Sealed, or not Sealed?

*This post will make more sense if you have read the previous post, "Sealing, Sealing, Who Can Explain The Sealing?" (link)

**This post is unbelievably long and very dense with references and links. I have tried to cut things out because I know that in the last 10 years with the rise of YouTube, my attention span has been obliterated, lasting only about 5 minutes. I am mindful that not everyone has the time to spend on a long post. I am sorry I couldn't condense it more than I have. Buckle up.

Prophecies disclose of a future time when the Lord will send "One mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth shall utter words, eternal words; while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth, to set in order the house of God." (D&C 85:7)

Since the above revelation says that the "Lord, God will send" him "to set in order the house of God" it is clear that the house of God will undoubtedly be out of order. It would not be necessary to set it in order if disorder had not set in. Examining the things that are out of order is not anti-church. It is carefully considering where history and teachings may have been misunderstood, misinterpreted, or become a tradition of our fathers. This kind of examining is to search for a more accurate understanding that will bring Light and Truth, greater obedience to the things of God, and ultimately to be born again in Christ Jesus (Ether 12:39 & 41).

Moroni 7 shows us how to examine truth from error:

16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.

17 But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him.

As my spouse and I have gone on this journey of investigating some of the church’s teachings and traditions we have frequently paused to evaluate the path we were on. We don't want to be deceived and so we would read and consider the above verses. Do the things we are learning bring us closer to Christ? 

For those seeking Jesus and nothing more, this is enough. I want Truth, and Jesus is the Truth. I am willing to give up all I have for it, whatever the cost. 

Given the emphasis that President Nelson and the church have been putting on the importance of the temple and the upcoming changes he plans to incorporate (link), I thought it would be good to take a deep historical dive into the history of the sealing ordinance, where it originated from, how it was practiced, and how it has changed over time. 

When I looked up what the Church provides on their website to explain Temple Sealing’s origin and purpose, it was confusing for me personally. Whenever something I read is confusing, I pause and look more carefully into the footnotes and references. Because the explanation the church provides offers only a broad answer to the origins of the sealing ordinance and neglects to offer many references to bolster their claims, I will do my best to write what I have researched on my own.

From what I have found, there are no reliable records of Joseph sealing or adopting anyone to himself. Additionally there is no evidence that the "law of adoption" practice was taught by Joseph Smith prior to his death in 1844. Adoptions did appear on the records of the Nauvoo Temple in 1846 and so some scholars believe the practice was instituted by Brigham Young. 

As I got writing I wanted to read, with my own eyes, what exactly Joseph said and did along the lines of sealings. Thanks to my friend, I was able to locate various sources. I am going to show you what the Church teaches in their book, The Saints, and then I will give you the links that the Church offers. I hope you will take the time to observe the links and consider for yourself.

It is important to note my research style for this topic is as follows: I am distrusting of anything that wasn't written before Joseph died and I especially don't trust anything that was "compiled" in Utah. If it was written when Joseph was alive, it needs to be corroborated by multiple accounts. Additionally, Joseph often spoke about the sealing power. But from everything I have read, he never said a direct statement that he had the sealing power and that he had used it to seal anyone.

For no particular reason other than it seemed an interesting place to start, I am going to start with the claim the church teaches that Joseph and Emma were sealed for time and for all eternity. I will show all of the footnotes the church offers and if you are further interested, you can continue your own search. I would encourage you to read this post on a computer where you can open the Joseph Smith papers for yourself and zoom in. It is important to read the originals. 

From The Saints

“In late May 1843, Emma and Joseph were sealed together for eternity in a room above Joseph’s store, solemnizing at last what they had long desired.”

Here are the three references given by the church to support that claim (if you don't have time to look up any of the the references, I'll tell you, there scant or dubious evidence to back the claims put forth as fact):

Joseph Smith, Journal, May 28, 1843, in JSP, J3:25; see also Joseph Smith to Emma Smith, Nov. 12, 1838, in JSP, D6:290–93; and Emma Smith Blessing, 1844, Church History Library.

Here are the direct links to the above references found in The Saints footnotes:

https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/journal-december-1842-june-1844-book-2-10-march-1843-14-july-1843/233

https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/letter-to-emma-smith-12-november-1838/1

https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets/855ea7b3-33a2-4b36-bd1a-720543d84a52/0/0

Let's look at the next sentence:

“Joseph then invited Brigham and Mary Ann Young, Willard and Jennetta Richards, Hyrum and Mary Fielding Smith, and Mary’s widowed sister, Mercy Thompson, to meet with him the following morning to receive the same ordinance.”

