rameumptom

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  1. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from Traveler in Can women qualify for the "Renewing of their bodies" promised to the Priesthood in D&C 84:33?   
    Excellent question. I actually read the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood in a different way. In the Oath, it states that "all those that receive my servants receiveth me". That includes all members of the Church.
    To receive the fulness of the Melchizedek Priesthood means receiving the ordinances of the temple. A woman who is sealed in the temple shares the Patriarchal Priesthood with her husband. He cannot receive it alone, nor can he magnify it alone. So women can also magnify their responsibilities as mothers, wives, visiting teachers, RS presidents, etc., and receive the full blessings of the priesthood promises.
  2. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from mrmarklin in Can women qualify for the "Renewing of their bodies" promised to the Priesthood in D&C 84:33?   
    Excellent question. I actually read the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood in a different way. In the Oath, it states that "all those that receive my servants receiveth me". That includes all members of the Church.
    To receive the fulness of the Melchizedek Priesthood means receiving the ordinances of the temple. A woman who is sealed in the temple shares the Patriarchal Priesthood with her husband. He cannot receive it alone, nor can he magnify it alone. So women can also magnify their responsibilities as mothers, wives, visiting teachers, RS presidents, etc., and receive the full blessings of the priesthood promises.
  3. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from caspianrex in The Book of Mormon: A Book for Our Day   
    I am no bragger when it comes to reading the BoM. That is less than 3 times a year since I joined the Church in 1975.
    I have a friend who is a stake president, Tom Matkin, who has read the Book of Mormon through once a month, every month without fail, for over 20 years. He's literally read the book hundreds of times, 18 pages a day. THAT is an admirable goal to aspire to.
  4. Thanks
    rameumptom got a reaction from john4truth in Qualifications of a Bishop   
    I am talking about seminary teachers that are full time paid employees of the Church, not the ones called to teach early morning seminary by a stake.
  5. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from Sunday21 in Feel Synthetic...   
    I would also encourage you studying Elder Christofferson's talk from this past weekend's General Conference.
    Are you wanting to live in Zion and have a summer cottage in Babylon? Most of us do. Whether it is heavy metal, material possessions, or our favorite tv program, chances are they probably steer us away from God.
    We need to remember the concept of "good, better, best." In a spiritual context, where are the things you are currently doing fitting? Are they good, when we should be willing to give them up for better or best things? What kind of music will bring us spirituality and bring us into the presence of God?
    Are the video games you play the kind God would approve? And if so, are you playing them so much that they prevent you from doing the best things? Do you play rather than ponder?
  6. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from Fether in Will repented of sins be missing from the life review at Final Judgment?   
    From the way I read recent General Conference talks, we probably will not be viewed by our sins or deeds, but by what we have BECOME.  We do not earn salvation nor exaltation. These are gifts of Christ, received by faith in Christ.  We do not have a ledger that marks our good and bad deeds. Instead, it is about what we've become. The Pharisees tried to keep commandments and earn their salvation.  Jesus condemned them for it.  Salvation comes from developing faith, and allowing good works to come from our new birth in Christ.
    DC 88 explains that if we become, even in part, a celestial person, then we will gain a celestial glory.  Ditto for the lower kingdoms.
    God will ask us, "what have you become?"  That will determine all.  As for sin, when we repent of it, the Lord promises that he will remember it no more. Why? Because we are no longer the sinner we once were. We will have become a holier being, a saint.
  7. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from Sunday21 in Forgetting my fiances past   
    Think about your own sins of the past, both big and small. Chances are you've done a few foolish things that could have gotten you arrested. Then think about how fortunate you are that Christ is willing to fully forgive you and embrace you as you are, even with all of your current flaws and weaknesses.
    You have to decide whether you are mature enough to be in a relationship with someone who made a bad choice in her youth, and then sought to repent of it. Don't string her along. Don't marry her if you cannot truly forgive this and just love her. It would be best for you to move on. But just remember something: she may end up being fully faithful in her testimony, while the one you end up with may choose to rebel at a later point. How will you ever know if the person you marry was, is, or will be faithful? You don't. This young girl honestly shared with you her past. She didn't have to do so. She could have lied, and you would not have known about it. That alone shows she should be trustworthy.
