Families are an important part of God’s plan for our happiness. We are born into families and aspire to have strong family relationships. Homes can be places where we feel support, security, and love. God does not intend for family ties to end when we die. In temples, we can be united with our families in this life and the next.
Until death do us part?
When Latter-day Saints marry, they understand that the marriage was meant to last forever. Temple marriage ceremonies contain the words “for time and all eternity,” not “until death do us part.” But it is not words that make eternal marriage possible, it is the power of God.
The power of God to unite
In the Bible, Jesus gave the Twelve Apostles sealing power or sealing “keys.” That power makes it possible for marriage and many other wonderful blessings to last forever. The “keys” keep marriage together. The Bible teaches that “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18).
When God restored His Church through Joseph Smith, He also gave him the sealing power. When couples are married in a Latter-day Saint temple, the person performing the ceremony has been authorized to use that power.
Our ancestors and family history
The blessing of an eternal family isn’t just for us today. What about our great-great-grandmother who was never sealed to her husband or children? Thankfully, God thinks eternal families are so important that He has made a way to make sure everyone can be united with their loved ones forever.
Latter-day Saints research their ancestors and keep records. When they find ancestors who were not sealed, they go to the temple and perform the ceremony for them. They may or may not accept the ordinance. The sealing power is like a chain that links generations of a family.