Here is the reference:

Joseph Smith, Journal, May 29, 1843, in JSP, J3:25–26; see also 25, note 89.

Here is the link:

https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/journal-december-1842-june-1844-book-2-10-march-1843-14-july-1843/234

The last sentence in that paragraph says:

“Before the meeting, Hyrum worried about his complicated family situation. If the blessings of eternal marriage belonged only to those who had been sealed together by the priesthood, what would happen to his first wife, Jerusha, who had died six years earlier?

“You can have her sealed to you upon the same principle as you can be baptized for the dead,” Joseph said.

“What can I do for my second wife?” Hyrum asked.

“You can also make a covenant with her for eternity,” Joseph said.

Mary agreed to serve as Jerusha’s proxy in the special sealing. “And I will be sealed to you for eternity myself,” she told Hyrum. “I love you and I do not want to be separated from you.” 

Here is the reference the church gives:

Joseph Smith, Journal, May 29, 1843, in JSP, J3:25–26; see also 25, note 89.

Here are the links: 

https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/journal-december-1842-june-1844-book-2-10-march-1843-14-july-1843/234

https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1838-1856-volume-e-1-1-july-1843-30-april-1844/359

The above references are what the church provides to substantiate the teaching that Joseph was sealing couples together for time and all eternity. The footnotes are beyond a stretch. I'm about to geek out so if this footnote and reference nerd stuff doesn't interest you, I understand. 

In one footnote you'll notice those who were deciphering the Joseph Smith Papers made a footnote that said that the odd symbols were shorthand for "wrrmrd". I looked up the shorthand for myself (link) and I took the time to write the shorthand and decipher it. The shorthand is actually the letters: "wrmd". However, the church decided to insert three r's when there was only one 'r'. 

The church advances that "wrmd" means, "were married". There is no evidence to indicate that back in Josephs time, "wrmd" in shorthand meant "were married". But for arguments sake, let's take the church's claim and say "wrmd" did mean "were married". The shorthand of "wrmd" still does not translate to say the couple was "sealed" or "sealed for time and all eternity."

Now for where I am unbelievably frustrated. The final link I provided takes you not to the "actual" Joseph Smith Papers but instead takes you to the "Manuscript History of the Church" which was "Compiled in Utah Territory in the mid-1850s". (link) If you take time to read what Hyrum supposedly taught at that April 8th, 1844 General Conference you will find that no other source (except that which was made in Utah years after Joseph and Hyrum's death) can corroborate that Hyrum spoke about sealings or spiritual wifery. Although in the alleged talk he "condemned" spiritual wifery, there is something terribly 'off' about the whole talk.

The History of the Church volume 6 page 320 says what Hyrum spoke about. The History of the Church is 100% questionable because it was all written under the direct supervision of Brigham Young. However, even volume 6 never says a word about Hyrum speaking on spiritual wifery or sealings. In addition, the Manuscript History of the Church version makes Hyrum sound brash and harsh. To be honest, the speech sounded like Brigham's voice and not a refined Smith brother. And if that's not enough, make note that the  entire speech/manuscript is crossed out.

Guys, I have cried until I had a good headache over the research I have come across, been confused over, been duped over, and found the lies in the doctored manuscripts the church provides. After that good cry, I'm just mad. The way the history of Joseph Smith has been changed is swear worthy and more. Reading the book The Saints has made me sick to my stomach. I can sum up what the church is teaching in seven words: "Joseph lied. A lot. Brigham...was brave." (link)

As I said above, we do know that adoptions did appear on the records of the Nauvoo Temple two years after Joseph's death in 1846. Brigham Young adopted men to himself and then sealed them all back to Joseph, as did other leaders of the church. Because it was important to the leaders of the church to link all sealing and adoptions back to Joseph, or another succeeding church leader, members began to believe that adoption and sealings affected their afterlife and their exaltation. It caused some members to strive to improve their life-after-death situation by seeking to be adopted to past and current presidents of the church.

This increasing frenzy caused members to seek to be sealed to particular leaders of the church to increase their chances of salvation. The church teaches that President Woodruff did away with adoptions and received a revelation to do genealogical work only. This claim is only partially correct. It took me hours to finally find what President Woodruff actually said. It is not available on any official Church website, which is frustrating. I had to go to BYUi archives to find it. 