    I know a guy in his early 30s that did heavy drugs and sex as a youth. He was converted by a seminary teacher. Repented of his sins at the age of 17. He served a mission. In the military, he met the LDS chaplain's daughter and fell in love. He told her of his past, and she took a week to pray and ponder about if she could live with that knowledge. She took it to the Lord, and the Lord told her that HE had forgiven this young man and trusted him. That was all she needed. They have now been happily and faithfully married for several years, with several kids. He didn't have to tell her about his past. But he wanted to be truly honest with her. He wanted to be trustworthy. He took the chance and the Lord blessed him.
    IMO, if God says a person is forgiven and worthy, then that person is forgiven and worthy. I WOULD forget about the issue of the past, as well as forgive it. But if you are not able to do so, then kindly walk away from this relationship and allow her to find a better person who is willing to forgive and forget her past.
  8. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from Edspringer in How come there was no temple in the Garden of Eden?   
    In the Creation, we learn there is a battle between order and chaos.  Water and Darkness are symbols of Chaos in the Creation. God puts them in abeyance by ordering, "Let there be Light", and then dividing the lands from the waters.  When the Garden arose from the waters, it became a symbol of God's Order.  Today's temples, just like Mt Sinai, Noah's Ark, and the Garden of Eden, are places of God's Order (a House of Order) in a world of Chaos and Darkness.
    In ancient times, prior to physical temples, altars in the wilderness were temples. The story of Jacob's ladder (staircase) is a perfect example of a sacred space in the wilderness. In the early days of Nauvoo, God allowed baptisms for the dead to occur in the river. God determines what is a holy site/temple, not us. And sealings and ordinances are provided by God in his own way for each generation. So, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were sealed, etc., in God's way for their time.  Also, we learn in D&C 137, that God gives to people the blessings they would have accepted in life, even if they have yet to receive them (Joseph Smith's brother Alvin was in heaven, even though he had yet to be baptized).
    What is most important in the temple ceremony are the covenants and promises made. Secondly, the temple becomes a place of revelation, specifically on the mysteries of godliness (D&C 84). The endowment and initiatory prepare us to enter into God's presence and see Him face to face.  We practice entering God's presence.  In the sealing, we join ourselves and our families to the Family of God.  The Book of Mormon tells us that children who die before the age of 8, only need to be sealed to their parents. They are alive in Christ. We do not know whether they will receive some ordinances, once they become spiritual adults. As it is, it seems to me that someday they will receive priesthood and to be sealed to their own spouses, as a minimum.
     
     
  9. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from askandanswer in Does freemasonry have roots in Satanism?   
    For those who have studied Masonry, there is no connection with Satanism. Because of their secrecy in their rites some have claimed a connection.  While Joseph may have used a few parts of the Masonic rite to develop the endowment, the ties are rather insignificant.  Masonic rites go through several levels that discuss/teach moral concepts, based upon a history where King Solomon, Hyrum of Tyre and Hiram Abiff the temple builder, all held portions of a great secret. The portions were combined to create the original temple ceremony, according to Masonic lore.  The first levels are tied to the murder of Hiram Abiff, and the importance of being a Mason in building the temple.
    This is very different from the LDS endowment, the purpose being to prepare us to enter into the presence of God. We do not go through several levels of moral teaching as in Masonry. Our endowment is for both men and women, and is geared towards preparing us to enter the Celestial Kingdom, God's presence, and unite with eternal family.
    Fearing any small connection with Masonry as a reason to stay away from the temple is being short sighted and placing fear in the way of what can create great faith. Masonry is not Satanic. I know several Mormons who have been Masons, and I have read some of the rites, and there is nothing Satanic about it.  In fact, Joseph Smith had no problem with it, telling his friend B. F. Johnson that it was the "apostate endowment", or an endowment that had lost much of the truth (like much of Christianity).
  10. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from Just_A_Guy in How come there was no temple in the Garden of Eden?   
    Possibly. Or he was seeing a representation, based on current righteousness and holy desires.
  11. Like
    rameumptom reacted to Vort in How come there was no temple in the Garden of Eden?   
    I resemble that remark.
