A Very Special Day

Saturday, May 15th, was a very important day for our family: Mandy and Jeromy were sealed for “time and all eternity” in the Dallas Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Mandy’s Dad and I were able to be there for the big day, and Robert felt especially privileged to be Jeromy’s “Escort”, since this was the first time that Jeromy had gone through the temple.

Mandy and Jeromy had been married a couple of years ago in a traditional church ceremony, and it was a beautiful ceremony:



While this ceremony is recognized by our faith as legal and lawful in every way, it was for “time” only – that is “until death do them part”. It is within the walls of our temples, our most sacred buildings, that the ordinance of marriage “for time and all eternity” takes place – performed by those with the sacred authority to do so. When couples live according to the covenants which they make within the temple, they are on the way to being a family unit into the eternities (a great blessing, indeed!).

"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." ~Matthew 16:19

"Marriage partners who come to the house of the Lord and partake of its blessings are joined not only for the period of their mortal lives but for all eternity. They are bound together under authority not only of the law of the land that joins them until death but also through the eternal priesthood of God, which binds in heaven that which is bound on earth. The couple so married has the assurance of divine revelation that their relationship and that of their children will not end with death but will continue in eternity, provided they live worthy of that blessing." ~Gordon B. Hinckley

In addition to having her Dad and me, Jeromy and Mandy were tickled to have the Elders (missionaries) who taught Jeromy about the church (they also attended Jeromy’s baptism) share the day with them.

Mandy and Jeromy with Elder Ranger and Elder Strong:

They also had their good friends, Jesica and Evan, there. They were the couple who taught the “Temple Preparation” class that helped Jeromy prepare for his big day:

The day brought back memories for Robert and me, because we were married in the same temple (in fact, in the same sealing room) on a very WINDY day, oh-so-many years ago:




Since Jeromy and Mandy were sealed in the temple before Pod was born, Pod will automatically be sealed to her parents when she is born (this is called “born under the covenant”):

This was not Mandy’s first experience with the temple. Mandy was 2-1/2 years old when I met and married Robert (we only dated three months – yes, oh yes, I would probably croak if one of my kids pulled that; we have truly been blessed that it worked out so well). Because she was not “born under the covenant”, we were able to take her to the temple after we were married and have her sealed to us. This truly was a wonderful day for us. (Her brother was "born under the covenant" and we did not take him to the temple for this ordinance.)

Mandy and her mother on the day she was sealed to her parents:

I am so grateful for the gospel: for the peace that it brings, for the guidance that it gives, and for the opportunity that we have to be “forever families”. It is a wonderful thing to be able to see your children claim those blessings for themselves!