Our Temple Wedding

Dear Loved Ones,

If you're reading this, you already know that Joseph and I are engaged! We are going to be married in the LDS Provo City Center Temple the morning of May 3, 2018. We are so excited to be together forever and to involve our loved ones as much as possible!

Being married in the temple is very special and important to Joseph and me. We believe that families can be together forever (literally) when a couple is married in one of God's holy houses. We call a temple marriage a sealing, meaning it is done with not only civil authority, but also spiritual authority. In this way, God provides a sort of seal of divine approval on the marriage.

A temple wedding ceremony is different from others that you may have attended. The main focus of the sealing is on the bride, groom, and our Heavenly Father. A temple sealing is a very sacred experience for us. In order to maintain the sacred nature of temple sealings, not every person can enter the temple to witness or participate in the sealing. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have prepared themselves spiritually to enter the temple, and who have continued to live by the promises they have made to God in the temple, may enter the temple to participate in sealings and other ordinances. Joseph and I continue to work very hard to prepare ourselves and keep our promises to God in order to be sealed in the temple.

As not all of our family members and friends will be able to attend the sealing, we hope to involve everyone as much as possible in other ways. Loved ones are invited to enjoy the beauty of the temple grounds on May 3rd during the sealing, and then participate in photos after the sealing. We would also love to see you at one (or more!) of the celebrations--a reception in Provo, an open house in Boise, and an open house in Rockford.

Provo City Center Temple, lds.org

Though it is not easy that not all of our loved ones will be in the sealing, Joseph and I have chosen to be joined together for time and eternity, for we truly believe the words of Jesus Christ when he said to Peter, "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven" (Matthew 16:19). We feel blessed to be bound together as husband and wife--both on earth and in heaven, never to be separated from one another. We have felt beautiful confirmation in our hearts that Heavenly Father approves of our decision to be sealed together in His holy house.

As a final thought, we hope you know the love, admiration, and gratitude that we have for you! We recognize that not being invited to attend the ceremony may be hurtful or leave some feeling excluded. We don't wish for anyone to feel that way, and we strive to include you in many other ways with the hope that you will love and support us as we move forward in our relationship.

If you have any questions, we are happy to answer them. If you'd like, you can also view this short video (https://youtu.be/xkjUpbMebRU) for more information on Mormon temples, or this webpage (https://www.mormon.org/beliefs/marriage) for more information on our beliefs on marriage.

Love,

Krista and Joseph