    It sometimes occurs to me that new members to the board assume I'm a pretty young woman. I get a kick out of that.
  12. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from zil in Does freemasonry have roots in Satanism?   
    For those who have studied Masonry, there is no connection with Satanism. Because of their secrecy in their rites some have claimed a connection.  While Joseph may have used a few parts of the Masonic rite to develop the endowment, the ties are rather insignificant.  Masonic rites go through several levels that discuss/teach moral concepts, based upon a history where King Solomon, Hyrum of Tyre and Hiram Abiff the temple builder, all held portions of a great secret. The portions were combined to create the original temple ceremony, according to Masonic lore.  The first levels are tied to the murder of Hiram Abiff, and the importance of being a Mason in building the temple.
    This is very different from the LDS endowment, the purpose being to prepare us to enter into the presence of God. We do not go through several levels of moral teaching as in Masonry. Our endowment is for both men and women, and is geared towards preparing us to enter the Celestial Kingdom, God's presence, and unite with eternal family.
    Fearing any small connection with Masonry as a reason to stay away from the temple is being short sighted and placing fear in the way of what can create great faith. Masonry is not Satanic. I know several Mormons who have been Masons, and I have read some of the rites, and there is nothing Satanic about it.  In fact, Joseph Smith had no problem with it, telling his friend B. F. Johnson that it was the "apostate endowment", or an endowment that had lost much of the truth (like much of Christianity).
  13. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from An Investigator in I realized my anxiety is about religious standing before the Lord   
    Spirit Prison is where many will go, usually as a temporary place, where even many of the righteous will suffer the "buffetings of Satan" (DC 132).  For most of us, it is because we've held onto some of our sins, our pride, our fears, our weaknesses.  As with Alma, we suffer temporarily in Darkness until we are ready and willing to give it all up and turn everything over to Christ through repentance and humility (Alma 36).
    Most of us try to save ourselves, attempting to earn our way into heaven.  We cannot do that. In fact, Jesus condemned the Pharisees and Sadducees for trying to do that. What Paul, King Benjamin, Alma and others try to explain to us is that only Christ can save us.  We turn everything over to Christ, and he exalts us.  All we can do is repent and have enough faith  to let Him change us. Obedience, ordinances, and everything else become a natural outgrowth of our faith and reliance on Christ's Grace.
    And Grace is not a backup plan. It is found everywhere since before the Creation. Grace IS Creation.  Just as we breathe in air that is all around us, so we can breathe in Christ's Grace, which is all around us.
    However, most of us attempt to create our own little form of gospel, wherein we save ourselves. In doing so, we deny Christ's power to save us.
    So, do not fear too much about having spent time in Spirit Prison, as others (like Alma) have also spent time there.  Instead, use it as a gauge to know that there are things to change.  Realize that God wants to save and exalt you, because He loves you. Then develop your loving relationship and faith in Him. Allow Him to save you, for you cannot do it yourself.  Then allow that growing faith to build your Hope, so that Hope becomes an anchor to your soul (Ether 12).
  14. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from Just_A_Guy in How come there was no temple in the Garden of Eden?   
    In the Creation, we learn there is a battle between order and chaos.  Water and Darkness are symbols of Chaos in the Creation. God puts them in abeyance by ordering, "Let there be Light", and then dividing the lands from the waters.  When the Garden arose from the waters, it became a symbol of God's Order.  Today's temples, just like Mt Sinai, Noah's Ark, and the Garden of Eden, are places of God's Order (a House of Order) in a world of Chaos and Darkness.
    In ancient times, prior to physical temples, altars in the wilderness were temples. The story of Jacob's ladder (staircase) is a perfect example of a sacred space in the wilderness. In the early days of Nauvoo, God allowed baptisms for the dead to occur in the river. God determines what is a holy site/temple, not us. And sealings and ordinances are provided by God in his own way for each generation. So, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were sealed, etc., in God's way for their time.  Also, we learn in D&C 137, that God gives to people the blessings they would have accepted in life, even if they have yet to receive them (Joseph Smith's brother Alvin was in heaven, even though he had yet to be baptized).
