When are sealings voided?


Angelica56
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5 minutes ago, Angelica56 said:

My family (my parents, siblings, and I) were sealed in the temple when I was a teenager. Now 2 of my siblings have resigned from the Church. My parents are inactive but still members. What happens to our sealing?

When a person resigns from the Church, they choose to dissolve all the covenants they made with God.  That's what it means to resign from the Church, and is thoroughly and repeatedly explained when a person says "I want to resign".  These blessings can be later reinstated if that person decides to rejoin the Church.

If a person simply goes inactive, they have no dissolved their covenants with the Lord.  They are inactive in them (obviously), but they do still exist.  

 

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Why, nothing at all!

In the Church, it ain't over until the fat lady sings.  We don't know, nor can we ever know, the hearts of your family members, if they will return to the Church in this life or the next, or anything like that.  The Lord is the only person who can judge, and He is far more merciful, kind, and just than we could ever possibly be.

So, my understanding is the sealing stays in place, as the blessings may yet come to fruition.

EDIT: I see @Jane_Doe has said that if the person actually resigns from the Church, the covenants may be dissolved.  I didn't know about this - is there a formal process for this?  

Edited by DoctorLemon
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2 hours ago, Angelica56 said:

My family (my parents, siblings, and I) were sealed in the temple when I was a teenager. Now 2 of my siblings have resigned from the Church. My parents are inactive but still members. What happens to our sealing?

Ordinances are “void” when the covenants made in the dealings are broken.

for example:

at baptism you promise to keep the commandments of God. In return God promises you his spirit. If you don’t keep your promise, you don’t get the blessing.

Sealings are the same. If you aren’t keeping the promises you made to your spouse and God, the blessings of the sealing will not be given to you.

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I don't know the answer, but I will bring up the question.  Is there a difference between being sealed to your parents and being born in the covenant.  If you are born to parents who are already sealed, you don't need to be sealed to them.  If they are sealed after you are born, you need to be sealed to them as well.  This can happen before baptism if you are under the age of 8.

So, I have heard that those born in the covenant are tied to the covenant of their parents, and even if they resign from the church, that covenant still stands because it was made before they were born.  Or perhaps it includes those who were sealed before the age of accountability.

Anyone have insight into this?

Edited by bytebear
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7 minutes ago, bytebear said:

I don't know the answer, but I will bring up the question.  Is there a difference between being sealed to your parents and being born in the covenant.  If you are born to parents who are already sealed, you don't need to be sealed to them.  If they are sealed after you are born, you need to be sealed to them as well.  This can happen before baptism if you are under the age of 8.

Yes.  All sealings to parents are the same, whether enacted via BIC or in person.

7 minutes ago, bytebear said:

So, I have heard that those born in the covenant are tied to the covenant of their parents, and even if they resign from the church, that covenant still stands because it was made before they were born.  Or perhaps it includes those who were sealed before the age of accountability.

That is not true.

 

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“We cannot overemphasize the value of temple marriage, the binding ties of the sealing ordinance, and the standards of worthiness required of them. When parents keep the covenants they have made at the altar of the temple, their children will be forever bound to them” (“Our Moral Environment,” Ensign, May 1992, 68).

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2002/09/hope-for-parents-of-wayward-children?lang=eng

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On ‎12‎/‎1‎/‎2017 at 2:26 PM, bytebear said:

I don't know the answer, but I will bring up the question.  Is there a difference between being sealed to your parents and being born in the covenant.  If you are born to parents who are already sealed, you don't need to be sealed to them.  If they are sealed after you are born, you need to be sealed to them as well.  This can happen before baptism if you are under the age of 8.

So, I have heard that those born in the covenant are tied to the covenant of their parents, and even if they resign from the church, that covenant still stands because it was made before they were born.  Or perhaps it includes those who were sealed before the age of accountability.

Anyone have insight into this?

As per Brigham Young, Joseph F. Smith, Joseph Fielding Smith, and Bruce R. McConkie, from what I understand, this is correct.  The following is MY interpretation of their statements.

