreakable welding link. They become one in word, purpose, and deed, and that ultimate and final kind of unity is necessary to obtain the celestializing blessings of heaven in behalf of their children.

While our temple experience teaches us that the sealing of parents is provisional and based on subsequent obedience, ⁴ we also become aware that no such qualifying language is used when a child is born in the covenant or when a child born outside the covenant is later sealed to his parents. This suggests that the Lord intends for the child to belong to the parents forever. President Joseph Fielding Smith said, “Those born under the covenant, throughout all eternity, are the children of their parents. Nothing except the unpardonable sin, or sin unto death, can break this tie. If children do not sin as John said, ‘unto death,' the parents may still feel after them and eventually bring them back near to them again.” ⁵

Whether a child is born into the covenant or the child is subsequently sealed to his parents, no conditions are mentioned, suggesting that the Lord intends for the child to belong to the parents forever. The prophets have stated repeatedly that the calling of parent is one from which we are never released. ⁶ Such is the incredible power of the sealing ordinance. The covenants made and the sealing pronounced on parents married in the temple creates a patriarchal hold that secures children to their parents forever, pulling them into that covenant.

Sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise

Thus, for a man and a woman, the ultimate goals of love are to enter into the new and everlasting covenant of marriage, then persist in that covenant until their marriage is sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise. The Holy Spirit of Promise is a “name-title used in connection with the sealing and ratifying power of the Holy Ghost.” ⁷ Great power devolves upon a husband and wife who have married in the temple and lived worthily so that the Holy Spirit of Promise can validate their marriage. Elder Bruce C. Hafen wrote,

President James E. Faust made one of the clearest statements on the subject: “When the covenant of marriage for time and eternity, the culminating gospel ordinance, is sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, it can literally open the windows of heaven for great blessings to flow to a married couple who seek for those blessings.” ⁹

Contingent upon Faithfulness

This highest manifestation of gospel blessings is contingent upon our faithfulness to our covenants. Although marriage is an important step toward exaltation, it is not the ultimate step. Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote, “It should be clearly understood that these high blessings are not part of celestial marriage. ‘Blessings pronounced upon couples in connection with celestial marriage are conditioned upon the subsequent faithfulness of the participating parties.'” ¹⁰

If a man and a woman marry in the temple, thereby entering into the patriarchal order of the priesthood, and then remain worthy so that their marriage is sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise, they are given greater power from on high to ask for and receive the highest blessings. These blessings include power to gather or call back their family to Christ (keys restored by Moses), power to organize their family into an eternal, celestial unit, including power to ensure that each family member receives all the blessings of the new and everlasting covenant (keys restored by Elias), and power to have all those blessings sealed so that these blessings might endure forever (keys restored by Elijah).

Speaking of these great blessings that flow to the children by the power of their parents' temple sealing, Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: “These keys hold the power to seal husbands and wives for eternity as well as for time. They hold the power to seal children to parents, the key of adoption, by which the family organization is made intact forever. This is the power which will save the obedient from the curse in the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Through these keys the hearts of the children have turned to their fathers.” ¹¹

Unified in Love around our Covenants

So the key to rescuing our wayward children lies not only in our striving to be unified, but to be unified with respect to our covenants and increasing commitment to the sacrifices required when we receive the gifts of gospel blessings. Elder Russell M. Nelson wrote: “As you obey each of God's commandments, your holiness will fortify the foundation of your fathers' faith. When the two of you are together spiritually, one plus one is clearly greater than two.” ¹²

Back to the story of James and his parents:

To Truly Become One

Although love may motivate a man and woman to enter into marriage, only God has the power to truly make them one . Moroni revealed to Joseph Smith the sobering fact why this welding link—a temple sealing and subsequent sanctification—must be in place to make a couple (and their progenitors and children) one : so that “the whole earth [would not] be utterly wasted at [the Lord's] coming.” ¹³ Robert L. Millet gives us further insight into this idea of the earth's being wasted:

With the merciful gift and commandment of having our marriages start across the temple altars, righteous parents are made one by God and sealed together with His unbreakable welding link. Then, as they faithfully persevere in their covenants, the Holy Spirit of Promise seals their marriage more surely so that the welding link that was set in place at the altar will never fail.

The children who issue forth from this union—or who are sealed into it—are surely secured to their parents by virtue of that same, sure weld. Despite their rebellion, they cannot break free. The power of their parents' oneness, which was set in place by God and made sure by the Holy Spirit of Promise, has the power to hold onto the children and eventually reel them back.

Invitation

I invite you to share your stories (anonymously). Whether you are at the beginning or end of your journey, I would love to hear from you. I assure you that you are not alone, and absolutely there is an answer. Contact me through Meridian Magazine or at my website: www.LarryBarkdull.com . This article was adapted from my upcoming book, Rescuing Wayward Children.

1 See 3 Nephi 17:20.

2 See Alma 26:11.

3 Lorenzo Snow, Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, 138.

4 See Bruce R. McConkie, “Celestial Marriage,” Mormon Doctrine, 117–18

5 Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, volume 2, 90

6 See M. Russell Ballard, “Let Our Voices be Heard,” Ensign , November 2003.

7 Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine , “Holy Spirit of Promise,” 361.

8 Bruce C. Hafen, Covenant Hearts, 77.

9 James E. Faust, “The Gift of the Holy Ghost—A Sure Compass,” Ensign, April 1996, emphasis added.

10 Joseph Fielding Smith, quoted in Bruce R. McConkie's Mormon Doctrine , “Calling and Election Sure,” 110.

11 Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, Volume 2, 119, emphasis added.

12 Russell M. Nelson, The Power within Us, 113.

13 D&C 2:3, comments added.

14 Robert L. Millet, When a Child Wanders, 100 – 101.