    What is most important in the temple ceremony are the covenants and promises made. Secondly, the temple becomes a place of revelation, specifically on the mysteries of godliness (D&C 84). The endowment and initiatory prepare us to enter into God's presence and see Him face to face.  We practice entering God's presence.  In the sealing, we join ourselves and our families to the Family of God.  The Book of Mormon tells us that children who die before the age of 8, only need to be sealed to their parents. They are alive in Christ. We do not know whether they will receive some ordinances, once they become spiritual adults. As it is, it seems to me that someday they will receive priesthood and to be sealed to their own spouses, as a minimum.
     
     
  15. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from zil in I realized my anxiety is about religious standing before the Lord   
    Spirit Prison is where many will go, usually as a temporary place, where even many of the righteous will suffer the "buffetings of Satan" (DC 132).  For most of us, it is because we've held onto some of our sins, our pride, our fears, our weaknesses.  As with Alma, we suffer temporarily in Darkness until we are ready and willing to give it all up and turn everything over to Christ through repentance and humility (Alma 36).
    Most of us try to save ourselves, attempting to earn our way into heaven.  We cannot do that. In fact, Jesus condemned the Pharisees and Sadducees for trying to do that. What Paul, King Benjamin, Alma and others try to explain to us is that only Christ can save us.  We turn everything over to Christ, and he exalts us.  All we can do is repent and have enough faith  to let Him change us. Obedience, ordinances, and everything else become a natural outgrowth of our faith and reliance on Christ's Grace.
    And Grace is not a backup plan. It is found everywhere since before the Creation. Grace IS Creation.  Just as we breathe in air that is all around us, so we can breathe in Christ's Grace, which is all around us.
    However, most of us attempt to create our own little form of gospel, wherein we save ourselves. In doing so, we deny Christ's power to save us.
    So, do not fear too much about having spent time in Spirit Prison, as others (like Alma) have also spent time there.  Instead, use it as a gauge to know that there are things to change.  Realize that God wants to save and exalt you, because He loves you. Then develop your loving relationship and faith in Him. Allow Him to save you, for you cannot do it yourself.  Then allow that growing faith to build your Hope, so that Hope becomes an anchor to your soul (Ether 12).
  16. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from zil in How come there was no temple in the Garden of Eden?   
    In the Creation, we learn there is a battle between order and chaos.  Water and Darkness are symbols of Chaos in the Creation. God puts them in abeyance by ordering, "Let there be Light", and then dividing the lands from the waters.  When the Garden arose from the waters, it became a symbol of God's Order.  Today's temples, just like Mt Sinai, Noah's Ark, and the Garden of Eden, are places of God's Order (a House of Order) in a world of Chaos and Darkness.
    In ancient times, prior to physical temples, altars in the wilderness were temples. The story of Jacob's ladder (staircase) is a perfect example of a sacred space in the wilderness. In the early days of Nauvoo, God allowed baptisms for the dead to occur in the river. God determines what is a holy site/temple, not us. And sealings and ordinances are provided by God in his own way for each generation. So, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were sealed, etc., in God's way for their time.  Also, we learn in D&C 137, that God gives to people the blessings they would have accepted in life, even if they have yet to receive them (Joseph Smith's brother Alvin was in heaven, even though he had yet to be baptized).
    What is most important in the temple ceremony are the covenants and promises made. Secondly, the temple becomes a place of revelation, specifically on the mysteries of godliness (D&C 84). The endowment and initiatory prepare us to enter into God's presence and see Him face to face.  We practice entering God's presence.  In the sealing, we join ourselves and our families to the Family of God.  The Book of Mormon tells us that children who die before the age of 8, only need to be sealed to their parents. They are alive in Christ. We do not know whether they will receive some ordinances, once they become spiritual adults. As it is, it seems to me that someday they will receive priesthood and to be sealed to their own spouses, as a minimum.
     
     
  17. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from Blackmarch in infiniteness of the atonement?   
    The temple is a metaphor for the cosmos. As far as we know, this pertains to all of Heavenly Father's creations. Whether there are other Saviors for other creations or eternal rounds, we do not know.  In the temple, we see the central issues of Creation, Fall and Atonement. This applies to all Creation within the realm of those things created within this Creation cycle/eternal round.