President Woodruff announced the ending of the adoption practice on April 8, 1894 in General Conference where he spoke about receiving a revelation that limited adoptive sealings and instead focused on sealing marriages and parent-child relationships. President Woodruff exhorted the Saints to search their genealogies “as far as they can, and to be sealed to their fathers and mothers.” He urged the Saints to be sealed to deceased spouses and parents, even those who had not been members of the Church. This is what the Church teaches. See if you can find the part that isn’t mentioned by the Church today:

Here is the FULL quote from Wilford Woodruff:

"We want the Latter Day Saints from this time to trace their genealogies as far as they can, and to be sealed to their fathers and mothers. Have children sealed to their parents, and run this chain through as far as you can get it. When you get to the end, let the last man be adopted to Joseph Smith, who stands at the head of the dispensation. This is the will of the Lord to this people, and I think when you come to reflect upon it you will find it to be true." (Reference link here)

Because of President Woodruff's revelation, the sealings & adoptions were now to be done genealogically. Something the church omits on their Church History Topic web page about Sealings are that President Woodruff also told the saints to complete their family sealing as far back as they could find and then end it with adoption to Joseph.

In addition, Brigham Young taught:

"Brethren, if you will give me your attention, I will say a few words to you. We have dedicated this spot of ground upon which we expect to erect a Temple, in which to administer the ordinances of the House of God. Into this house, when it is completed, we expect to enter to enjoy the blessings of the priesthood, and receive our washings, our anointings, our endowments, and our sealings; and the brethren will be sealed to brethren to connect the links and make perfect the chain from ourselves to Father Adam." 

-Remarks by President Brigham Young, delivered on the Occasion of Dedicating the Temple Site at Logan, Cache County, Utah, on Friday, at 12 M. O'Clock, May 18, 1877. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.

Brigham also taught that sealing men to men was the highest ordinance of the Kingdom of God on the earth and above all other ordinances that can be given to you. He said: 

"This Chain must not be broken for mankind Cannot be saved any other way. This Priesthood must be linked together so that all the Children may be linked to Father Adam. …we will seal men to men by the keys of the Holy Priesthood. This is the highest ordinance. It is the last ordinance of the kingdom of God on the earth and above all the endowments that can be given [to] you. It is a final sealing an Eternal Principle and when once made cannot be broken by the Devil." 

(The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Vol. 5, 13 January 1856, Vol. 2, p. 1033-1034) 

Today the church has dropped the highest ordinance it can offer to mortal men on this earth, as taught by Brigham Young. Because my mind is bent and the will to go on researching this topic has been drained out of me, I'm going to end there. 

To summarize: The evidence that Joseph was in actuality adopting and sealing members to himself are unavailable. Records of Joseph administering eternal marriages and sealings are zero and the one's offered by the church for evidence are unsatisfactory. Brigham Young, and succeeding leaders, practiced sealing men to men in, what appears to be, a family back to Adam. Brigham taught this was the highest ordinance offered on this earth. Wilford Woodruff ended that practice and made it genealogical bloodlines only. However, he still taught the members to be adopted to Joseph Smith when they got to the last man of their genealogical sealings. By 1922 the practice Wilford Woodruff announced in 1894 was deleted in the published account by the Utah Genealogical Society. Today adoption has disappeared from the Church. Interestingly it was never practiced by any of the other branches of the Restoration (RLDS, etc.). Sealing for time and all eternity is also not practiced by any other Restoration branch.

So what did Joseph say about sealings?

Joseph frequently taught about, "the sealing power of Elijah". Joseph said that "...IF you ever got the power to seal on heaven and on earth, you would first want to go and seal on earth your sons and daughters unto yourself, and yourself unto your fathers in eternal glory.” (reference)

If you read what Joseph said in its entirety you would see the emphasis of the word, “if” when he said “if you ever got the power to seal”. The sealing power isn’t given to just anyone. It is given from God alone. More on this later. 

It is important to look at Malachi. We see he said that Elijah would turn the hearts of the children to the fathers and the fathers to the children (Malachi 4:6). The church has taken that scripture and interpreted it to mean that we need to be sealed for time and all eternity to our genealogical bloodlines and to do that for the entire human race as far back as we are able.

What did Malachai mean? 

That question is very hard to answer and one many religions are unsure of. However, we can look to September 21, 1823 when Moroni appeared to Joseph in his room and expounded many scriptures to explain and foretell what was to come. 

Joseph said: 

“After telling me these things, he (Moroni) commenced quoting the prophecies of the Old Testament. He first quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi; and he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy, though with a little variation from the way it reads in our Bibles. Instead of quoting the first verse as it reads in our books, he quoted it thus:

For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble; for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” (This is speaking of the earth being destroyed by fire at the end of the age "the great and dreadful day of the Lord"."

