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Chapter 13d

Plan of Salvation – Eternal Marriage

Introduction

In the previous chapters, we examined the purpose of mortal life, the Fall of Adam and Eve, the commandments God has given us, and the covenant path that leads us back into His presence.

One doctrine that is closely connected to the Plan of Salvation is the concept of eternal marriage.

Many Christians believe marriage is a sacred institution established by God for this life only. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that marriage can continue beyond death and endure throughout eternity.

What do the scriptures actually say?

Can marriage continue after death?

Is eternal marriage required for exaltation?

And what role does marriage play in God's plan for His children?

Let's search the scriptures and find out.

Part 1 – Marriage Was Established by God

Marriage did not originate with man.

It was instituted by God in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 2:24

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

From the very beginning, God intended marriage to be a sacred union between a man and a woman.

Jesus reaffirmed this doctrine thousands of years later.

Matthew 19:4-6

Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Marriage is not merely a civil contract.

It is a divine institution created by God Himself.

For Christians everywhere, marriage is holy.

For Latter-day Saints, however, marriage is more than a covenant for mortality—it is believed to be a covenant that can continue into eternity.

To understand why, we must first understand God's desire for families.

Part 2 – The Family Is Central to God's Plan

One of the most beautiful truths taught in scripture is that God is not merely saving individuals.

He is creating a family.

Throughout the Bible, family relationships are constantly emphasized.

Children are called a heritage of the Lord.

Parents are commanded to teach their children.

Husbands and wives are instructed to love one another.

The family is the basic unit of society and the primary setting where faith is learned and passed to future generations.

Ephesians 3:14-15

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.

Notice Paul's language.

He speaks of a family in heaven and earth.

This suggests continuity between God's children on earth and those who have gone before.

The desire to remain with loved ones is nearly universal.

Few people look forward to being separated forever from their spouse, children, parents, or siblings.

This longing for eternal relationships naturally leads to the question:

Can families continue beyond death?

Part 3 – The Question Raised by Jesus

The most frequently cited biblical passage regarding marriage after death comes from an encounter between Jesus and the Sadducees.

The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection.

Attempting to trap Jesus, they presented Him with a hypothetical situation involving a woman who had married seven brothers.

They then asked whose wife she would be in the resurrection.

Jesus answered:

Matthew 22:29-30

Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

Many Christians understand this verse to mean that marriage ends at death.

The LDS interpretation is somewhat different.

Latter-day Saints generally understand Jesus to be speaking about people who marry after the manner of the world rather than by God's eternal authority.

According to LDS doctrine, marriages not sealed by divine authority end at death, while marriages sealed by God's priesthood authority may continue.

Regardless of which interpretation one accepts, this passage is central to the discussion and deserves careful study.

Part 4 – What Does "Bound in Heaven" Mean?

Jesus taught a principle that plays an important role in LDS beliefs about eternal marriage.

Speaking to Peter, He said:

Matthew 16:19

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.

A similar statement was later made to the other apostles.

Matthew 18:18

Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Many Christians interpret these passages as referring to church authority, discipline, and the proclamation of the gospel.

Latter-day Saints believe these verses also establish the principle that certain ordinances performed by divine authority can be recognized in heaven.

This belief becomes the foundation for the LDS doctrine of sealing ordinances.

Part 5 – The LDS Scriptural Case for Eternal Marriage

One of the arguments made by Latter-day Saints is that the Bible contains numerous passages that support the principle of eternal marriage and sealing ordinances.

For example, Peter instructed husbands and wives to live together in righteousness and described them as:

1 Peter 3:7

Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Latter-day Saints often point to the phrase "heirs together of the grace of life" as evidence that a husband and wife may inherit eternal blessings together.

Joseph Smith taught that faithful husbands and wives could be sealed together by divine authority and continue their relationship beyond death.

The concept of a sealing is also found elsewhere in scripture.

2 Corinthians 1:22

Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

The New Testament frequently speaks of believers being sealed by the Holy Spirit as a sign of God's covenant and promise.

Latter-day Saints see this language of sealing as being consistent with the idea that God can bind relationships and covenants beyond mortality.

The Old Testament likewise records instances in which covenants were formally sealed.

Nehemiah 9:38

And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.

The following chapter (Nehemiah 10) contains an extensive list of those who participated in this sacred sealing. More than eighty named individuals—including priests, Levites, rulers, and leaders of the people—placed their names upon the covenant.

After listing those who sealed the covenant, the record expands the group even further:

Nehemiah 10:28-29

And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;

They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law...

In Nehemiah chapter 10, priests, Levites, rulers, and families entered into a solemn covenant before God and sealed their commitment to obey His law.

Latter-day Saints view these covenant-making patterns as examples of God's people entering sacred agreements that are ratified by divine authority.

Isaiah also spoke of covenant relationships and inheritances given by God.

Isaiah 49:8

Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people...

Marriage itself was established by God in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 2:18

And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

And again:

Genesis 2:24

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Latter-day Saints ask an important question:

If God declared that man and woman should become one flesh, if husbands and wives can be heirs together of eternal life, and if Christ taught that what is bound on earth can be bound in heaven, is it possible that marriage was intended to continue beyond death?

