THE DOCTRINE OF CELESTIAL MARRIAGE
Bishop Kyle Sampson
Crystal City Ward
March 22, 2009
IntroductionMy remarks today are on the “Doctrine of Celestial Marriage.” I asked Noelle this
morning for her assurance that I would do well in giving these remarks. She assured me that
watching me give this talk would be like watching a NASCAR race: it would be exciting, and fun
to watch, and really great if it ends with a crash.
I gave myself this assignment and chose this topic for several reasons. Recently,
President Nixon informed the Bishops in the Stake that Elder Dallin H. Oaks had suggested, in
training Area Authorities and Stake Presidents on the East coast, that, as a Church, we are not
doing enough to teach the doctrine of Celestial Marriage. He counseled Church leaders in our
area to devote their best efforts to the strengthening of marriage and the home. Another
reason is the state of our world today. From Hollywood to Capitol Hill, our modern culture
seems intent on attacking the sanctity of marriage and undermining the importance of family.
From movies to public policy debates, the “background noise” we constantly hear transmits
messages of confusion about the meaning of marriage, the conduct that is acceptable in our
relationships, and so on.
Another reason I gave myself this assignment is the unique demographics of our ward.
As you know, we are blessed with an abundance of both Single Adults and newly married
couples (and a dearth of Youth). By my rough count, more than 80 percent of the active
members of our ward either are single or have been married for less than five years. (By
contrast, we have only five Young Women and two Young Men). So, unlike many Bishops, my
counseling often is more concerned with courtship and marriage than it is with merit badges or
MIA Maids.
Finally, I have chosen to speak on the doctrine of Celestial Marriage because, as
President Boyd K. Packer has taught, our understanding of our doctrine will influence our
behavior much more than talking about behavior will influence our behavior.
1 On this point,
Elder David A. Bednar said, in remarks directed at single members of the Church: “The doctrine
of the plan leads men and women to hope and prepare for eternal marriage, and it defeats the
fears and overcomes the uncertainties that may cause some individuals to delay or avoid
marriage.”
2 To married members of the Church, Elder Bednar stated: “A correct understanding
of the plan also strengthens our resolve to steadfastly honor the covenant of eternal
marriage.”
3ChallengesI have been somewhat nervous about giving remarks on this subject. I know that there
are some who feel guilty that they are not yet married (or believe that talks like this one are
designed to make them feel guilty). Others feel great frustration or even hopelessness about
being single -- so much so that they question their testimony of God’s love for them or the
truthfulness of His church. Still others have marriages that, for a variety of reasons, are really,
truly challenging.
When he spoke on the subject of Celestial Marriage, Elder Bednar said: “My hope is
that a review of our eternal possibilities and a reminder about who we are and why we are here
in mortality will provide direction, comfort, and sustaining hope for us all, regardless of our
marital status or personal present circumstances.”
4 That is my hope as well. In addition, my
hope in speaking on this subject today is that each of us -- whether single or married, male or
female -- will, first, have a greater desire and hope for the blessings of Celestial Marriage and,
second, commit to make choices and take steps that will ultimately result in the obtaining of
those blessings. This is my hope for you and for me.
QuestionsAs you listen to my remarks, I invite you to consider the following questions: First, am I
striving to become a better husband or wife, or preparing to be a husband or wife, by
understanding the doctrine of Celestial Marriage? If you are married, perhaps you might reflect
on the one or two obstacles that you personally face that are hindering you from becoming a
better husband or wife. Similarly, if you are single, perhaps you might reflect on the one or two
obstacles that you personally face that might be hindering you from getting married. Second,
am I helping those around me to understand and apply the doctrine of Celestial Marriage?
Those around you may include your spouse, children, roommates, persons you home or visit
teach, or family members.
As you ponder these questions, please also consider the doctrine of choice. Recognizing
and taking responsibility for what is within our realm of control expands our sense of agency,
frees us from being “acted upon,” opens the channel for further light and inspiration, and
allows for growth even as we “wait upon the Lord.” This idea is encapsulated in our ward
theme: “Therefore, dearly beloved . . . , let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and
then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm
to be revealed” (D&C 123:17). Truly there is much that each of us can choose to do as we seek
to strengthen our marriages or as we prepare for marriage.