Some scriptures that illustrate the burning that was prophesied are: 2 Peter 3: 10, 3 Nephi 26:3, Mormon 9: 22 , D&C 101: 24-25, D&C 133: 40-41, D&C 133:64, Joseph Smith History 1:37)

Back to Moroni speaking to Joseph Smith:

"And again, he quoted the fifth verse thus: “Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.”

He also quoted the next verse differently: “And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.”

It's important to acknowledge the fact that Moroni went to the trouble to quote Malachi differently here.

The King James Bible translation says, "he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."

Upon first glance, the King James Bible version appears to be vastly different from the version Moroni quoted. The church’s interpretation implies that our ancestors that are dead don't have their hearts turned towards us (and we in return do not have our hearts turned to them). Thankfully Moroni cleared that up by clarifying: "the promises made to the fathers". When Joseph spoke and referred to “the fathers” he said, "...even those who are in heaven" and "your fathers in eternal glory". (reference)

The church has taught that Joseph Smith and the prophet Malachi both meant that the sealing power is given for the purpose of sealing all our genealogical ancestors to ourselves in an eternal link. The problem with that teaching is that the phrase "...the fathers, even those who are in heaven" and "your fathers in eternal glory" can't be speaking of our ancestors because our ancestors aren't in heaven nor are they in eternal glory. If our genealogical fathers need us to do their temple work in order to progress, then it would follow that they would not be in heaven nor would they be in eternal glory.

Who are the fathers referred to by Malichai and Joseph? What are these promises?

Jesus explains who the father's are when He comes to Bountiful and taught the remnant that remained. He said,

"...All the prophets from Samuel and all those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have testified of me. Behold, ye are the children of the prophets; and ye are of the house of Israel; and ye are of the covenant which the Father made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham: And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed....

The Father...hath sent me to bless you...and this because ye are the children of the covenant....And after that ye were blessed then fulfilleth the Father the covenant which he made with Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed -- unto the pouring out of the Holy Ghost through me upon the Gentiles..." (3 Nephi 20:24-27)

As we see from those verses spoken of by Jesus, when he speaks of the fathers, He immediately mentions Abraham and the covenant, or promise, that was made with him.  

Let's look at what Abraham had to say about "the fathers":

Abraham 1:

2 And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers.

3 It was conferred upon me from the fathers; it came down from the fathers, from the beginning of time, yea, even from the beginning, or before the foundation of the earth, down to the present time, even the right of the firstborn, or the first man, who is Adam, or first father, through the fathers unto me.

4 I sought for mine appointment unto the Priesthood according to the appointment of God unto the fathers concerning the seed.

Another key word that comes from Moroni's clarification is when he said that Elijah will "plant" in the hearts of the children the "promises" made to the fathers. In Greek the word for "turn" (as in "turn the hearts" of the children) is 'metanoia'. The definition of metanoia is: “a transformative change of heart especially: a spiritual conversion”. In Hebrew the word for turn is 'shub' and is often used with the idea of turning from one's sin (1 Kings 8:47; Ezek. 14:6).

THIS is what Elijah will do...he will bring about a transformative change of heart...a spiritual conversion...a planting of the promise that will grow into fruition the hearts of the children of Abraham. 

Abraham (and other patriarchs/fathers) heart’s won't turn towards us. They are the ones that sought for and obtained a covenant and a promise for US! Their hearts are already turned. 

The father's sought a promise from the Lord that their posterity would not be wasted…that we (their posterity) would choose the Lord to be their God and that we (their children) would do as they have done and return to His presence there to obtain all the blessings of kingdoms, thrones, principalities, powers, dominions, and exaltations, with all the blessings of the fathers that we, their children, might have joy and rejoicing in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

What are the promises that will keep a people from being utterly wasted at the coming of the Lord?

The establishment of Zion

The only way that the earth won't be wasted at His coming is if there are a people prepared to receive the Lord. 

The only way a people can be prepared to receive the Lord is to remember the promises, or, covenants the Lord has made with their fathers, who are now in heaven and in eternal glory. 

Christ will not come in the clouds at the second coming to a people who have not already received Him previously, one on one, face to face, in the flesh. This is what the father's have done. And this is what the children must do. 

The covenants made with the fathers are the same covenants which are presented to you in the Temple sealing and endowment. Whether the attendees understand what they are doing in the temple when they say and do particular things is the question.

Can you have the promise planted in your heart if you don't know what the promises are?

A good book that I have found to be helpful on fully explaining the endowment is found on Amazon: Passing The Angels Who Stand As Sentinels. (link)

The book description on Amazon says that the book is also given for free online: link

This is the book description given on Amazon:

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we teach that we have the fulness of the gospel, i.e. the saving ordinances through which salvation is offered. And yet, do we really understand the ordinances of salvation we teach?