Another passage often cited is:

Ecclesiastes 3:14

I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever...

From the LDS perspective, marriage is not merely a contract for mortality but a covenant intended to endure eternally when performed by God's authority.

Joseph Smith taught that receiving this sealing ordinance is part of preparing for exaltation. He further taught that those who do not enter into this covenant, either in mortality or through the work performed on behalf of the dead, will inherit a different eternal condition.

This understanding forms the foundation of the LDS doctrine of eternal marriage and eternal families.

Part 6 – Elijah and the Turning of Hearts

Near the end of the Old Testament, a remarkable prophecy was given.

Malachi 4:5-6

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:

And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers...

This prophecy is unique.

It specifically focuses on family relationships.

The angel Gabriel later quoted this prophecy when announcing the mission of John the Baptist.

Luke 1:16-17

And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children...

Latter-day Saints believe the prophecy received a further fulfillment through Elijah's appearance in the Kirtland Temple in 1836, restoring sealing authority.

Other Christians generally view the prophecy as being fulfilled through John the Baptist and the preparation of hearts for Christ.

Either way, the emphasis on family relationships is unmistakable.

Part 7 – The LDS Doctrine of Eternal Marriage

According to LDS doctrine, marriage performed by proper priesthood authority in a temple can endure beyond death.

A husband and wife are "sealed" together not merely until death but for time and all eternity.

This doctrine is based upon modern revelations recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants and upon the belief that God's priesthood authority has been restored.

Eternal marriage occupies a central role in LDS teachings concerning exaltation.

In traditional LDS doctrine, the highest degree of celestial glory is associated with entering into this covenant relationship.

For many Latter-day Saints, eternal marriage represents one of the most hopeful and cherished teachings of the Restoration.

The possibility of remaining together forever as a family brings comfort, purpose, and motivation to live faithfully.

Part 8 – The New Testament Picture of Eternity

The New Testament often describes eternity in terms different from earthly family relationships.

Believers are portrayed as children of God, brothers and sisters in Christ, and members of God's household.

Romans 8:16-17

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ...

Revelation 21:3

Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people...

The primary focus of eternal life in these passages is fellowship with God Himself.

While family relationships are certainly not excluded, the New Testament places its greatest emphasis upon union with Christ and membership in God's eternal family.

Part 9 – What Can We Know with Certainty?

Christians have debated the nature of relationships in the resurrection for centuries.

Yet several truths remain clear.

• First, marriage was established by God.

• Second, families are precious to Him.

• Third, death will not destroy the love God has for His children.

• Fourth, every faithful believer will enjoy perfect joy in God's presence.

1 Corinthians 2:9

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Whatever eternity holds, it will exceed our greatest expectations.

God is not preparing disappointment for His children.

He is preparing glory.

Conclusion

The doctrine of eternal marriage is one of the most cherished teachings restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. While the Bible does not contain the detailed explanations found in modern revelation, it does contain many principles that support the doctrine.

The scriptures teach that marriage was instituted by God from the beginning. Husband and wife become "one flesh."

• Peter taught that faithful husbands and wives are "heirs together of the grace of life."

• Paul spoke of believers being "sealed" by God.

• The Old Testament records sacred covenants that were formally sealed before the Lord.

• Isaiah spoke of covenant relationships and eternal inheritances.

• Ecclesiastes declared that what God does is forever.

• Finally, Christ taught that what is bound on earth can be bound in heaven.

Taken individually, some of these passages may not appear conclusive. Yet when viewed together, they create a remarkable pattern.

The Bible repeatedly teaches covenant relationships, divine sealings, eternal inheritances, and heavenly authority to bind on earth and in heaven.

Jesus Christ, through the prophet Joseph Smith, brought these scattered biblical principles together into a single doctrine: that husbands and wives can be sealed by God's authority, become joint heirs of eternal life, and continue as families beyond the grave.

For many Christians, eternal marriage may seem like a new doctrine. Yet after examining the scriptures, it becomes clear that the foundation stones of this teaching have been present in the Bible all along.

While the Bible may not explain every detail of eternal marriage, there is definite support for the principle that sacred family relationships, established and sealed by God, can endure beyond mortality.

As with every doctrine, each person must search the scriptures, pray for understanding, and decide whether Joseph Smith's teachings represent a restoration of truths that were known from the beginning.

The Bible contains numerous examples of sacred covenants being sealed before God.

In Nehemiah's day, more than eighty leaders, together with their families—including their wives, sons, and daughters—entered into a covenant and sealed themselves to it.

These Old Testament sealings, combined with Christ's teaching that what is bound on earth shall be bound in heaven, provide meaningful support for Joseph Smith's doctrine of eternal sealings and eternal families.

The evidence presented in this chapter suggests that eternal marriage is not contrary to the Bible. Rather, it is a doctrine that finds meaningful and substantial support within its pages.

As students of scripture, our responsibility is the same as that of the people of Berea:

Acts 17:11

They received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

The question is not what tradition teaches.

The question is:

What has God revealed?

• Search the scriptures.

• Pray for understanding.

• And follow the truth wherever it leads.

Our Next Chapter will be Chapter 13e – Plan of Salvation – Spirit World, Death, and the Resurrection