Tuesday, March 18, 2008

answered prayers

This beautiful building is the Bountiful Utah Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In my faith, temples symbolize the most sacred and eternal parts of our religion. It is in these beautiful houses of God that we participate in special ordinances that bind us to our family members for eternity and where we learn the way to return to our Father in Heaven. There is no other place like them on Earth.

The temple is also where every Mormon girl and boy dreams of getting married. We are taught from a very young age to keep ourselves worthy to be married in the temple. We believe that marriages performed in these sacred buildings will last forever, instead of being "'til death do us part." All of my life I imagined my wedding day as taking place at the temple. When the Bountiful temple was built, I knew that is where I wanted to get married. I was born in Bountiful and both my parents grew up there. And this temple is GORGEOUS!

But as often happens in life, things don't always turn out the way we plan. Just as I always dreamed, I fell in love with a wonderful, righteous man. But this good man also happened to be divorced. His first marriage took place in the temple, and although he is legally divorced, that first temple sealing is still in place in the eyes of the Church. And in order for him to be sealed to me, he had to get permission from the President of the Church to do so. This is quite the involved process with all sorts of letters that must be written. I won't get into all the details, but if anyone has questions they can email me. We went through this process when we were engaged, hoping that we would get permission to be married in the temple. Sadly, our request was denied.

There is no reason given for the rejection. We were just told to reapply in a year. I can honestly say that being told I couldn't marry the man I love in the temple, even though we are both worthy to enter those holy doors, has been the hardest trial of my life. I had to readjust all my expectations for my wedding day. I had to mourn the loss of a "temple marriage". I had to try to understand why I was being denied what I'd been told my whole life to strive for and not settle for anything less. And now we were told to just be patient, that it didn't really matter whether we were sealed this year or next or the year after. Just get married civilly, leaders said. This seemed to be a shocking reversal of everything I had ever been taught in the church.

But we did. We went to the temple the morning of our wedding with a few family members and friends because we wanted to start our wedding day in that holy place even if we couldn't be married there. And then that evening we had a beautiful wedding. We were married by my former bishop in the University of Utah Museum of Art surrounded by beautiful Brian Kershisnik paintings. We had our family and friends there. Jared's children were there. It was a sacred and happy day. And we've had a most magical first year of marriage. I have never been happier.

But this trial of my faith and the patience required to wait for my "eternal" marriage has been difficult. It has made me question many things. I have also learned things that I would never have otherwise. The greatest gift of this has been the empathy I have gained. I now know what it's like to feel outside of the box. I know what it's like to be told no to a righteous desire. I know what it's like to wait for something you achingly long for. And for these lessons, I am grateful. I am a better person because of this experience.

When we decided to try for a baby, we knew that it was a leap of faith. We knew there was a chance we wouldn't be sealed before the baby was born. But I felt so strongly that we should not wait anymore. I am grateful for the prayers that were answered that gave us the courage to go forward with faith and conceive this precious little baby. Knowing that we are adding to our family has made our desire to be sealed even greater.

Yesterday afternoon, we got the letter we have been waiting so long for. Signed by Thomas S. Monson, Henry B. Eyring, and Dieter F. Uchtdorf, this letter says that Jared may be sealed to me in the temple. It is dated March 12, 2008. One year and two days since our wedding day. Next week, we will be going to Utah, and we will be sealed together as eternal spouses in the Bountiful Utah Temple with our closest family in attendance. I can hardly believe it is real.

I am so grateful for everyone who has prayed for us this past year. I am grateful for those answered prayers. I am grateful I will finally have the blessings of the most sacred sealing ordinance. I am grateful that I get to be with my dear, dear husband forever. And I am grateful that our little baby will be there too nestled safely inside me.

22 comments:

  1. How wonderful! I married a non Mormon and we were sealed when Buttercup was 18 months old. It was the most amazing thing to have our beautiful angel (dressed to the nines, in temple finery,that we didn't bring) brought into us. Everyone was fine until that happened and then there wasn't a dry eye in sight. I don't think the temple workers got as much time with babies because they all knew about her and I think that's why she got some fancy duds.

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  2. Oh, that makes me want to cry. I'm so happy for you two. Congrats!

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  3. thank you. for wanting that, for sharing that, for being worthy of that. just thank you.

    and congratulations! i couldn't be happier for all three of you!

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  4. I've been reading your blog for about 6 months or so, I've seen your wedding pictures, read you talking about your faith and beliefs and what's interesting is I didn't even realize you weren't able to get married in the temple. Now that I think back there are no pictures of you and Jared in front of the temple but all this time I just assumed you were married in the temple. If this is too personal than please excuse the question but did you get your endowments out even though you weren't getting married in the temple? Congrats!