What does the Endowment actually mean?

What does the clothing represent?

What do the things we do represent?

Is the endowment to be received by all worthy members but only to be fully understood by Temple Presidents, 70's, and Apostles?

Have you ever wished you could just have a meeting with higher leadership and ask them to teach you what the endowment really means?

Have you ever sat in the Temple as a "proxy", as a "savior on Mount Zion" who was providing "salvation for the dead" and realized that the very ordinance that you were offering to the dead you yourself didn't comprehend or know for certain if you had truly received it? How can one know? Journey through this book and come to understand the meaning of your Endowment.

An important part of your journey in the Gospel is the questions that you have. Questions unlock the heavens and keep the flow of revelation pouring through your mind and heart. 

Possessing no questions is like a pool of stagnant water, never moving and prone to contamination and stench.

A time is coming where your children, nieces, nephews or grandchildren, will question what is being taught in all areas of life. Unless the things they hear and are taught make sense to them (and it doesn’t matter what source it comes from) the next generation will reject it. This is good progress because instead of authority being the truth, truth becomes the authority. Once people begin to reject what doesn’t make sense to them…questions are going to arise which need to be answered, for if they are not, the earth will be utterly wasted at the Lord’s coming. 

There are 3 questions that will come that, if not answered, will render the Bible and all scriptures useless. If you, or those that come after you, do not know with absolute certainty with a promise from Heaven, 1. Where you came from, 2. Why you are here, and 3. Where you are going, the scriptures will become obsolete…tales of cultures past with no application to the present day. There is only one true way to know, for yourself and not from another, the answer to all of those questions. It is the same knowledge the father's sought after and obtained for themselves as described in Ether 12: 

18 And neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore they first believed in the Son of God. 

19 And there were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even before Christ came, who could not be kept from within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and they were glad. 

20 And behold, we have seen in this record that one of these was the brother of Jared; for so great was his faith in God, that when God put forth his finger he could not hide it from the sight of the brother of Jared, because of his word which he had spoken unto him, which word he had obtained by faith.

21 And after the brother of Jared had beheld the finger of the Lord, because of the promise which the brother of Jared had obtained by faith, the Lord could not withhold anything from his sight; wherefore he showed him all things, for he could no longer be kept without the veil.

22 And it is by faith that my fathers have obtained the promise that these things should come unto their brethren through the Gentiles; therefore the Lord hath commanded me, yea, even Jesus Christ.

Lectures on Faith 6 shows the uncertainty of those who will not know for certain their standing before God:

“...Such was and always will be the situation of the saints of God, that unless they have an actual knowledge that the course that they are pursuing is according to the will of God, they will grow weary in their minds and faint; for such has been and always will be the opposition in the hearts of unbelievers and those that know not God…For a man to lay down his all...requires more than mere belief, or supposition that he is doing the will of God, but actual knowledge…he does know most assuredly, that God does and will accept his sacrifice and offering, and that he has not nor will not seek his face in vain.

Under these circumstances, then, he can obtain the faith necessary for him to lay hold on eternal life…and through that offering obtain the knowledge that they are accepted of him…

And in the last days, before the Lord comes, he is to gather together his saints who have made a covenant with him by sacrifice. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence...Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant unto me by sacrifice….But those who have not made this sacrifice to God, do not know that the course which they pursue is well pleasing in his sight; for whatever may be their belief or their opinion, it is a matter of doubt and uncertainty in their mind; and where doubt and uncertainty is, there faith is not, nor can it be. 

For doubt and faith do not exist in the same person at the same time. So that persons whose minds are under doubts and fears cannot have unshaken confidence, and where unshaken confidence is not, there faith is weak, and where faith is weak, the persons will not be able to contend against all the opposition, tribulations and afflictions which they will have to encounter in order to be heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ Jesus; and they will grow weary in their minds, and the adversary will have power over them and destroy them.” 

12 years ago I hit a crisis in my mind. I didn’t know for certain my standing before God. I was attending the Temple frequently and asking the sealers and former Temple presidents my questions, but they were unable to give me the answer that could quench my thirst. “Stay faithful to your covenants” was their reply. Their assurance was that if I just "did my best," I’d be okay on the other side. 

I had hit a point in my life where I had to know, from God Himself, where I stood with Him. I couldn’t take another man’s word for it. I had to know. I pray all will desire such unrest. Because it will drive you to your knees an agony, fear, and trembling and nothing will satisfy your mind but Him.