UnderstandingsI want to focus my remarks on the doctrinal “ideal of marriage.” The doctrinal ideal of
marriage is hard to describe. To me, it is:
· That perfect relationship that each of us -- married or single -- wants desperately. (Or
maybe that perfect relationship that we sometimes think others have.)
· It is that place where we experience joy and fulfillment and happiness and security and
completeness, and it includes mutual respect, affection, trust, and love between a
husband and wife.
· It is characterized by charity, and unity with our spouse, and closeness to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
· It is “eternal” in its duration, and “celestial” in its quality.
· It is where we experience and obtain “the ultimate blessings of love and happiness.” (This one is my favorite description.)
· It is where we long to be.
This ideal type of marriage is sometimes referred to by Church members as “temple
marriage,” but it is more than that. Men and women who are worthy can be married in the
temple, but only those who honor the marriage covenants made there can obtain this ideal
type of marriage.
5 This ideal type of marriage is sometimes referred to as “righteous marriage,”
or “covenant marriage,” or “eternal marriage.” In my remarks, I will refer to this type of
marriage as “Celestial Marriage.” At the Church’s last General Conference, in October 2008,
Elder Russell M. Nelson taught that
[t]he full realization of the blessings of a [celestial] marriage is almost beyond our mortal
comprehension. Such a marriage will continue to grow in the celestial realm. There we
can become perfected. . . . . Celestial marriage is a pivotal part of preparation for eternal
life. It requires one to be married to the right person, in the right place, by the right
authority, and to obey that sacred covenant faithfully.6
I believe that all of Heavenly Father’s children -- members of the Church or not -- long
for Celestial Marriage, even if we don’t completely understand why. Sociologist Victor L. Brown,
Jr. has said that
[m]arriage is the relationship toward which most of us direct our social and emotional
interests. . . . The hunger for . . . [it] is, next to survival needs, our deepest human
longing. The very bizarreness of the searches we see today testifies to the strength of
that hunger.”7
Indeed, this yearning is the stuff that art and literature and music (especially music) are
made of. Let me share one example: during the 1990-91 school year, I was awakened every
single morning at 6:00 a.m. when an inconsiderate roommate blasted one of two songs -- it was
always one of two songs -- while he was getting ready to go to his ROTC meetings. I know the
words to both songs by heart because I heard them over and over that year. (I hope my
recitation of the lyrics will not be too irreverent in this setting.) The beginning of the first verse
of the first song went like this:
I want somebody to share
Share the rest of my life
Share my innermost thoughts
Know my intimate details . . . .
You’ve heard it? The beginning of the second verse went like this:
I want somebody who cares
For me passionately
With every thought and
With every breath . . . .
And Depeche Mode doesn’t even know what we know about Celestial Marriage! The second
song that was played repeatedly that year was called “Everlasting Love,” by an artist named
Howard Jones. The chorus of that song is similarly emblematic of the universal longing for love:
I need an everlasting love,
I need a friend and a lover divine,
An everlasting precious love,
Wait for it, wait for it, give it some time.
This is a true story! That inconsiderate roommate preparing for ROTC meetings is now an Air
Force Colonel who is posted at the Pentagon and lives in the Kingstowne Ward with his wife
and six children. His name is Trevor Rosenberg -- you can look him up.
The universal longing for Celestial Marriage is much more than bad, 1980s-era love
poetry. It is God given. In speaking of the desire of single sisters to marry and have children,
Sister Julie B. Beck taught that this desire “probably won’t go away if they’re righteous, because
that is a God-given desire. It speaks to their very natures and the training they received in the
heavens. So that longing will not go away.”
8 Although Sister Beck was speaking of sisters, I
believe that this longing for marriage and family is given by God to each of us, irrespective of
our gender.
But enough with the preliminaries: you now know why I’m speaking on this subject, and
what questions I want you to ask yourselves, and what I mean when I say “Celestial Marriage”
-- and you now all have at least conceded that we all desperately desire to obtain the ultimate
blessings of love and happiness that come from Celestial Marriage. So, let’s talk about some
doctrinal principles that hopefully will give us greater understanding and motivate us to change
our behavior where it needs to be improved.
