The first time I was sealed was like a dream. Ours was a story of youthful love, dreams, desires, and faith. I don’t remember much of what was said that day, but I do remember the supernal happiness and peace I felt as I joined the man I love in a covenant with the Lord. This was the day that changed and forever shaped my life and the woman I would become.
The second time I was sealed I found I had taken for granted what it meant to be born in the covenant. I had been born in the covenant. My daughters had been born in the covenant. It was just the way things happened in our family.
Then our sons were born, but not of my body. They were not automatically part of this eternal blessing that I valued, but had not truly understood or treasured. I praised a merciful Father in Heaven for the blessings I was allowed to have, even if I had not fully appreciated them.
The third time I was sealed, I was facing some health problems. Things that made me realize how fragile this life here upon the earth really is. The Proclamation on the Family states, “The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.”
How grateful I was to know that no matter what happens here in this life, we could be reunited because of the covenants and promises made with the Lord–that through our faithfulness we would see each other after death for an eternity of happiness.
The fourth time I was sealed our family was complete (or so I believed). I marveled at the beauty of watching my children walk quietly into the sealing room. How great was my joy! I imagined what it would be like to live faithful lives, to be once again reunited, eternal and partake the the glory of a loving Father in Heaven together. I imagined His joy when we make and then keep our covenants bringing us closer to His presence. I was thankful for the struggles that it took to bring our family together, for the miracles wrought in our behalf. I cherished these moments spent in the temple with my family and looked forward to more.
Astonished, yet joyful, that we had another baby, the fifth time we were sealed I think I was in shock, bewildered that I was a mother of nine, shocked that the sacred sealing ordinance was being interrupted by the rough and tumble of two little boys who did not yet understand the meaning of reverence. Despite all of our chaos, the sealing still worked. “It took” as our sealer replied as we finished. It was not ideal. It was not the most spiritually uplifting experience ever recorded, but the Lord understood. The Lord loves each and every one of us, even when we don’t live up to expectations.
I marvel at the plan that the Lord has laid out for our family. It is unlike anything I ever imagined and despite our imperfections He still blesses us. The trust the Lord has in us, allowing us to be together, to walk through this journey hand in hand, one trial after another, one joy filled moment followed by years of love and happiness brings peace during the troubles.
This is His plan. This eternal family, with all our individual flaws is the ultimate goal. Here is what we work for. Here is where our joy is. This is where the Lord will reside with us.
“The family is the most important organization in time or in eternity. Our purpose in life is to create for ourselves eternal family units. There is nothing that will ever come into your family life that is as important as the sealing blessings of the temple and then keeping the covenants made in connection with this order of celestial marriage” (President Joseph Fielding Smith in Conference Report, Apr. 1972, 13; or Ensign, July 1972, 27 ).
Allison
© 2007-2010 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved
wow! how lucky you are to have been sealed so many times! at first I thought i was reading that you remarried!! lol. I have NEVER heard of anyone doing this so many times…. is this usual? You would be the only one I have ever heard of!
Lovely pictures and what a cute family!
We had a family friend whose patriarchal blessing told her she would gather her family to her.
She had no idea at the time, that she would not be able to bear children, but through adoption her family was gathered to her and it was wonderful to behold.
This is such a great post! So fun meeting some of Cocoa’s own flesh and blood!! Teehee! What a wonderful family!
Oh yeah, and FIVE TIMES! What an amazing experience(s)???!! 🙂
what a great post.5 times wow. your family looks so happy.
what great blessings children are I love the eternal nature of families
Wow! I don’t think there will ever be a better post. Yours says it all. Totally encompasses the concepts.
I remember being sealed in the temple a few years ago to my sweet husband and my (at the time) two daughters. It was a long road for us, luckily the Lord is in charge and we finally met in the sealing room as a family. The next two were born in the convenant and I won’t take that for granted. My oldest who was three at the time still talks about the temple and can’t wait to go back.
What a beautiful family, with a beautiful story! Thank you for the post!
Wow. Five times. I would love to go back to the temple with my whole family again and again. What a blessing for all of you!
Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful family! Thanks for sharing with us!
As I was reading this I thought, Oh how totally wonderful for her and her family to be sealed…then again, and again…5 times! What an amazing blessing not only to experience it once but 5 times!
Your family is beautiful and your post was a wonderful peek into your life. (we are currently adopting so even more special for me)
Your family is beautiful. How wonderful that you have them and they have you.
Wow! Awesome. You’ve made me speechless:)
This is awesome, Allison! I loved it.
What a touching story. Yay for temples and families!
What a wonderful post and what wonderful blessings you have experienced!
What a beautiful post! Thank you for sharing your experiences!
Wow! I cannot even imagine! What a process! And what a blessing . . . particularly to return each time and let your earlier children have the opportunity to experience the temple and the sealing power with each family addition! That is just awesome! I imagine that will bless their lives in more ways than the sealing power itself! They will remember (some of them) and will WANT to do EVERYTHING they can to get BACK TO THE TEMPLE!!!
When Dawn posted about her family’s sealing a few days ago, I thought, “Wow, being born in the covenant is something that I’ve taken for granted.” I’m glad to have realized that now, and can work on appreciating it everyday.
You have a beautiful family!
What an amazing experience!! Thanks for sharing
When we had our adopted son sealed to us, he and our other son screamed through the entire thing. We just laughed….what else could we do? And yes, the sealing “took”. Isn’t it marvelous that the priesthood works whether you’re reverent or not!
What a wonderful blessing to enjoy so many times. I am amazed how many gospel principles take on new meaning as our circumstances and experience change.
What an amazing story. Thank you for sharing.
Allison,
Loved this post because we have experienced five sealings also: ours, and then each of our four children, all who joined us through adoption. Hoping for a few more sealings in the future. THEN, I realized that your husband (Anziano Kimball) and my husband (Anziano Lance) were roommates in the MTC! My husband wants to know if yours still throws all his clean laundry on the bed and sleeps on it???? 🙂
My brother and sister-in-law are adopting two beautiful children from Ghana. I love, love, loved your post and was choked up through the entire thing. What an incredible family.
what a beautiful family