This is the planting in the hearts of the children that Malachi said must occur. To have planted in the hearts of the children - the promises made to the fathers…to have your heart turn (a spiritual conversion) to those fathers who "are in heaven" & "in eternal glory". This turning of your heart (powerful spiritual conversion) will activate in you a life of sacrifice. A life that only seeks to do the will of the Father. A person who only does the Father's will is who the sealing power will be bestowed upon. A person who seeks and does the Father's will in all things is the definition of Charity.  

To recap, let's define the words Malachi spoke that were clarified by Moroni: 

Plant in the heart:

To begin growing something new. A spiritual conversion. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23)

Children that have the promise planted in their heart only seek to imitate the father’s, who are in heaven, example. They walk in their ways, in the path they trod, obtaining salvation for themselves and for their families.

Promises:

Covenants of the fathers - a promise made directly with God that all their sacrifice wasn’t for nothing and that their children will receive Jesus Christ prior to His coming so the earth won’t be utterly wasted at His coming.

Jeremiah 32:40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.

D&C 39:11 And if thou do this, I have prepared thee for a greater work. Thou shalt preach the fulness of my gospel, which I have sent forth in these last days, the covenant which I have sent forth to recover my people, which are of the house of Israel.

The "Fathers in Heaven" & "Fathers in Eternal Glory":

Adam, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc., etc.. God changed Abram’s name from Abram (“high father”) to Abraham (“father of a multitude”). The “fathers” spoken of are the patriarchs, whom the prophet Malachi regards as estranged from their degenerate “children”, or descendants, and ceasing to acknowledge them on account of their unworthy character and conduct. 

Isaiah 63:16 Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.

Matthew 3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Moses 7:1 And it came to pass that Enoch continued his speech, saying: Behold, our father Adam taught these things, and many have believed and become the sons of God, and many have believed not, and have perished in their sins, and are looking forth with fear, in torment, for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God to be poured out upon them.

Jeremiah 31: 31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:

33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Second Comforter)

See Romans 4: 9-16  

The Children:

All those who Awake and Arise to the promises given to the Fathers, who are in Heaven in eternal glory. Those who are born again and baptized by fire and the holy ghost will not be utterly wasted at His coming. 

D&C 45: 

56 And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins.

57 For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide (born again and baptized by fire), and have not been deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day.

58 And the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation.

59 For the Lord shall be in their midst, and his glory shall be upon them, and he will be their king and their lawgiver.

 

“We pray our heavenly Father that you may be very prayerful, very humble, and very charitable; working diligently, spiritually and temporally, for the redemption of Zion, that the pure in heart may return with songs of everlasting joy to build up her waste places, and meet the Lord when He comes in His glory.” -D&C 101:18

“… We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object. … The time is soon coming, when no man will have any peace but in Zion and her stakes.” 

-History of the Church, 3:390–91

 

I wrote a post about the fulness of the gosple here. In order to bring again Zion, we have to have a people who have received the fulness of the gospel (3 Nephi 16:10) and as such, are then worthy of Zion. 

Zion is where Christ will come to and dwell (Moses 7:69). 

It stands to reason that if Christ comes again and you have not been born again, you will not be able to stand in His presence. 

To be able to stand in His presence you must be pure in heart. 

The pure in heart shall see God. This isn't an event that will come when Christ descends from the clouds. Zion will consist of the pure in heart who have seen God and have been blessed by Him and sealed His (devil seal you his: Revelation 20:4, Christ seal you His: Revelation 9:4).

When Peter, James, John were at the Mt. of Transfiguration, they witnessed the three together, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. This represented fulfillment of the promise of Salvation. Moses symbolized the law. Elijah represented the prophets & the restoration of all things. And we know that Jesus fulfilled the promise of alvation to perfection. The prophet, the priest and the King in one place during the Transfiguration. 

The name Elijah comes from the Old Testament of the Bible, and stems from a Hebrew expression signifying “Jehovah is my God.” The biblical Elijah was a prophet known for upholding the worship of God and doing miracles in God’s name. Something I find fascinating is that prophet Elijah is venerated by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. All three religions believe Elijah will return at the end of times. Interestingly enough, Elijah is one of only two humans in the Old Testament (Enoch was the other) that never died (2 Kings 2).

Elijah’s role has been largely overlooked or narrowed down to D&C 110. Joseph and Oliver never spoke of receiving Elijah and D&C 110 was written third person and it’s legitimacy is questionable. I won't go into it here but I have come across a YouTube video that explains it very well which I will link here.

Now that we have looked into the history of where the sealing ordinance originated from (or didn’t originate from), let’s look at how the church employs the sealing power today.

