The New and Everlasting Marriage Covenant

Time: 7:47-9:35 Study: D&C 132 132:3 – Those who are given the law must obey. What a serious preface. I can think of no other law of happiness with a similar weight attached. Why? Is this the most difficult, challenging (unselfish) commandment there is? This commandment safeguards eternal increase, the “fullness of [His] glory”. 132:8-14 – God reserves the sole right and responsibility for structuring eternity. Thus all eternal interactive social connections, or bonds, are governed by this law and Him. All others shall be destroyed with death (and the resurrection, vs. 13, thus covering the translated being who do not taste death). 132:15 – With a mortal bond, the parties are freed by death. However, this does not change desires, only obligations. A couple who love one another may still love after death, however, they cannot marry after death and thus they cannot interact as a couple, only as friends and siblings. The law of chastity states that procreative relations may only occur within the bounds the Lord has set, which are marriage. Thus a Celestial level of obedience prohibits them from procreative relations forever, thus damnation while yet in the Celestial state. If they will not/cannot obey this Celestial law (of chastity), they are not celestialized, but “terrestrialized.” This glory cannot procreate. But I do not know if they are thus allowed to have full sexual expression, which would remain a lesser joy without the selfless purpose of creating life. But even if they could have sexual relations, would they? Maybe at first, but with eternal ministrations from the Celestial world, they might eventually strive to emulate its laws as much as possible, to exist in the happiest form possible. But without eternal increase, they will never have a fullness of joy equal to those of a Celestial state. (can that Terrestrial joy even be called a fullness?) God grants as much joy as is permitted by justice, so a fullness of joy according to the laws of their sphere of existence is possible. 132:16 – If they are not bound, they are free. And yet freedom is not equated with glory. Is this because freedom is inherently selfish? Freedom serves only self, but binding self to Other is selfless. It uplifts Other ahead of self and forms the basis of Godhead. The just reward of selflessness is gratitude from Other, which is the motivation of obedience and thus the source of God's power as a God. Because of God's absolute selflessness, he serves all things according to their needs. All just beings (including the very elements) are moved to gratitude and obedience (trust unto cooperation). Only in this cooperative obedience are all needs met and happiness reigns. That is why the angels minister. This meets needs and makes happiness constant (full) for all creation. 132:20 – Marriage (by God) must be a covenant to put Other first. Not just wife, but all things. We learn with, by, and through, our spouse how to do this. 132:27 – In the case of a Sealing Cancellation, God severs that covenant that both may yet be exalted. Both parties may repent fully and reach exaltation, just not together. These are the principles whereby all the other revelations (of this Section, 132) are fulfilled in happiness. As hard as it feels to accept plural marriage and the possible risk of a selfish morass that plural marriage can be, it is the only way that all men and women might be exalted eternally. The other way requires a one-to-one match from the beginning. Even with an imbalance of one, this law of plural marriage would be necessary. And since God does not force any man or woman to heaven, this law must exist to meet justice and the needs of each being. To deny this is selfish (and fearful) and therein is the condemnation spoken of in verse 3.