Happy New Year!

This past week Sam went from sunny Belize with his parents and two of his sisters to freezing Montana with Makelle and a marriage proposal.  We are very happy and excited for them.

Our thoughts went to our marriage that took place on December 28, 1977, and then to life as missionaries 40 years later. We can hardly Belize it.

We were happy to learn that two other couples that we have been meeting with here in Belize were also married the same week that we were.  One couple was married a year ago, and another couple 34 years ago.  We were honored to bear our testimonies of eternal marriage and our experience of being sealed together forever in the Oakland Temple so many years ago.

Elder William Walker explains what we know about eternal marriage in this short video clip:

You can also see the video by clicking here and going to 7:21, or reading the transcript below:

The sealing room in our temples is a very wonderful and special place. It's a wonderful and a remarkable thing to look into the eyes of a man and a woman who are about to be married. They love each other with all their hearts. When two people are getting married, they can't imagine the idea that this beautiful, loving relationship would ever end.

So it's an important part of Mormon teaching that it doesn't need to end at death. This marriage can go on into the eternities, and a loving God intended it to be that way. So He gave us this power and authority.

It's actually what Jesus was giving the Apostles in Matthew chapter 16, when Jesus put His hands on Peter and the other Apostles and conferred upon them the authority to have bound on earth and have it be bound in heaven. That's what was happening there. Jesus was giving the sealing authority to His Apostles. And that's utilized in the temple, in the house of the Lord, where a man and a woman can be sealed together for eternity.

When you've been married in the temple, you've been sealed in the temple, then your children who are born into this marriage are part of that sealing. And they are yours forever, so long as everybody lives the commandments.

Now, you might say, "Well, what about those who were married before?" They can go to the temple and receive those same blessings. The children would come with the mother and father, and they would also kneel at the altar. And it's a beautiful, sacred thing to witness, particularly with little children, to see them kneel at the altar in the temple next to their mother and father, holding hands together on the altar, and have them sealed together as a family for time and for all eternity. That's a great blessing from heaven. It's a great blessing from God. And we believe that's what God intended, that families would be together forever.

This Sunday we traveled to Orange Walk where Elder Magnusson taught about next year's focus in priesthood and Relief Society classes on the most recent messages from the living prophets and apostles.

I was able to be with the Primary children during their class time.

I always enjoy showing this video with the celebration of the New Year.

You can also see the video by clicking here

I like how Elder Holland puts this New Year's message of  "Look Not Behind Thee" in perspective in this BYU devotional address:

You can also see the video by clicking here.  

I couldn't resist taking another picture of the beautiful Belizean sky as we left the Orange Walk chapel on Sunday.  Bring on 2018!  I can hardly wait to see what this year brings.