In the current sealing of couples which takes place in the temples today, a brother who has been set apart as a sealer preforms the marriage ceremony. Because the Lord has declared that there is never but one person on the earth at a time with the sealing power (D&C 132:7), we know that the sealers in the temple are only able to act symbolically and as such they are not in actuality able to use the sealing power. One of the last times my husband and I did sealings at the Temple we sat in the room waiting for more people to come and while we waited we spoke with the sealer. He asked us if we had seen "Downton Abby". I didn't tell him I had seen some of the first episode until I was sickened and turned it off. He fervently recommended us to watch it. But I digress.

What is the sealing power?

The sealing power is part of the Melchizedek priesthood. The Melchizedek priesthood is only held by one who lives a life in total obedience to God. The sealing power does not get passed from one mortal to another. It is not something you keep a roster of nor is it something that can be sustained by members in church on Sunday. This priesthood power is solely conferred by God's voice, according to his own will, unto as many as believed on his name (JST-Gen. 14:26-29). 

To receive the sealing power, God must be directly involved. His servant must be called by Him, and not receive it from another man. Such an High Priest cannot claim his right to hold priesthood from another man, or his earthly parents. The 'line of authority' consists of only one: God. God shows us what the sealing power looks like in JST-Gen. 14:

30 For God having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself; that every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course;

31 To put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God; to do all things according to his will, according to his command, subdue principalities and powers; and this by the will of the Son of God which was from before the foundation of the world.

Helaman 10:

7 Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people.

D&C 1 entire chapter is about Zion and sealing in heaven and on earth at the end of time.

Do sealers in the temple possess the power to seal?

Sealers in the temple are ordained by man, not by God. 

If the sealer in the temple only received the ability to seal from another man, am I sealed in actuality or just symbolically?

A close inspection of the the marriage ceremony reveals that there are never words said that you and your spouse are sealed. Patrons are told they are "wed for all eternity," which one could argue those words do mean that they are sealed for all eternity. However, if I was a non-member listening to that phrase, "wed for all eternity," I wouldn't conclude the couple had just been sealed.

The only time in the marriage ceremony where the word 'seal' is pronounced upon anyone is when they are given particular blessings. However, the sealer makes it clear that all the blessings he just spoke are conditional. Those blessings are not given in that moment. The blessings are contingent upon the recipient's faithfulness. The promises offered in the sealing ordinance are also offered to all mankind by the Lord. (examples: D&C 14:7; D&C 96:6; Alma 11:40; Moroni 7:41.)

A person who believes they are literally sealed to their spouse could argue that they actually were given those blessings on their wedding day because they were both living litrue and faithful lives and therefore, the sealing promise went into effect once the sealer uttered the words. Again, the sealer does not possess the sealing power to bestow upon you kingdoms, thrones, principalities, powers, dominions, exaltations, or blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Those are blessings that only God the Father can pronounce.

Are you sealed to your spouse?

Did the Holy Spirit of Promise, of Him who is Anointed, seal you (D&C 132:7)? If you do not perfectly understand what the Holy Spirit of Promise is, you can take that as an indicator that it hasn't happened for you yet. 

D&C 132:

7 And verily I say unto you, that the conditions of this law are these: All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations, that are not made and entered into and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, of him who is anointed, both as well for time and for all eternity....are of no efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead; for all contracts that are not made unto this end have an end when men are dead.
8 Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion. 

(see the post: sealing, sealing, who can explain the sealing?)

What is the New and Everlasting Covenant? 

Can you explain the New and Everlasting Covenant in a way that is void of confusion (like the above scripture says in verse 8)? If you, or those that you look to for leadership, know what The New and Everlasting Covenant is, it should be taught and when it is taught, it should be plain to be understood. 

2 Nephi 31:3 For my soul delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men.

I have read through every single scripture in each of the standard works where the word 'seal' was used. In all my searching to find where marriage sealings have ever taken place, I found zero. When I searched where other kinds of sealings have taken place, I found the following, and they are unbelievably important:

2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Revelation 9: 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

2 Nephi 33: 15 For what I seal on earth, shall be brought against you at the judgment bar; for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey. Amen.

D&C 68: 12 And of as many as the Father shall bear record, to you shall be given power to seal them up unto eternal life. Amen.

D&C 77: 8 Q. What are we to understand by the four angels, spoken of in the 7th chapter and 1st verse of Revelation?

A. We are to understand that they are four angels sent forth from God, to whom is given power over the four parts of the earth, to save life and to destroy; these are they who have the everlasting gospel to commit to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people; having power to shut up the heavens, to seal up unto life, or to cast down to the regions of darkness.

