Temples and Covenants

On Saturday, Scott and I had the opportunity to attend a sealing of a child to her parents in the Salt Lake City temple. It was very special to see a whole family there in the temple receiving the greatest blessings promised by God.

My Aunt Karen adopted a Cambodian baby a few months ago. The story of Kalea's adoption is a very special one and I know that Heavenly Father intended her to be a part of their family just as surely as He intended Soren to be a part of ours. But because Kalea was not naturally born to Karen and Mark Roylance, she was not born into their eternal family and she did not inherit the blessings granted to a daughter of a covenant union. So on Saturday, she was sealed into their family and became a rightful heir to the blessings of a child born in the covenant. She became a part of their eternal family unit. She is now linked forever to Karen, Mark, Tiffany, Ashley, Michael, and Matthew, as well as to the family of Christ.

At the conclusion of the short and beautiful ceremony, Scott turned to me and said, "She is so lucky." He was referring to Kalea who was born into very different circumstances but was now adopted into a family who could offer her a double portion of life's greatest blessings. She will partake of a very prosperous lifestyle and grow up with all her basic needs fulfilled and many of her wants met as well. She will have a mother and father (as well as doting siblings) who love her and are devoted to her success in life. But perhaps most importantly, she will have all the blessings of Father Abraham. She is now set on the path to eternal life. She will have the knowledge of righteousness and the priesthood power in her life to cement God's promises to her. Yes, when we thought of how different things could have been for Kalea, we agreed that she was very lucky.

But we also realized how fortunate we are as well. Through no actions of our own, we also have access to all those great blessings. It is only through the grace of God that we are blessed with temporal prosperity and spiritual knowledge. Sometimes I get a little prideful and I think of all the things I possess and all the correct choices I have made as though I had made my life this way. Instead, I must thank my Father in Heaven for His many tender mercies on my behalf.