APRIL 5, 2014
THE FIRST PRESIDENCY AND QUORUM OF THE TWELVE: “Marriages are no longer performed in Temples”

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It is a glorious privilege and blessing to be alive when the fullness of the gospel is upon the earth. Sacred tithes and offerings have built holy houses of instruction as commanded by the Lord. The temples of the church are the house of the Lord. Each is dedicated to our Heavenly Father and His Son. Within these sacred walls the essential authorized saving ordinances of the gospel are performed under the direction of the holy priesthood. These ordinances and buildings are vital to all of God's children. They are the pinnacle of our faith. Each one represents the symbolic fullness of the gospel as it spreads to the four corners of the earth.

Entrance into the temple is by invitation only to those whose worthiness is acceptable to the Lord and His church. The preparation has been revealed and instituted by the Lord through his special witnesses and prophets. Prayerfully prepared curriculum provides the necessary instruction for you and your families to develop the necessary faith, build and strengthen testimonies, and prepare your hearts and minds to enter the temple.

We demonstrate our supernal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in his divine message when we enter the temple with an eye single to the glory of God. We enter into the hallowed halls with a prayerful heart seeking to be taught and edified by the spirit. We’re taught the divine principles and unchangeable doctrines of our Father in Heaven. We show our gratitude to the Lord for the privilege of worshiping in the temple when we treat it reverently and with the utmost respect. We exercise faith in Christ by being clean to participate in the ordinances of the temple. These beautiful buildings are surrounded by elements reflecting the purity of heart and the cleanliness of mind that the Savior desires for each one of us.

The Lord rejoices when our hearts are in tune with His purposes and are sensitive to the still small voice. He rejoices when we make our homes a heaven on earth – homes filled with fathers and mothers and children sealed together as an eternal family unit. Together, they work out their salvation along the path set forth by modern-day prophets. Our Heavenly Father rejoices when we make correct choices, enter into sacred covenants and keep our promises to Him.

Since the days our first parents were placed in the Garden of Eden, Lucifer and one third of the rebellious hosts of heaven have had no other strategy than to destroy the eternal purposes of our perfect heavenly parents. These doubting disaffected dissenters were cast out from the presence of the Lord never to gain their second estate. They chose to doubt God’s wisdom. They chose to doubt and rebel against God’s hallowed ways and reject the plan offered by our elder brother, Jesus Christ, the Fathers’ beloved and only begotten son in the flesh.

Throughout each and every dispensation on earth, the scriptures record many accounts to help us avoid the pitfalls of losing our way back to Heavenly Father’s presence. Many Biblical and Book of Mormon events recount the wicked temptations, evil machinations and cunning traps designed by Satan. His methods are always aimed at creating contention, generating doubt, obfuscating doctrine and corrupting the current generation. His motives have never been in harmony with the Lord’s righteous designs.

Lucifer is the father of all lies. He is the father of doubt. He beguiled our first parents. He influenced the world to reject God’s holy prophets prior to the great flood of Noah. He persuaded the children of Israel to reject the law given unto Moses. He produced centuries of immoral communities like unto Sodom and Gomorrah. He took command of the evil souls that led to the crucifixion of the Savior. He is the father of the great and abominable spoken of by the prophet Nephi. He is the great deceiver. He is the founder of corrupting the Lord’s everlasting doctrines. He seeks to lead astray the hearts and souls of God’s children.

The devil made his presence known to the young boy Joseph when he sought to prevent Joseph’s humble heart and sincere lips from uttering that solemn prayer which led to the grandest theophany in modern times. Joseph was valiant. He rejected the adversary. The first vision was glorious and magnificent. It was the personal appearance of our Heavenly Father and the resurrected Son. Joseph was called to the work of restoring the gospel in the latter-days. He was foreordained and anointed to this prophetic calling in the pre-mortal councils.

The Doctrine and Covenants records, “Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it . . . He has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God . . . [and] has sent the fullness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth . . . (D&C 135: 3).”

Through the revelations of the prophet Joseph and the Lord’s authorized servants who have been ordained and set apart to direct the Lord’s affairs on earth, our Heavenly Father has established the true and everlasting covenants of the holy temple. Therein we partake of the saving ordinances that direct us along the straight and narrow path prepared from the foundations of the world. This is the only path leading to eternal life with God, even exaltation in the celestial kingdom for all eternity.

What a blessing it is to live with temples dotting the earth wherever faithful latter-day saints are assembled in great numbers. These magnificent holy edifices are expensive to build as they are intended to last through the millennium. There we make the required covenants essential for exaltation to bind and seal families together forever.

Elder John Taylor, third president of the church, declared, “If there is anything great, noble, dignified, exalted, anything pure, or holy, or virtuous, or lovely, anything calculated to exalt or ennoble the human mind to dignify and elevate the people, it will be found among the people of the saints of the most high God.” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 10, discourse 33, April 6. 1863) http://journalofdiscourses.com/10/33

Indeed, the many pure, unchangeable and everlasting virtues of our Heavenly Father are taught, maintained, and defended in His church. The proclamation of the family sets forth the supernal doctrine of the eternal family. The family, as defined by the Lord, is sanctified in the holy temple. Any other unauthorized union defiles the Lord’s purposes.

In this the last dispensation of the fullness of times, the Lord has warned His children through living prophets of the great pitfalls, the ominous snares and the sinful lures that the devil will use to thwart the Lord’s purposes and destroy His plan of happiness, even to the destruction of tender marital relationships pre-ordained by the Lord.

This morning, as I look out into the conference center, my heart is overcome with the sublime peace of the Savior’s love. This truly is a beautiful sight. It pleases our Father in Heaven and all the angelic hosts of heaven. You are assembled with your family and friends to sit at the feet of prophets and receive instruction. I pray as I make the following announcement that your hearts will be filled with joy; that you will feel the matchless love and tender mercies of our Heavenly Father; and that you will come to understand the profound implications and sublime utterances of this historic conference.