PrinciplesI have gleaned the following doctrinal principles from the scriptures, the teachings of
Church leaders,
9 and from many of you. Please know that there are other gospel principles that
can inform our understanding of the doctrine of Celestial Marriage.
10 I have chosen the following principles because I think they have particular relevance for us.
Principle No. 1: Marriage is a divine commandment. Scriptures declare that “it is lawful that [a man] should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation” (D&C 49:16). Another affirms that “the man [is not] without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:11). Thus, we know that marriage is a commandment.
We also know that the “Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save
he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth
them” (1 Ne. 3:7). Accordingly, whether single or married, we should not be afraid to try for a
Celestial Marriage, or be dissuaded if others are fearful, or worry if the world laughs at us or
mocks us. And we should try not to get discouraged by the challenges of dating or marriage,
which often are caused by the decisions of another or circumstances beyond our control. To
the contrary, we should be courageous and help others to understand and keep this
commandment.
The Lord commanded Nephi to go and get the plates
From the wicked Laban inside the city gates.
Laman and Lemuel were both afraid to try.
Nephi was courageous. This was his reply:
“I will go; I will do the thing the Lord commands.
I know the Lord provides a way; he wants me to obey!”
The Lord commanded Nephi to go and build a boat.
Nephi’s older brothers believed it would not float.
Laughing and mocking, they said he should not try.
Nephi was courageous. This was his reply:
“I will go, I will do, the thing the Lord commands,
I know the Lord provides a way; he wants me to obey!”
The Lord gives us commandments and asks us to obey.
Sometimes I am tempted to choose another way.
When I’m discouraged, and think I cannot try,
I will be courageous, and I will reply:
“I will go, I will do, the thing the Lord commands,
I know the Lord provides a way; he wants me to obey!”11
Principle No. 2: Seeking for Celestial Marriage is risky and dangerous.
At dinner last week, a friend compared his decision to marry to the decision each of us made to leave our Heavenly Parents and come to earth. He told Noelle and me that the decision to marry
required him to exercise faith “all the way to the alter” because -- like the decision each of us
made to follow Heavenly Father’s plan and come to earth -- there was so much uncertainty and
risk involved, and there were indications that it would, at times, be difficult. He knew, however,
that it was the right thing to do if he wanted to follow Heavenly Father’s plan, and if he wanted
to learn and grow, and if he wanted to obtain the ultimate blessings of love and happiness.
On this point, C.S. Lewis said:
Of all arguments against love none makes so strong an appeal to my nature as “Careful!
This might lead to suffering.” To my nature, my temperament, yes. Not to my
conscience. When I respond to that appeal I seem to myself to be a thousand miles
away from Christ. If I am sure of anything I am sure that His teaching was never meant
to confirm my congenital preference for safe investments and limited liabilities.12
Professor Lewis goes on:
To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung
and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your
heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little
luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your
selfishness. But in that casket -- safe, dark, motionless, airless -- it will change. It will
not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.13
Interestingly, Lewis ties our love and commitment to another person -- and our vulnerability before them
14 -- to our relationship with Christ and our ability to be redeemed. He suggests that our vulnerability in that relationship enables or facilitates our relationship with Christ.
Principle No. 3: Celestial Marriage is possible because of the Atonement of JesusChrist.15 Our Heavenly Father declared, “This is my work and my glory -- to bring to pass the
immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). The Atonement of Jesus Christ enabled both
of these objectives to be realized. Because of the Atonement, immortality -- or resurrection
from the dead -- became a reality for everyone. Because of the Atonement, eternal life -- which
is living forever in God’s presence, the “greatest of all the gifts of God” (D&C 14:7) -- became a
possibility.
To qualify for eternal life, to make that possibility a reality, we must make an eternal
and everlasting covenant with Heavenly Father. This “eternal and everlasting covenant” is
described in D&C 132:19:
And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and
by the new and everlasting covenant [that is, in the temple by Priesthood authority], and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise [that is, they honor that covenant so
that their temple marriage becomes a Celestial Marriage] . . . , [then, that marriage]
shall be . . . of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the
angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, . . .
which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever.