D&C 77: 9 Q. What are we to understand by the angel ascending from the east, Revelation 7th chapter and 2nd verse?

A. We are to understand that the angel ascending from the east is he to whom is given the seal of the living God over the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore, he crieth unto the four angels having the everlasting gospel, saying: Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And, if you will receive it, this is Elias which was to come to gather together the tribes of Israel and restore all things.

The only time the scriptures speak of being sealed TO someone is when either the devil seals you his, or Christ seals you His: 

Alma 34:35 For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become asubjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth bseal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked.

Mosiah 5:15 Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen.

D&C 101: 61 describes sealing at the end of times, the wheat and tares - the righteous from the wicked.

D&C 132: 49 For I am the Lord thy God, and will be with thee even unto the end of the world, and through all eternity; for verily I seal upon you your exaltation, and prepare a throne for you in the kingdom of my Father, with Abraham your father.

Joseph Smith Papers: (link) 

Do the scriptures speak anywhere of sealing familial genealogical bloodlines together?

 No.

If we look at D&C 110 and take it as having actually happened, then we need to look at what Elijah actually said. 

13…Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:

14 Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he (Elijah) should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—

15 To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—

16 Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.

If this encounter truly took place, Elijah never laid hands on Joseph nor did he bestow the sealing power. He only said "the keys of this dispensation" were committed into his (Joseph's) hands. That’s it. We already know that Joseph held the keys of the this dispensation long before that day. 

In addition, in January 1844 Joseph said, 

"And I would to God that this temple was now done, that we might go into it, and go to work and improve our time, and make use of the seals while they are on earth."

This indicates that Joseph held the seals and if he was gone, the seals would be off of the earth (History of the Church, 6:183–84). Why would Joseph be anxious if the seals could be passed from one mortal to another as the church teaches?

Unfortunately the temple has become the object of veneration without any real understanding and the temple is consistently conflated with the worship of Jesus Christ (link). When you listen to church leaders speak they will intertwine the two so as to not be able to separate them.

"If you want Jesus Christ...if you want redemption and salvation, you must do work for the dead. If you do not do work for the dead, then you do not have Jesus Christ and you do not have Salvation." Because of this conflation, the ceremonies become the end goal and the crowning ordinance and the reason for parting the veil and returning to God in this life becomes misunderstood and unexplored. This confusion leads to patrons focusing their energy on redeeming the dead at an accelerating pace without stopping to consider if they have actually received their endowment for themselves. 

This isn't the first time we have seen a chosen people be blinded by the ceremonies, rites, festivals, and rules of conduct. Many Israelites who ignorantly performed their sacrifices believed the rites themselves had a cleansing effect upon them, making them better than other people. They prized their special relationship with God, which they believed the ceremonies celebrated. The ceremonies were not intended to rid the Israelites of sin, make them holy, or set them apart as better than other nations. They were intended to bear testimony of the Son of God. Like the Israelites in Jesus day, we too miss the point of the ordinances we perform, seeing the temple ceremony as the end itself, rather than a tool to lead us to Him who is the Further Light and Knowledge we seek.

The church is speaking of the Temple more than ever before. Temples are being announced and built at an incredible rate. Members are continually encouraged to get to the temple to redeem our dead. Because we are so focused on the end goal (to redeem the dead) we neglect to observe that our own houses are out of order. We seek to set the house of God in order, yet more often than not we have disorder at home. It would seem our priorities are backwards.

The temple endowment, which was initially for the living to learn the path back to God, over time took on a mythical meaning and the form became an end in itself. The temple rites were always intended as a shadow, a type, an invitation to redemption. They were intended to offer sacred knowledge. However, over time the temple made those who obtained the initiation think of themselves as saved before God.

The changes we have seen in the last 40 years, and the changes we will see in the future, have been more frequent and more sweeping in scope than anything done before. For what is coming down the pipeline, "Eat your vitamin pills. Get some rest." is probably an understatement, and no doubt we would likely be told to "get your booster" if you want to keep up. ;)

If the temple is viewed as an end, its purpose fails. When it is viewed as the blueprint for finding God in this lone and dreary world, it empowers. 

As I have written this post and reflected on how much the temple endowment has gone from a personal invitation to return to the Father to the current breakneck pace of work for the dead, it made me think of the Lord of the Rings story. 

"And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge. Until, when chance came, it fell upon another bearer."

May you be that next bearer of the knowledge of God. 

Communion Song

by

Jonathan Stockstill & Bethany Worship

https://youtu.be/RfLWA5G8jSI