Under the direction of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve we are instructed to make a change to the temple wedding ceremony. The term “married for time and all eternity” will be changed with respect to all future activity in the church. We will refer to this sacred ordinance as “sealed for time and all eternity.”

The temple will only perform sealings for the living for those who have had civil weddings first. Currently, this is the procedure in some countries in the world. However, it shall be universal to the entire body of the church in all countries beginning Monday September 1st, 2014. Again, civil marriage ceremonies shall precede all temple sealings for the living and entrance into the Lord’s sacred house shall continue to be authorized through the approved temple recommend interview process.

The secular world is rapidly changing and the adversary seeks chaos. He seeks havoc. He seeks destruction. He aims to disrupt and hinder the work of the Lord. However, be assured that the Lord’s purposes shall be fulfilled by those who desire to keep His commandments and are obedient to the laws and ordinances of the gospel which He has set forth.

We rejoice in this extraordinary historic announcement. The brethren assure you that the Lord’s watchful eye is over His people and His authorized servants. You too may know that this is the will of the Lord through sincere fasting and prayer. The spirit will confirm in your heart that the Lord is in charge of His church. He is in charge of His holy temples. He is in charge of His holy ordinances. He directs the affairs of His church.

We invite all who love the Lord to come unto Christ. Come unto Him and be perfected. Come unto Him and receive of the sacred eternal blessings our Father in Heaven has in store for each of his precious children through faithful service and obedience to all that He has revealed. Come and partake of the blessings of the temple. In the name of our beloved Savior, even the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."

I prophesize this talk will eventually be spoken.

it'll be a quiet change, stating it in GC will make the ridiculous rule well known and they don't want that.

I disagree. By being so public, TSCC covers their a** in potential litigation when marriage equality becomes law in the United States. By making such a public proclamation TSCC insures there is no 'hiding' the new policy and it cements in the eyes of TBM's that God inspired this change by revelation BEFORE it became the law of the land.

TSCC is bleeding members. There needs to be something more than just essays to inoculate the rising generation. There needs to be something of a 'wow factor' to get the TBMers to believe God is in charge; that God knew there was going to be a change in U.S. law that would threaten the temples. The Devil is out to destroy TSCC and God is watching out over it.

Anything said over the pulpit (not in GC) as a First Presidency Message, gets attention today. The press picks it up quickly. The internet spreads it rapidly.

Same gender unions etc. is one of the big threats to TSCC. There are recent talks and Ensign articles stating the FIRM position of using LDS facilities for wedding ceremonies and receptions. Only those approved by TSCC. It is getting as much amo in print prior to a new countrywide marriage equality law. LDS Inc. has been behind on so many issues and has lowered its PR image repeatedly every time it fights the issue. TSCC know they're going to loose this issue. One of the earlier posts on RFM even said that an insider had knowledge that the church's lawyers are saying so. Hence, to get out in front of this issue only helps to cement the faithful that God speaks to modern prophets and saw the change necessary before it became law.

But you still have to clean the toilets. Suckaz

Is this for real? If so, consider me even more bitter. Said adios to my family many moons ago because they couldn't go to my wedding. One day I'm going to have an amazing "anti" site.

wait, so is this seriously a thing? they won't allow marriages in lds temples after the date stated?

No, it's not real. It's a fictional talk, dealing with a serious issue

Prophesy doth indeed flourish in various and divers places.

Greatest amongst these are a gathering of a select few of all modern mankind; I speak of those at a sacred place known as RfM.

I got chills reading this post swear to god.

Pulpitspeak raised to the next level by a true wordsmith.

A level only dreamed of by souls in thrall of joesmith.

One can only imagine if the above mentioned were true.

Gay marriages or even and sealings to one's true animal are only a dream or two away.

Stay tuned. :o)

lolol....Elder Delaney's brother?

God that was well written.

This was so well written, TBM's could start questioning things based on this possible layout of a talk.

I'd rather see them take a STRONG stand against divorce, put into action Real Counselors (NOT responsible to Bps, SPs) who can actually HELP Couples Learn, Grow, Communicate effectively, & accept each other, with idiosyncracies, imperfections, etc.

not asking much, 'eh?

Can somebody please put this fake talk out there on a website that mimics how the church website looks?

I would love to post a link to this "conference talk" on my facebook page and troll and see how many of my Mormon friends "like" it thinking it is a real church talk.

That was written so well it was scary. I could almost hear the echoing drone of a conference speaker as I read it.

By the way, I think the suggested policy would be a great idea.

Me thinks Jiminycricket has a mole on the inside leaking an early version of today's Uchtdorf talk. This elegant prose could only have been written under the influence of the spirit. Even the reference to Satan as the 'father of doubt' corresponds nicely with Uchtdorf's 'doubt your doubts'. I can totally see him delivering this address today.

Thank you, Jiminy, for giving us a peak into the future. Almost makes me want to listen to GC, almost.

NEVER. I didn't believe it for one second. This is a "cash cow" for the Mormon cult--to deny families entrance to their loved ones' weddings, is a painful twist of the arm, to extort 10% of everyone's salary who attends. What a racket! Mormons preach all about families, then screw them at the temple door. Moneychangers.

What would the collateral damage of this speech be?

I think a speech like this could splinter the church between the "hard cores" and the "water downers"

There are many people on both sides of this argument and it cannot be both ways.

This speech, would create a huge revenue loss for LDS Inc.

Perhaps the revenue stream cannot give any more since society has moved on, forcing LDS Inc into this position.

I think this speech should be cut and pasted onto a nice background and shared on TBM FB pages. That ought to keep everybody busy.