Following my divorce, I wanted nothing more than to never have any kind of connection or correspondence with my ex-husband again. In all honesty, I really hope our paths never cross and that I also never see his parents again. Putting that aside, being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I was married in the temple for time and all eternity. I made sacred covenants there with my ex-husband, but also God. With my divorce, our promises of faithfulness, building a family, and loving each other forever were over. While we were (and are) divorced in every sense of the word, I am still sealed to him. I struggled long and hard over this.
You see, in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there are certain policies in place. One of these is that in the case of divorce, a man and woman remain sealed to one another. The man may get remarried at any time and this will not end the sealing. For a woman, the only way the sealing can be nulled is if she remarries in the temple. Meaning, that for the sealing to be cancelled, I have to be getting married again and request through my bishop, who then goes to the First Presidency, who then goes to my ex’s bishop, who then goes to my ex and asks if there is any reason my request shouldn’t be granted. The First Presidency gets the final say, in which case, more likely than not, my sealing will be cancelled and I can be remarried in the temple, for time and all eternity. This bothered me so much, that is until the Lord blessed me with a greater understanding and perspective.
It was around the time of my divorce that changes to the temple ceremonies were made. These changes could not have come at a more perfect time for me. Because of the changes, I was able to understand and realize that while yes, I had made covenants with my ex-husband, that ultimately my covenants were made with God and that these covenants are still important for me to inherit the blessings of eternity.
During this time I also recalled section 131 of the Doctrine and Covenants. It is there we read instructions on marriage from the Prophet Joseph Smith, which he received from the Lord:
1 In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;
2 And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage];
3 And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.
4 He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase.
I realized what a blessing it is for me to have entered into the marriage covenant because even though my marriage ended, and even if I never remarry in this life, the Lord will still bless me with the greatest blessings one can receive. This means that I can still attain the highest glory in the Celestial Kingdom so long as I remain true and faithful to my covenants forever. Heavenly Father will not deny me these blessings because of the sins and transgressions of my ex-husband.
Since this realization, I have felt so extremely grateful. I have felt grateful for the mercy and love of God. I feel grateful for His perfect plan. He truly has provided the way and I know the Lord is so ready to bless us and give us all we have worked for.
