Sealing power
Encyclopedia
In Mormonism
, the sealing power is the means whereby all "covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations" attain "efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead." (D&C 132:7.) All things that are not sealed by this power have an end when men are dead.
refers to this power in when he says to Peter
:
This is later repeated in :
times by the prophet Elijah, and that he restored this power to Joseph Smith, Jr. in the Kirtland Temple
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 3, 1836 in fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy in :
for the living and for the dead. One of the critical uses of the sealing power is for baptism for the dead
. The sealing power is the authority that allows a living person to be baptized by proxy for a dead person so that ordinance is valid in the spirit world.
s, and are for eternity, not just until death. In this instance, husbands and wives are referred to as being sealed to one another, and the children are sealed to their parents, making an "eternal family."
Boyd K. Packer
has also elaborated on the meaning of the term "seal" in conjunction with the phrase "sealing power":
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
, the sealing power is the means whereby all "covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations" attain "efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead." (D&C 132:7.) All things that are not sealed by this power have an end when men are dead.
New Testament References
ChristChrist
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
refers to this power in when he says to Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
:
This is later repeated in :
Restoration
This power is believed to have been held in Old TestamentOld Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
times by the prophet Elijah, and that he restored this power to Joseph Smith, Jr. in the Kirtland Temple
Kirtland Temple
The Kirtland Temple is a National Historic Landmark in Kirtland, Ohio, USA, on the eastern edge of the Cleveland metropolitan area. Owned and operated by the Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , the house of worship was the first temple to be...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 3, 1836 in fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy in :
Baptism
Today, the sealing power is used in temples to perform ordinancesOrdinance (Mormonism)
In Mormonism, an ordinance is a religious ritual of special significance, often involving the formation of a covenant with God. Ordinances are performed by the authority of the priesthood and in the name of Jesus Christ...
for the living and for the dead. One of the critical uses of the sealing power is for baptism for the dead
Baptism for the dead
Baptism for the dead, vicarious baptism or proxy baptism is the religious practice of baptizing a living person on behalf of one who is dead, with the living person acting as the deceased person's proxy...
. The sealing power is the authority that allows a living person to be baptized by proxy for a dead person so that ordinance is valid in the spirit world.
Marriage
An ordinance where the sealing power is clearly displayed is in marriage. A typical marriage ceremony includes the caveat "until death do you part", whereas marriages performed with the sealing power in a temple, can exist beyond death and into heaven. These marriages are referred to as celestial marriageCelestial marriage
Celestial marriage is a doctrine of Mormonism, particularly The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and branches of Mormon fundamentalism.Within Mormonism, celestial marriage is an ordinance associated with a covenant that always...
s, and are for eternity, not just until death. In this instance, husbands and wives are referred to as being sealed to one another, and the children are sealed to their parents, making an "eternal family."
Detailed explanation
The sealing power is explained in greater detail in D&C 132:7-19:Boyd K. Packer
Boyd K. Packer
Boyd Kenneth Packer is an American educator and religious leader, and the current president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He served as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve from 1994 to 2008, and has been an apostle and member of...
has also elaborated on the meaning of the term "seal" in conjunction with the phrase "sealing power":
See also
- MormonMormonThe term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
- MormonismMormonismMormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
- Priesthood (Latter Day Saints)