Sealing Powers and Parental salvation?

[Maureen]

I think I would phrase it as saying that a parent's dedication to living up to the responsibilities that the sealing covenant entails will prepare the child, at some future point, to accept Christ as his or her savior, accept the gift of salvation that He offers, and then live his or her life in a way that honors that gift.

I can agree that a parent can provide an example, a witness to their children of the blessings in following Christ, but it is still up to the child to make their own choice to accept Christ or not. Parents can be an influence but so can friends, church teachers, leaders or the fellowshipping that church can provide. But I believe that the Holy Spirit will be the ultimate influence in choosing God.

I am a little curious as to whether mainline Christianity allows for the possibility that a parent's conduct can help (or deter) a child to attain the kind of relationship with Christ that brings salvation. Because, IMHO, that's more or less the same thing that we're talking about here.

Yes, pretty much what I said above answers this. But whoever may influence a child with a desire to follow God, the decision to follow is still inevitably the child's. Parent's are blessed with the comfort in knowing that their children are on a good path. The only difference I see in comparing the LDS view with the non-LDS view is that the sealing covenant seems to play a very important part or has some type of power with keeping the children close to the fold, while with non-LDS a sealing covenant plays no part at all.

M.

[grauchy123]

I will be visiting with them again around the 4th of July. Thanks for all your ideas and input

[JesusParadox]

Search The Book of Mormon, read about the Sons of Mosiah, that may shed some light on the issue.

[grauchy123]

What do you all make of this quote in light of free agency and the need for repentance?

Joseph Smith:

“When a seal is put upon the father and mother, it secures their posterity, so that they cannot be lost, but will be saved by virtue of the covenant of their father and mother” (in History of the Church, 5:530)

[Misshalfway]

What do you all make of this quote in light of free agency and the need for repentance?

Joseph Smith:

“When a seal is put upon the father and mother, it secures their posterity, so that they cannot be lost, but will be saved by virtue of the covenant of their father and mother” (in History of the Church, 5:530)

I don't know exactly. But it seems that God is into birthrights. The blessings to Abraham, for example. And it happens on the other side too. Like the Lamanites and the "unbelief" that came because of the wickedness of their fathers. Neither scenarios come from individual merit.

Again, I don't know the answers. I just know its interesting to observe how the Lord deals with his children.

[Vort]

I make of it that Joseph Smith was a prophet and taught the things of God.

In our current state of ignorance, we are not in a position to understand fully many of the things of God. This is especially true for those not under the covenant or who have apostatized from it. But in such things, I don't worry about my own ignorance or that of others. I know I don't know everything, so I just continue on learning as I can.

[estradling75]

“When a seal is put upon the father and mother, it secures their posterity, so that they cannot be lost, but will be saved by virtue of the covenant of their father and mother” (in History of the Church, 5:530)

We don't know many of the whats and whys of how Sealings work or its purpose in the Grand Heavenly order of things. We simply know that it is important and that we are suppose to bind the whole human family together before the end.

Then you have to ask what is meant by not being lost, and being saved. If you try to expand it to mean they will be exalted, well that is a hard sell without repentance. If however being saved and not lost means that there is a place for the child in the Kingdom of God (in one of the Three Degree of Glory) then it is not all that hard to see, given who can make it into them. Joseph Smith could easily been trying to reassure parents with this idea.

[garryw]

Correct, in my 40 years as a member, I never heard of the possibility of a parent saving a child through the sealing power.

Agreed. I didn't hear about this until I was in my 30's. It was elaborated during a chapel session I attended in the denver temple by the temple pres. I later went and looked it up. There is a section on this in the institute manual for marriage, which is online.

Fortunately for me my parents are both stellar

Not sure if my kids are so fortunate.

[Traveler]

Question for you guys I hope to get an answer on. I am a former devout Mormon (now resigned) and I came from a devout LDS family.

Since leaving the church my parents have expressed that me leaving the church has put an extra level of responsibility on their shoulders. My parents claim that if they are even more righteous now they can invoke the sealing powers of the temple and bring their children into the Celestial Kingdom with them.

It sounds like all that dynastic sealing stuff that went on in early church history. But I haven't heard anyone teach or talk about that stuff in recent days. Is this still a real LDS Doctrine? It just seems really unhealthy because they have taken an extra burden upon themselves and I can see the pressure is killing them. Especially since I'm their second child to leave the church.

I'd like to know if you have any sources to show that this is a false doctrine. If so that would be great I think it would really lift that burden from their shoulders. Then again if it is a real LDS Doctrine that would be good to know also.

Hmmmm having read through much of this thread - I am wondering - If you are any less concerned about telling your parents what to believe than what you think they should be in telling you. If it is such a problem in your mind to be "corrected" by your parents - why do you care about correcting them any more than what you think they should be correcting you.

BTW as a practicing Christian? What do you think about the 5th commandment? (Ex 20:12)

The Traveler

[Vort]

BTW as a practicing Christian? What do you think about the 5th commandment?

Or the ninth.