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  5. To answer anonymous reader's question. Yes I did. I had actually made plans to go through the temple on my own before I met Jared. It worked out that he was there and we got engaged the next day. It was several months before we were married and before we knew we wouldn't be getting married in the temple.

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  6. katrina, I am so happy for you and think you are amazing (even though we've never met in real life!). Life is so unpredictable isn't it? But it's so good to know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us!

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  7. Well I am just so happy for you! That's all I can think of to say...Happy happy happy!

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  8. Katrina, I am so glad you posted this! I love you more. I am grateful that all your readers (as well as all those who know you in real life) know how absolutely amazing you are. It makes my heart ache to know that my complicated past (combined with church policy) caused this trial, and my heart overflows with gratitude when I think about how you have never faltered, never questioned your desire to marry me. I don't have words... I love you so much, Katrina. I love our wedding, or memories, and this year that has been drenched with joy. And I am so glad I get to be sealed to you in the temple next week! It is a dream come true and more. I am so grateful to be yours forever. You are my treasure, and I am so grateful to be the one who gets you. <3

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  9. Um, as a Non-Mormon, this is all way over my head, but congratulations! What a wonderful thing to finally happen!

    (um, can I ask? what are endowments? and how is one considered 'worthy' for a temple marriage?)

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  10. Um, how the heck did I miss the fact that you're Mormon?!

    The way you write about it I can understand that pain- it would be so hard to stay worthy and look forward to temple marriage and then be told no because of nothing you'd done- just timing logistics :(

    I'm so excited for you to be married in the temple you wanted to be!

    And I can't help but wonder how it will be to be sealed and have your baby there in your belly with you guys. That'd add just this entire other special to it :)

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  11. Okay, so this really did make me cry. I'm very happy for you.

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  12. Katrina, we've been praying for you guys over the last year, and I am SO glad now that we can change that "please" to a "thank you" in our prayers! We are so happy for both of you. I feel like one of the most enormous blessings I could ever ask for is to look around at my little family and realize that we are an eternal family, sealed together for all time and eternity.

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  13. Thank you everyone for your kind comments. It means a lot to me.

    Ariana, that is really funny that you didn't know I was Mormon. I haven't been trying to hide it. ;-)

    her, I apologize for all the "insider" lingo in this post. I put some links in the first paragraph that may help explain things a bit better. Another great resource if you are interested/curious is Mormon.org. I will try to answer your questions as briefly as possible and hopefully help make things a little clearer for you.

    In Mormon temples we participate in the most sacred ordinances of our religion. Sort of like the next step after baptism and confirmation. The Endowment is one of those ordinances. Literally endowment means a gift. When a person "receives his/her endowment" they go to the temple and makes promises to God and in return are promised certain blessings. During the Endowment we also learn more about how we are to return to live with Heavenly Father again.

    Typically an adult member of the Church receives his/her endowment before serving a full-time mission or getting married in the temple. They can also go to the temple independently of these milestones which is what I did.

    As for being "worthy": There are strict guidelines for who is allowed to go into the Temple. One must have an interview with local Church leaders who ask a series of questions. You must be following the commandments, not smoking or drinking, paying your tithing, attend church meetings, believe in the Church, etc. If all of these things are in order than you are considered "worthy" to attend the Temple.

    In our case, we are both "worthy" of attending the temple. We go regularly and participate in other services, but we were not able to be married there--what is called "sealing" because Jared was previously married. But now it has been ok'd by the President of the Church and we will be sealed together eternally. All subsequent children will automatically be sealed to us as well.

    I hope this answers your questions. Thank you so much for asking and for reading! Feel free to email me at redheadmusings@gmail.com if you have any other questions.

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  14. Congratulations. I'm really happy for you. :)

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  15. Congratulations! Now you'll have two special anniversaries to celebrate!!

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  16. Katrina! I am so, so happy for you, I am crying! I look forward to seeing pictures of your special day on your blog!

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  17. Congratulations. I thought of you on your anniversary when you posted pix again. I was wondering if you had heard back. I'm sure you're super excited!!

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  18. I'm so happy and excited for you!!!

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  19. Whoa...total tears with this post. Nothing is so sweet, so lovely, so far beyond our capacity to really understand than the Temple Sealing power. I am thrilled for you three.

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  20. my comment didn't post! I'm just really excited for you guys! What a wonderful thing being sealed as a family is!

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  21. Congratulations! That's very exciting and wonderful.

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  22. Katrina,
    This is so awesome. Congratulations. Your pictures are all so beautiful! I'm so happy for you guys. That is just awesome. You have so much faith.
    Congrats.
    Love
    Jill (Southam)

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