This means that a Celestial Marriage is not only between husband and wife; it embraces a
partnership with God. Elder Nelson has explained that:
While salvation is an individual matter, exaltation is a family matter. Only those who are
married in the temple and whose marriage is sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise will
continue as spouses after death and receive the highest degree of celestial glory, or
exaltation. A temple marriage is also called a celestial marriage. Within the celestial
glory are three levels. To obtain the highest, a husband and wife must be sealed for
time and all eternity and keep their covenants made in a holy temple. The noblest
yearning of the human heart is for a marriage that can endure beyond death.16
In addition to establishing a pathway to eternal life, the Atonement also provides the
means for getting on the pathway and staying there. It is through receiving the blessings of the
Atonement that we can:
· Repent, so that we are worthy to receive inspiration about our dating or marriage relationships.
· Have our hearts changed so that we can be less selfish and love more fully.
· Forgive and be forgiven.
· Be healed when we have been injured.
· Learn from our experiences -- in life and in marriage -- without being condemned by them.
Principle No. 4: Celestial Marriage is achieved over time through hard work and God’s grace.Temple marriage is not the end of the road, the crowning achievement of our mortal
lives. To the contrary, it is the beginning of a great project that two people launch together -- a
team project that provides opportunities for growth that cannot be gained any other way.
This conception of marriage often leads me to counsel individuals to put notions of
“romance” or “chemistry” to the side and think of marriage like they would think of a corporate
merger. Like a company considering a merger, I have found myself encouraging a cool-headed
assessment of the possible merger partner: What assets would he or she bring to the
combined company? Will both companies improve as a result of the merger? Are the two
corporate cultures compatible? Would the combined companies be more “productive”
together than they would be separately? More “profitable”? (What about possible tax
benefits?) Would a merger help the two companies get to where they need to go?
A recently married brother described this principle -- that marriage is a team project or
merger, not an achievement -- this way: “[M]arriage provide[s] a unique environment to learn
and grow in a way not otherwise possible; . . . the venue of marriage was specifically set up to
help us get to a place we need[] to go, but otherwise, on our own [cannot] . . . .”
17Elder Bednar has taught that one reason this is so is because the natures of male and
female spirits complete and perfect each other, and therefore men and women are intended to
progress together toward exaltation. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual
premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose and, for divine purposes, male and female
spirits are different, distinctive, and complementary. The unique combination of spiritual,
physical, mental, and emotional capacities of both men and women are needed to implement
the plan of happiness. The man and the woman contribute differently but equally to a oneness
and a unity that can be achieved in no other way. The man completes and perfects the woman
and the woman completes and perfects the man as they learn from and mutually strengthen
and bless each other.
18To be sure, this team project of marriage is, at times, challenging. Like no other
relationship, it requires us to have and exercise charity. We must suffer long and be kind, and
envy not, and not be puffed up, and seek not our own, and not be easily provoked. We must
bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things.
19 Jesus Christ, of course,
is the perfect example of charity -- the one we should emulate in all of our relationships. Elder
Jeffrey R. Holland has said that Christ
is the great example of one who bore and believed and hoped and endured.
We are invited to do the same in our courtship and in our marriage to the best of our ability. Bear up and be strong. Be hopeful and believing. Some things in life we have little or no
control over. These have to be endured. Some disappointments have to be lived with
in love and in marriage. These are not things anyone wants in life, but sometimes they
come. And when they come, we have to bear them; we have to believe; we have to
hope for an end to such sorrows and difficulty; we have to endure until things come
right in the end. One of the great purposes of true love is to help each other in these
times.20
I agree with Elder Holland that one of the great purposes of true love is to help each other in
tough times. I certainly have a testimony of that.
Principle No. 5: Celestial Marriage is a process that takes time and experience together.I agree with Elder Holland that one of the great purposes of true love is to help each other in
tough times, but I also believe that true love -- a.k.a., Celestial Marriage -- is a consequence of
enduring difficult times together. In many respects, as James Thurber said, “love is what you go
through together.”
21 Thus, although we long right now for Celestial Marriage (i.e., that
relationship wherein we obtain the ultimate blessings of love and happiness), Celestial
Marriage is a process that takes time. Understanding this principle -- that Celestial Marriage is a
process that takes time -- can change our behavior.
