A Covenant Marriage



https://www.azquotes.com/quote/615795

“A covenant is a sacred agreement between God and a person or group of people. God sets specific conditions, and He promises to bless us as we obey those conditions.” (Covenants, Gospel Topics)1. One of the most beautiful, sacred covenants we can partake in is marriage- specifically celestial marriage; also known as temple marriage or eternal marriage. This everlasting covenant is made only in the temple of the Lord and would not be possible without the proper priesthood authority.
But after the last Prophet of God left the earth, so did the priesthood power… and the power to seal husbands to their wives and parents to their children in heaven…
Then in 1836 “the keys of the power of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers” (Doctrine & Covenants 27:9)2 was restored to this earth. The New Testament Prophet, Elijah, “brought the keys of sealing powers—that power which seals a man to a woman and seals their posterity to them endlessly...” (Benson, 1984)3. 

https://hathawayemilyn.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/temple.jpg
So, what is the difference between civil and celestial marriage? I used to love explaining this to all my friends! A civil marriage is recognized on earth as a contract between spouses, lasting ‘until death do you part’. Celestial marriage is recognized in heaven as a covenant between a man, a woman and God, lasting ‘for time and all eternity’. This covenant relationship is an essential step to ultimate love and happiness, the purpose of Heavenly Father’s plan, a joy that can be perpetuated beyond our physical death.
“A correct understanding of the plan… strengthens our resolve to steadfastly honor the covenant of eternal marriage.”  -David A. Bednar


After man was created and placed in the Garden of Eden, God also created woman because it was “not good that the man should be alone” (Genisis 2:18; Moses 3:18)4. Our Heavenly Father knew the unique qualities and characteristics men and women bring to this earth- and more importantly, to families. Therefore, men and women were created to progress together toward eternal salvation and exaltation. Only through them can mortal life be created. No father could replace a mother and no mother could replace a father. Men and women “contribute differently but equally to a oneness and a unity that can be achieved in no other way. The man completes and perfects the woman and the woman completes and perfects the man…” (Bednar, 2006)5.

https://afterthemannerofhappinessblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/covenant-marriage-triangle.png?w=1200 (edited by Clara Booher)
Notice the husband and wife draw nearer together as they both continue to ‘Come unto Christ’?





“Neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord”


- 1 Cor. 11:11





Since I was a young girl, and all throughout my teenage years, I dreamt of and prepared for that wonderful, beautiful day that I would be sealed ‘for time and all eternity’. In fact, I’m sure if you asked my sister-in-law (then one of my best friends), she would tell you how highly I talked of it when I was a young teen. It may have been one of the reasons I waited pursue a relationship with my husband, as he was not a member of the church and I was determined to be sealed in the temple… and I told him as much when we started dating!♡                                                    
 As of today, my husband and I have yet to be sealed for eternity, though it is very much a mutual goal of ours. This goal feels far off at times, as the pressure of the world and the adversary’s equal determination to make us “miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi 2:27)6 has challenged us at every turn. While I could say it is the adversary’s doing, but I know well how he works… and he works through us each.

This leads to one more key difference between contract marriage and covenant marriage, and Christ teaches this well through one of his many parables:

But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.


The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.


I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.


As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
(John 10:12-15, KJV)7


In this parable, Christ talks about the hireling- a person hired to protect the sheep. This hired help has no attachment or commitment to the sheep, and thus easily abandons them when danger arises so as not to risk his own life. Jesus continues with words of great love ‘I am the good shepherd and know my sheep’. Christ would willingly lay down His life for the sheep, whom He knows and cares for- and he did.
Many couples today are like hirelings, treating their marriages as a contract, easily broken and left when any hint of hardships appear. Bruce C. Hafen states that every marriage is tested by these ‘wolves’ repeatedly; three in particular.

The first is natural adversity; the death of a child or family member, natural disasters, physical or mental illness...
Second, spouses own imperfections; ingratitude, constant criticism, anger...
Third is excessive individualism; self-centeredness, individual contentment, lack of unity and kinship, overemphasis of personal autonomy, pride...

As we strive to make our marriages covenant marriages, we will find “deep, internal wellsprings of compassion because the bonds of [our] covenants [gives us] strength to lay down [our] life for [our] sheep, even an hour at a time.” (1996)8.
These symbolic ‘wolves’ wait tirelessly for every opportunity to attack the sacred relationship between husband and wife. But I take great comfort in the words of Elder David A. Bednar when he said, “The disparity between the doctrinal ideal of marriage and the reality of daily life may seem at times to be quite large, but you gradually are doing and becoming much better than you probably recognize.” (2006)9.
I eagerly await the day I can be sealed to my spouse in the temple of the Lord. Most importantly, I am grateful for the opportunity to experience this covenant. When we enter into that great and binding promise between us and God, I promise my husband to never flee at the first sight of danger, of wolves, and of tempests.
I will treat mine as a Covenant Marriage

Falling Out of Love with a Spouse



"What am I doing to stay in love with him?" -Lluvia
References

  2. Doctrine & Covenants 27:9. (n.d.) p. 47. Retrieved from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/27?lang=eng
  3. Book of Moses 3:18. Pearl of Great Price. (n.d.) p. 8. Retrieved from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/moses/3?lang=eng
  4. The Holy Bible (KJV) Old Testament Book of Genesis 2:18 p. 4  & Book of Moses 3:18. Pearl of Great Price. p. 8. Retrieved from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/moses/3?lang=eng 
  5. Bednar, D. A. (2006). Marriage Is Essential to His Eternal Plan. Ensign Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2006/06/marriage-is-essential-to-his-eternal-plan?lang=eng
  6. The Book of Mormon. Book of Nephi 2:27. p. 59. Retrieved from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/2?lang=eng
  7. The Holy Bible (KJV) New Testament Book of John 10:12-15. p. 1345.
  8. Hafen, B. C. (1996). Covenant Marriage. para. 9-12, 16.. Ensign Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1996/11/covenant-marriage?lang=eng
  9. Bednar, D. A. (2006). Marriage Is Essential to His Eternal Plan. para. 3. Ensign Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2006/06/marriage-is-essential-to-his-eternal-plan?lang=eng
  10. Video Falling Out of Love with a Spouse Retrieved from Youtube https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/inspiration/latter-day-saints-channel/watch/series/his-grace?lang=eng 

♡another story for another time…

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