  18. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from Blackmarch in The Church, Immigration and Refugees   
    Jojo,
    There was a time when Christianity was militant. Remember hearing about the Crusades? How about the Inquisition? Just a few decades ago, Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland were killing each other. In Bosnia, Christian Serbs were killing and  burying Muslims in mass graves. So Muslims are in company with Christians of the recent past. 
    Most who want to immigrate far waiting decades to come here. Not everyone has an American spouse. Eventhen, I have a friend who waited eight years to get his wife in. The system is broken. Many come illegally, whether we like it or not. They are not integrated properly, which leads to many of the problems we now see. The current system does not work and it is insane to think that doing more of the same will yield a different outcome.
    We can control our borders and open up legal immigration tomore immigrants, especially refugees.
  19. Like
    rameumptom reacted to Vort in A Different God?   
    I try to give my Evangelical brothers and sisters the benefit of the doubt. I grant that they are indeed worshiping the true and living God, even if they do not understand him as well as they might. Ignorance per se is no sin; it is the common condition of humanity. I cannot very well condemn my brother for his ignorance when I, too, am in an ignorant state of mortal probation.
  20. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from Just_A_Guy in Joseph Smith in the Temple Ceremony   
    JAG,
    I said it, so it must be true.  But if you need a second witness:
    LeGrand Baker and Stephen Ricks have a book that discuss it. You can download the PDF for free here:
     
  21. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from Edspringer in Joseph Smith in the Temple Ceremony   
    In the original temple of Solomon, the king celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles with the New Year Rite. This was an event which lasted several days. The king presented an annual play. it began in the Grand Council of Gods, wherein the king would receive his call to be a future king and priest of Israel. The Creation and Eden were then portrayed, with the king and queen playing the parts of Adam and Eve. Later in the drama, the king played himself, struggling through great trials and almost failing, when God reminds him of his previous life and calling. The king ends up triumphing with Jehovah/Messiah's help, and he enters into the Holy of Holies of the Temple, back into God's presence. During this presentation, the king and queen also represent the people, who are the anointed of Israel. While they are currently common folk, the day will come when they also will enter the heavenly throne room of God as kings and priests.
    This is a pattern that is seen throughout the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon (such as with King Benjamin's sermon), as well as in the lives of the prophets. And yes, it applies to all the human race, as the temple experience becomes a metaphor of each of us experiencing an eternal round.
  22. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from Sunday21 in The Church, Immigration and Refugees   
    Jojo,
    There was a time when Christianity was militant. Remember hearing about the Crusades? How about the Inquisition? Just a few decades ago, Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland were killing each other. In Bosnia, Christian Serbs were killing and  burying Muslims in mass graves. So Muslims are in company with Christians of the recent past. 
    Most who want to immigrate far waiting decades to come here. Not everyone has an American spouse. Eventhen, I have a friend who waited eight years to get his wife in. The system is broken. Many come illegally, whether we like it or not. They are not integrated properly, which leads to many of the problems we now see. The current system does not work and it is insane to think that doing more of the same will yield a different outcome.
    We can control our borders and open up legal immigration tomore immigrants, especially refugees.
  23. Like
    rameumptom reacted to anatess2 in The Church, Immigration and Refugees   
    In 1994, I joined an effort spearheaded by the Baptist Church to work with Bosniak Refugees (from the Bosnian war in Yugoslavia).  My job was to integrate them into American life.  When I get somebody assigned to me, my first job was to prepare their apartment (usually put them as a room-mate to other Bosnian Refugees all in this one apartment complex who are farther ahead in the assimilation process) and then equip them with basic necessities (a lot of them set foot in the US with only the clothes on their back).  I set up doctor and dental appointments (a lot of them have shrapnel wounds, broken bones, etc.), then I organize social activities which is where they start to learn to speak English.  I have a few refugees that speak passable English so they help with the translation.  I take them to the movies, restaurants, free concerts and events in the city, etc. so they get to have a feel for American life.  Most of them are late teens/early twenties, most of them injured soldiers.  All of them Muslim.  After a period of adjustment, then we find them jobs.  When they get a stable job, they move out of the apartment and integrate with American society.  The people I worked with didn't huddle around the same neighborhood.  They're all over the US now and several opened up their own businesses.
