President Boyd K. Packer
“The ultimate purpose of all we teach is to unite
parents and children in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,
that they are happy at home, sealed in an eternal
marriage, linked to their generations, and assured
of exaltation in the presence of our Heavenly
Father” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1995, 8; or
Ensign,May 1995, 8).
Elder Bruce R. McConkie
“If righteous men have power through the gospel
and its crowning ordinance of celestial marriage to
become kings and priests to rule in exaltation forever,
it follows that the women by their side (without
whom they cannot attain exaltation) will be queens
and priestesses. (Rev. 1:6; 5:10.) Exaltation grows
out of the eternal union of a man and his wife. Of
those whose marriage endures in eternity, the Lord
says, ‘Then shall theybe gods’ (D&C 132:20); that
is, each of them, the man and the woman, will be
a god. As such they will rule over their dominions
forever” (Mormon Doctrine,613).
“Marriages performed in the temples for time and
eternity, by virtue of the sealing keys restored by
Elijah, are called celestial marriages.The participating
parties become husband and wife in this mortal life,
and if after their marriage they keep all the terms
and conditions of this order of the priesthood, they
continue on as husband and wife in the celestial
kingdom of God.
“If the family unit continues, then by virtue of that
fact the members of the family have gained eternal
life (exaltation), the greatest of all the gifts of God, for
by definition exaltation consists in the continuation
of the family unit in eternity. Those so inheriting
are the sons and daughters of God, the members of
his family, those who have made their callings and
elections sure. They are joint-heirs with Christ to all
that the Father hath, and they receive the fulness of
the glory of the Father, becoming gods in their own
right. (D&C 132; Doctrines of Salvation,vol. 2, pp.
58–99.)” (Mormon Doctrine,117).
Those Who Do Not Marry
President Lorenzo Snow
“There is no Latter-day Saint who dies after having
lived a faithful life who will lose anything because of
having failed to do certain things when opportunities
were not furnished him or her. In other words, if a
young man or a young woman has no opportunity
of getting married, and they live faithful lives up
to the time of their death, they will have all the
blessings, exaltation, and glory that any man or
woman will have who had this opportunity and
improved it. That is sure and positive” (Teachings
of Lorenzo Snow,138).Elder Richard G. Scott
“If you are single and haven’t identified a solid
prospect for celestial marriage, live for it. Pray for it.
Expect it in the timetable of the Lord. Do not
compromise your standards in any way that would
rule out that blessing on this or the other side of the
veil. The Lord knows the intent of your heart. His
prophets have stated that you will have that blessing
as you consistently live to qualify for it” (in
Conference Report, Apr. 1999, 33; or Ensign,May
1999, 27).MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE
President Spencer W. Kimball
President of the Church
In 1976 Devotional
Speeches of the Year,
142–55I have warned the youth of Zion against the sins and
vices so prevalent in our society—those of sexual
impurity and all of its many ugly approaches. I have
spoken of immodesty in dress and actions as one of
the softening processes of Lucifer. I hereby express
appreciation to the many who have carefully
responded to those exhortations and rewarn those
who have ignored them.
I spoke plainly, warning youth of the pitfalls of
petting and of all the other perversions into which
young men and women sometimes fall. I have
endeavored, also, to give hope to those who might
have stepped over the bounds of propriety, and I
outlined to them the path by which total repentance
might bring them to forgiveness.
I have warned the youth against the many hazards
of interfaith marriage, and with all the power I
possessed, I warned young people to avoid the
sorrows and disillusionments which come from168 MARRIAGE FORETERNITY