The thing to understand about ordinances is that they are NOT complete until they are sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise.  If one does not follow the commandments or resigns, this may mean that their ordinances will not be "finalized" by the Holy Spirit of Promise.  This is normally by choice...in my opinion...not that of the Holy Spirit, but by the individual.  This is why an ordinance is needed for temple sealings, but NOT for voiding those temple sealings.  Only revelation can tell a General Authority whether a one sealing will supersede another in regards to whether it will be finalized by the Holy Spirit of Promise, which is one reason the First Presidency is involved in many temple sealing cancellations when needed, as their revelation is needed on that matter.

This is why, even if someone leaves the church, that ordinance still stands...the question is whether it can be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise or not.

This also is why there is no need to repeat all the ordinances one has completed, as it can simply be done by a restoration of blessings, which brings in the promise of it being sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise for a final absolute sealing on one's head when the time is right.

All ordinances are so, including sealings.

Now, the sealings between parents and children is unique and special.  As per the individuals listed above, and clarified far more by Joseph F. Smith in his doctrines of Salvation (I believe it is volume 2) and Bruce R. McConkie (who I think was the editor for the recent printings as well, also in some of his own writings) stated that if children are not worthy or fall away from the church, they are STILL sealed to their parents.

What will happen though, is that the children will STILL need to pay the price for whatever they have neglected, and after they have done all that the price entails, will be saved with their family in the Celestial Kingdom.  NOW...of interest, they will be in the lowest degree of the Celestial Kingdom, and that entails many other things.  For starters, it means that they will have whatever body they deserve, which, if they were not righteous or fell away, means a Telestial or Terrestrial body.  How this is that they can endure in the Celestial Kingdom in such a body I do not know.

However, the assurance for parents is unless their children forsake the kingdom to fall into Outer Darkness...all their family that they have here, they will inherit and possess in the hereafter.  The sealing bonds of the Lord are powerful enough to seal those families together, even there, for children to their parents.

In my opinion, this then explains what the third degree of the Celestial Kingdom is.  Further expounding upon this, Joseph Smith explained that the second degree of the Celestial Kingdom are those who merit the Celestial glory, and receive all it's power except that granted by the Patriarchial order.  This is because they forsook (and that's a good word for it, in that they CHOSE not to get married, which means those that wanted to get sealed for all eternity and did not have the opportunity are not included and probably will have that opportunity if they so desire at some point in this life or the next) the celestial marriage when given the opportunity.  Thus they are servants in the Celestial kingdom to those who are in the highest degree of glory.

However, in my opinion, even if a child falls away from the church, as long as they do not turn to be a son of perdition, they are STILL sealed to their parents, as it is a parental blessing and ordinance under the Father's priesthood and the Sealer's power...rather than that which comes to the child itself.

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On 12/1/2017 at 2:26 PM, bytebear said:

I don't know the answer, but I will bring up the question.  Is there a difference between being sealed to your parents and being born in the covenant.  If you are born to parents who are already sealed, you don't need to be sealed to them.  If they are sealed after you are born, you need to be sealed to them as well.  This can happen before baptism if you are under the age of 8.

So, I have heard that those born in the covenant are tied to the covenant of their parents, and even if they resign from the church, that covenant still stands because it was made before they were born.  Or perhaps it includes those who were sealed before the age of accountability.

Anyone have insight into this?

Yes, there is a difference, might be a nuance with sealing and covenant (born or sealed when not a baby). We can be sealed and not have any "right" to the covenant , especially if we have removed ourselves from the covenant (as with the OP, resigning from the Church).  This doesn't nullify the sealing, but definitely nullifies covenant.

As to the last question, I have read differing thoughts from leaders regarding the "tie" to parents regarding covenant. My understanding is that of what @JohnsonJones shared. There are others on this forum that would argue that children who stray still have "right" to the covenant if parents themselves have remained true (top tier Celestial). I tend to agree with the first and not the later. I am not sure how someone could reject the covenant and still be exalted, as I can't find anything in scripture that supports this notion.

 

 

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On 12/1/2017 at 11:49 AM, Angelica56 said:

My family (my parents, siblings, and I) were sealed in the temple when I was a teenager. Now 2 of my siblings have resigned from the Church. My parents are inactive but still members. What happens to our sealing?

Nothing, sealings are still in place, receiving promised blessings in covenant are up to God and an individuals decision to honor the covenants they have received (honestly which only God can provide).

Remember, with this we don't have to worry if we are living a righteous life. All other things, like this, will be worked out by a perfectly loving, merciful, just, and good Father in heaven.

Edited by Anddenex
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