I grew up dreaming about the day I would be married in the Temple. I think that dream is something instilled in the heart of every LDS girl. From a very young age we were taught that the only place to be married was in the Temple—for time and all eternity.
The Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Manual explains:
“Why is it important that we marry in the covenant? (If necessary, explain that in our day, the phrases marriage in the covenant, eternal marriage, and temple marriage are often used interchangeably. How long has marriage in the covenant been a commandment of God? (It is an eternal ordinance that has been the Lord’s order in all ages when the fulness of the gospel has been on the earth. Adam and Eve were the first on this earth to enter into this ordinance.)” (page 41)
But if the eternal covenant of marriage were truly the Lord’s order in all ages since Adam and Eve, then wouldn’t Temple marriages have been practiced in Jewish Temples? Was the “fulness of the gospel” on the earth when Jesus and His Apostles lived? Were Temple marriages performed during Christ’s time?
The truth is, the only people allowed inside God’s Temples were men! Women were not even allowed inside! The Temple consisted of an outer Court for Gentiles, one for women, and one for men. Only the Priests were allowed to enter the Temple. The Holy of Holies, which is where God’s presence dwelt, could only be entered by the High Priest one day each year. He did this on the Day of Atonement, only after he purified himself with the shed blood of a perfect sacrifice.
If there were marriages taking place in God’s Holy Temple, then every single one would have been a “same-sex” marriage—men marrying men!! Since this is forbidden by God, we can be certain that there were no marriages taking place in God’s Temples!
When Jesus shed His blood on the Cross, His body was the ultimate sacrifice–paying the entire debt for the sins of the world! The very moment Jesus died, the veil in the Temple was torn from top to bottom. God does not dwell in Temples built by men anymore. Literally, He dwells inside of the hearts of men and women themselves. Every person with faith in Jesus is a Temple of God. This can only happen because believers have been “perfected forever” and are as pure as Jesus Himself!
My dream of a Temple marriage has been replaced with joy from the most intimate relationship I have ever known—one with my Lord and Savior Jesus!! He actually lives inside of me, and the life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
I so want to share with you this amazing love. Even though I don’t know you, I pray for you as the Apostle Paul prayed:
“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:17-21)
Latter-day Saint Woman 
shematwater said,
August 17, 2010 at 2:26 pm
From the tim eof Moses to the time of Christ only the Aaronic Priesthood was had in general, and it does not have the authority to seal marriages. As such marriages were not performed in the Tabernacle or the temple.
From the time of Moses until Elijah the sealing power was held by the prophets, and such ceremonies were rightly conducted on the top of the mountains, such as Sinai, as they are the natural temples of God. (Nathan performed the marriages of David, for example).
After Elijah the sealing power was removed from the earth, as the people had grown too wicked to enjoy such a blessing. This is why it is Elijah that was to come and turn the hearts of the children to the fathers, as he was to restore the sealing powers. This he did on the Mount of Transfiguration when he appeared to Peter, James, and John. He did it again in the Kirtland Temple when he appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdry.
Thought I would just clear this up.
latterdaysaintwoman said,
August 18, 2010 at 7:11 pm
Shem, so basically, are you saying that the only marriages ever performed in a Temple have been at LDS Temples?
You wrote:
“From the time of Moses until Elijah the sealing power was held by the prophets, and such ceremonies were rightly conducted on the top of the mountains, such as Sinai, as they are the natural temples of God. (Nathan performed the marriages of David, for example).”
If the sealing power was held by the prophets from Moses until Elijah, then why didn’t the prophets perform marriage ceremonies in the Tabernacle or the Temple? Why would they perform the marriages at the top of the mountains when they could simply go to the Temple or the Tabernacle?
You also wrote:
“After Elijah the sealing power was removed from the earth, as the people had grown too wicked to enjoy such a blessing. This is why it is Elijah that was to come and turn the hearts of the children to the fathers, as he was to restore the sealing powers. This he did on the Mount of Transfiguration when he appeared to Peter, James, and John. He did it again in the Kirtland Temple when he appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdry.”
The Temple was available during Elijah’s lifetime, so why didn’t he give the sealing powers to the Priests to perform Temple marriages at that time?
shematwater said,
August 19, 2010 at 6:37 pm
The Tabernacle and the Temple among the jews was for the Aaronic Priesthood. It was built for the ceremonies and sacrifices that that priesthood officiated in. That was its purpose, and nothing else.
When the Lord took the Higher Priesthood out of their midst he also took the covenants of the Temple, as they are part of that priesthood. As such, the temples they built were not built with or for that priesthood.
However, I did not say that these ceremonies were not performed in other temples. I only pointed out that the Tabernacle built by Moses, and the Temple of Solomon (and other reconstructions of it) did not have these ceremonies.
I believe the temples among the Nephites did have these ceremonies, as the Nephites had only the Higher Priesthood, and so their temples could have accomodated these ceremonies.
I also believe that temples existed before the time of Moses, all the way back to Adam. These also would have had these ceremonies performed in them.
As to Elijah not passing on the keys, he was not permitted to do so. The People of Israel had become too wicked to have such blessings in their midst.
Massey Nathanael said,
August 26, 2010 at 8:13 pm
if I may be so bold I have a question shem
Who has the power to make a thing Holy?
shematwater said,
August 28, 2010 at 6:01 pm
NATHAN
That is a good question, and one worth exploring. Depending on how you look at it it could be answered in different ways.
In one sense no one has this power. Things are just holy by nature, or become holy through progression.
Of course God is the overseer of such processes and so it can also be said that he is the only one who has the power to make things holy, as it is through his power that things are allowed to progress.
Then again it can also be said that through choices made things are made holy.
And lastly it can be said that we make things holy to us by choosing to believe they are whole.
Me personally, I would have to clarify what “holy” means. If it means all things pertaining to God than both the first and second explanations are accurate. If it is describing that which does not directly pertain to God, but seeks to emulate him, the third one is accurate. If it is simply describing that which is held secred by a certain people then the last one is more accurate.
As I am assuming you were meaning it in the first sense, that pertaining to God (such as his law), and speaking solely from a mortal perspective I would go with explanation two; that only God has the power to make things holy.
Nathanael Massey said,
September 27, 2010 at 6:21 pm
So God makes things holy? Then if two men went to the temple to be sealed would that marrage not be holy in God’s Eyes?
latterdaysaintwoman said,
September 28, 2010 at 10:35 am
Nathan,
I find it interesting, you must believe that homosexual marriages are God-given? God instituted marriage as one man and one woman being married for their entire life on earth (Genesis 2:24).
God’s Temple has never been used for marriage ceremonies. God intended marriages for this life only: “Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.” Mt 22:28-30
Nathanael Massey said,
December 19, 2010 at 11:16 am
LDSwoman-I find it interesting, you must believe that homosexual marriages are God-given?
Me–You misunderstand my question and it’s intention