Consider a wife who dwells on the things about her husband that bother her. Flaws or
idiosyncrasies or even conduct that she wants him to change right now so that she can have the
happiness she wants. If she understands that obtaining Celestial Marriage is a process that
takes time, she will -- instead of nagging or making ultimatums or threatening to leave the
marriage or worse -- remember the covenants she made in the temple and consider her
husband’s great potential and focus on the things she can do to be supportive and caring, the
things she can do to strengthen their marriage. Over time, with her love, the husband will
change, or the flaws will not really matter, or the flaws will even become endearing. Right,
Noelle? (This hypothetical example obviously applies with gender roles reversed.) “Harmony in
marriage comes only when one esteems the welfare of his or her spouse among the highest of
priorities. When that really happens, a celestial marriage becomes a reality, bringing great joy
in this life and in the life to come.”
22Similarly, consider the single brother or sister “who [is] looking for that idealized partner
who is some perfect amalgamation of virtues and characteristics seen in parents, loved ones,
Church leaders, movie stars, sports heroes, political leaders, or any other wonderful men and
women they may have known.”
23 A greater understanding of the doctrine that Celestial
Marriage is a process that takes time should change dating patterns, as both men and women
consider the potential of their dating partners and whether the person they are dating is
someone with whom a “corporate merger” just might make sense -- not whether that person,
right now, matches up to some list of required qualities.
A recently married brother told me that before he was married, while he “was insistent
on dating a good solid LDS girl, [he] was also hoping that she [would be] . . . musical, athletic,
physically, socially, and emotionally attractive . . . the list goes on [and on] . . .” He also
expected that she would be “a big sports [fan] (especially BYU).” He confessed that the woman
he married, however, “is not musical, is completely disinterested in ALL sports, and . . . went to
the U!” He said that for a year and a half prior to meeting his wife, he had been praying for a
greater understanding of Celestial Marriage. The result was that “while [we] were dating I
knew there was a good chance things might work out because I was not only willing, but
anxious to overlook things that in other situations I either would not, or felt like, no matter how
much I tried, I could not [overlook].” The doctrinal nugget he gleaned from his experience:
“What we [think we] want and what we need are often different. In all aspects of our [lives],
we need to learn to yield our will to God’s.”24
To yield our will to God’s will, we need to be open to the possibility that what we think
we want in a spouse is not, in fact, what we need. We need to worry less about the qualities
we want from others, and more the qualities we can give -- the virtues we have developed, and
the people we are trying to be and know that God expects us to be.
True love blooms when we care more about another person than we care about
ourselves. That is Christ’s great atoning example for us, and it ought to be more evident in the kindness we show, the respect we give, and the selflessness and courtesy we employ in our personal relationships.25
Indeed, as Christians, we should be kind and respectful and selfless and courteous in all our
relationships, be they dating relationships or marriage.
Principle No. 6: Although it is hard work, Celestial Marriage is definitely worth it.Although achieving Celestial Marriage is hard work, like any worthwhile project, it is more than
worth it. Indeed, the benefits -- intellectual and emotional and physical and spiritual -- are both
incomparable and innumerable.
Regarding the spiritual benefits, a recently married brother in our ward -- a different
fellow than the one I’ve previously referenced -- told me that, for him, being married was “like
having an additional member of the Godhead in [his] presence.” What a testament to his wife!
He said that the
loving, refining and edifying influence conveyed by the Holy Ghost is similar to the
feeling shared by a righteous and loving marital companion. . . . I anticipated that this
should be the case when I was single and looking forward to marriage, but only since
marrying . . . have I actually experienced it.26
Indeed, the Lord Jesus Christ is the focal point of a Celestial Marriage. As a result, Elder
Bednar taught, as the
husband and wife are each drawn to the Lord, as they learn to serve and cherish one
another, as they share life experiences and grow together and become one, and as they
are blessed through the uniting of their distinctive natures, they begin to realize the
fulfillment that our heavenly father desires for His children. [The u]ltimate [blessings of
love and] happiness, which [are] the very object of the Father’s plan, [are] received
through the making and honoring of eternal marriage covenants.27
ConclusionI testify that these principles are true: that Celestial Marriage is a divine commandment
that “brings greater possibilities for happiness than does any other relationship.”