  24. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from Just_A_Guy in The Church, Immigration and Refugees   
    This is a copy of a blog post I posted at MillennialStar.org: http://www.millennialstar.org/the-church-and-immigration/
    In a world where many are afraid of terrorist attacks from radical Islam and drugs from Mexico, some think the Church is insane to have its current pro-immigration stance. However, there are two important points the Church considers in establishing its stance.
    First, immigration has long been the lifeblood of the Church. When Joseph and the Church were struggling in Kirtland, Missouri and Nauvoo, he did not hunker the members down to weather storm. Instead, he sent out missionaries.
    In the middle of the Missouri trials, Joseph sent one of his staunchest supporters, Heber C. Kimball to England. While there, Heber converted hundreds of people, the majority of whom immigrated to join the Saints.
    Parley P. Pratt traveled to eastern Canada and converted John Taylor, the future third president of the Church. When Joseph Smith was slain at Carthage, 10 of the 12 apostles were off on missions, mostly in the eastern United States.
    Brigham Young would continue the missionary work, sending elders to Europe, Hawaii, and into Asia.  All of this, while Johnston's army and anti-polygamy forces were continually buffeting and threatening the Church.
    All of those immigrants that braved the Atlantic crossing, only to then hitch wagon teams or pull handcarts, became the heart and soul of Deseret. Without all of those immigrants, there would not be a Mormon Church today.
    So important was this early immigration period that Isaiah prophesied about it:
    But what about now and into the future?  This is where the second point on immigration comes into play.
    The Lord foresaw a point of massive immigration from around the world of a people that would join the Saints and build the city of Zion in the last days:
    Here we see the lost tribes of Israel, and perhaps others, coming to the Americas from the "north countries", which were lands north of the country of Israel, to receive a blessing from Ephraim (the LDS Church). This must occur as part and parcel of the establishment of Zion, as the lost tribes are to help build the city and temple.
    The very core of the gospel revolves around immigrants. It is a repeated story of the children of God seeking the Promised Land. Enoch built a city for refugees from the violence of Noah's time Noah escaped the wickedness of the world and the Floods, as a refugee on a boat.  Melchizedek built the city of Salem as a refuge from Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham wandered from Ur to find a land promised to him by God. The Jaredites escaped the Tower of Babel and traveled across the sea in barges. Lehi and Nephi were guided from the evils of Jerusalem to a Promised Land in a ship built by Nephi. The Pilgrims were guided by God to the New World, where they could worship God as they saw fit.
    The problem with much of today's immigration is that we allow people to immigrate without having them embrace their new life and culture. When Muslims are not integrated into western society, they retain the best and worst of their previous culture. When we do not let Hispanics enter and join our society fully, they remain on the edges, encouraging the darkest parts of culture to come forward.  We see the same occurring with those forced to come to America in the bounds of slavery, often left on the edges of society, where they do not feel like a part of the Promised Land.
    The new call for the Relief Society to reach out a hand to refugees and immigrants is not a new call. After World War II, the Relief Society sent train car loads of grain, food, clothing and blankets to the refugees in war-torn Europe. When the immigrants in the Willie and Martin handcart companies were brought in from the storms, the sisters were ready to take them into their homes, often for years,
    There is a consistent pattern in how the Church invites refugees and immigrants. They are the children of God. As such, they deserve a chance to be loved and helped.
  25. Like
    rameumptom got a reaction from Sunday21 in Help please. Doctrine concern & counsel needed...   
    Have her consider this: God wishes her to have the maximum amount of joy and happiness she is willing and able tor receive. If she receives baptism and the temple covenants, then God is able to give her the maximum joy in the celestial kingdom. Exaltation is promised to all those who faithfully accept and keep the temple covenants. The promises extend way beyond being sealed to family members.
    If she accepts the fulness of the gospel, she opens the door for her husband to someday also accept it. If she closes the door on herself, she closes it on her husband, also. My non-member uncle was married to my LDS aunt for 40 years. When she died of cancer, he began to think about his family, children and grandchildren, and decided he did want to be with them for eternity. He joined the Church and was sealed to his deceased wife and his living children. He gained the blessing, because his wife did the right thing and never gave up hope, even in death.