Lessons on the Temple
Lesson No. Thirty-Four

The Patriarchal Order of the Priesthood

The patriarchal order of the priesthood, also known a celestial marriage, is the organizing power and principle of celestial family life – Our Heavenly Parents live in Their family according to this principle.  This order of the priesthood was first established in this earth when our Heavenly Father married Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  The account reads: “And I, God, blessed them and said unto them:  Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Moses 2:28).  There are two important aspects of this account.  First, God blessed or married Adam and Eve according to the Patriarchal order of the priesthood, and second, Adam and Eve were commanded to have children.

The Abrahamic Covenant is centered on celestial marriage – The blessings of celestial marriage will be made available to all of Adam and Eve’s righteous posterity.  Abraham and Sarah are great examples of this: “Abraham first received the gospel by baptism (which is the covenant of salvation). Then he had conferred upon him the higher priesthood, and he entered into celestial marriage (which is the covenant of exaltation), gaining assurance thereby that he would have eternal increase. Finally he received a promise that all of these blessings would be offered to all of his mortal posterity” (LDS Bible Dictionary, Abraham, Covenant of, p. 602).  Abraham and his posterity who enter into celestial marriage are promised an eternal increase “as innumerable as the stars; or, if ye were to count the sand upon the seashore ye could not number them” (D&C 132:30).

The commandment to have children within the bonds of matrimony remains in force – Latter day prophets have declared: “The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife” (The Family – A Proclamation to the World).

Great blessings that flow from heeding God’s commandments and inevitable consequences result if we don’t – Living the law of celestial marriage brings exaltation.  When this commandment is ignored the blessings of living in a family in the eternities are lost and serious social and economic consequences result in this life.  In developed countries worldwide the total population is decreasing, and the average age is increasing.  This is very destabilizing, and many countries are trying to do something about it.  Russia, for example, pays women a lot of money if they will have a large family.  Unfortunately, a large percentage of births are out of wedlock.  This also causes serious social and economic problems.

Testimony – The “promises made to the fathers” (D&C 2:3) concerning celestial marriage have been planted in our hearts and in the hearts of our children, and we hope in the hearts of our children’s children from generation to generation.   Because our “hearts… have been turned to [our] fathers” we have a desire that our ancestors in the spirit world receive the “promises made to the fathers” (Ibid).  This is why we are working on our family history, and why we receive great joy by in serving in the temple.