28 I testify that
Celestial Marriage is possible because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. And I know that
Celestial Marriage -- although risky and dangerous and a lot of hard work -- is definitely worth it.
Noelle and I do not yet have a Celestial Marriage, but we catch glimpses of it from time to time
and, when we do, it is indescribably wonderful. I know that marriage is the most important
relationship we will have “in time and eternity -- and [I know that for] . . . the faithful what
doesn’t come in time will come in eternity.”
29In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
1 See Boyd K. Packer, “Do Not Fear,” Liahona (May 2004) (“True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and
behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will
improve behavior.”).
2 David A. Bednar, “Marriage is Essential to His Eternal Plan,” Ensign (June 2006).
3 Id.
4 Id.
5 Regarding the “quality” of our marriage relationships and how that quality might affect their duration, C.S. Lewis
insightfully stated: “Theologians have sometimes asked whether we shall ‘know one another’ in Heaven, and
whether the particular love-relations worked out on earth would then continue to have any significance. It seems
reasonable to reply: ‘It may depend what kind of love it had become, or was becoming on earth.’” C.S. Lewis, The
Four Loves 137 (Harcourt 1960).
6 Russell M. Nelson, “Celestial Marriage,” Ensign (Nov. 2008).
7 Victor L. Brown, Jr., Human Intimacy: Illusion & Reality 81 (Parliament 1981).
8 Julie B. Beck, Roundtable Discussion, 2008 Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting: Building Up a Righteous
Posterity (Feb. 9, 2008).
9 Particularly helpful, but not otherwise quoted or cited herein, was Elder Bruce R. Hafen’s book, Covenant Hearts:
Marriage and the Joy of Human Love (Shadow Mountain 2005).
10 Other relevant principles include (1) that “Satan desires that all men and women might be miserable like unto
himself,” see Bednar, supra Note 2; (2) that “Celestial Marriage is an integral part of Heavenly Father’s plan for His
children,” see Nelson, supra Note 6 (“Whenever scriptures warn that the ‘earth would be utterly wasted,’ the
warning is connected to the need for priesthood authority to seal families together in holy temples.”); and (3) that
“By divine design, both a man and a woman are needed to bring children into mortality and to provide the best
setting for the rearing and nurturing of children,” see Bednar, supra Note 2; see also The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, “The Divine Institution of Marriage,” (Aug. 13, 2008) (responding to criticism of the Church’s
public support for California’s Proposition 8), available at lds.org.
11 “Nephi’s Courage,” Children’s Songbook 120 (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 2009) (emphases
added).
12 Lewis, supra Note 5, at 120.
13 Id. at 121.
14 On our vulnerability in interpersonal relationships, especially with our spouses, see Jeffrey R. Holland, “How Do I
Love Thee?,” Speeches: Brigham Young University 1999-2000 (Feb. 15, 2000) (“I want to impress upon you the
vulnerability and delicacy of your partner’s future as it is placed in your hands for safekeeping -- male and female,
it works both ways.”).
15 The discussion of this principle is taken primarily from Nelson, supra Note 6.
16 Id.
17 E-mail from S.H. to Kyle Sampson (Mar. 17, 2009).
18 See Bednar, supra Note 2.
19 See Moroni 7:45; 1 Corinthians 13:4.
20 Holland, supra Note 14 (emphasis added).
21 “Thurber,” Life (Mar. 14, 1960), at 108.
22 Nelson, supra Note 6.
23 Jeffrey R. & Patricia T. Holland, “Some Things We Have Learned -- Together,” Speeches: Brigham Young
University 1984-85 (Jan. 15, 1985).
24 E-mail, supra Note 17.
25 Holland, supra Note 14.
26 E-mail from O.C. to Kyle Sampson (Mar. 19, 2009).
27 Bednar, supra Note 2.
28 Nelson, supra Note 6.
29 Holland, supra Note 14 (emphasis in original); see also Nelson, supra Note 6 (“But what of the many mature
members of the Church who are not married? Through no failing of their own, they deal with the trials of life
12
alone. Be we all reminded that, in the Lord’s own way and time, no blessings will be withheld from His faithful
Saints. The Lord will judge and reward each individual according to heartfelt desire as well as deed.”).
