Lessons on the Temple
Lesson No. Seventy-One

The Plan of Ordinances and the Sealing Line of Authority

The Plan of Salvation is taught in the Book of Mormon – In the Book of Mormon the plan of salvation is referred to most often as “the plan of redemption”.  The Book of Mormon also teaches of “the plan of happiness”, “the plan of mercy” and “the plan of restoration.”

The Plan of Ordinances is taught in the temple – In the temple we learn more about the plan of salvation, and we learn in ways that can only be learned there.  This includes “the plan of ordinances”.  

In Nauvoo in 1840 while restoring the doctrine of temple worship Joseph Smith introduced the idea of "the plan of ordinances” (TPJS, p. 167).  The term “plan of ordinances” describes another essential part of the plan of salvation. “Whenever the Lord has had a people on the earth who will obey his word, they have been commanded to build temples in which the ordinances of the gospel…that pertain to exaltation and eternal life may be administered” (LDS Bible Dictionary, Temple, p. 781).

The sealing ordinance is the culminating ordinance in the temple plan of ordinances – As taught at the end of the sealing ordinance, all blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which includes all ordinances and covenants of the gospel, including baptism and confirmation, are reaffirmed, made permanent and eternal, at the alter in a temple sealing room.  Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote:  “All things gain enduring force and validity because of the sealing power.  So comprehensive is this power that it embraces ordinances performed for the living and the dead, seals the children on earth up to their fathers who went before, and forms the enduring patriarchal chain that will exist eternally among exalted beings” (Mormon Doctrine p. 683).

If the sealing power had not been restored “the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming” (D&C 2:3) – “Through the power of this priesthood which Elijah bestowed, husband and wife may be sealed, or married for eternity; children may be sealed to their parents for eternity; the family is made eternal, and death does not separate the members.  This is the great principle that will save the world from utter destruction” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation II, p. 118).

There are two essential requirements for an ordinance to be sealed (See D&C 132:7)

1.     The ordinance must be performed by someone with authority.  The sealing ordinances must be performed by the Prophet, or most commonly, by a man to whom the Prophet has authorized to be given the sealing power. 

2.     All ordinances must be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise which is another title for the Holy Ghost.  The Holy Ghost knows our hearts and can thereby discern deceit, half-truths, or misrepresentations.  Therefore, when an ordinance is sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise the Holy Ghost confirms that the person(s) is worthy.  If the person is, or later becomes, unworthy the seal is broken. 

Only one man holds the keys of the sealing power, and these keys are closely guarded – The Lord spoke of the sealing keys:  “I have appointed unto my servant Joseph to hold this power in the last days, and there is never but one on the earth at a time on whom this power and the keys of this priesthood are conferred…” (D&C 132:7).  President Boyd K. Packer spoke about how closely guarded this authority is:  “The sacred sealing power is with the Church now. Nothing is regarded with more sacred contemplation by those who know the significance of this authority. Nothing is more closely held. There are relatively few men who [hold] this sealing power upon the earth at any given time—in each temple are brethren who have been given the sealing power. No one can get it except from the prophet, seer, and revelator and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

A sealers line of authority – Men who hold the Melchizedek priesthood have a priesthood line of authority.  Sealers also have a “sealing line of authority.”  This line of authority has only two steps:

-        from the “Anointed One” – This is Jesus who “is spoken of as the Christ and the Messiah, which means He is the One anointed of the Father…” (LDS Bible Dictionary, Anointed One).

-        to “mine anointed” – This is the living Prophet who exercises all priesthood keys (D&C 132:7).

-        to “the medium of mine anointed” – This includes individual sealers who the Prophet has authorized to hold the sealing power thereby becoming “the medium of mine anointed.”  

Summarizing, the Lord, the “Anointed One” has given the sealing keys to his Prophet, “mine anointed.”  Sealers hold the sealing power as a “medium of mine anointed.”
 

Only the sealing power can bind on earth and in heaven –   “I never confer the sealing authority upon a man, and I have done it upon some of you here today, that I do not think of the wonder of it all.  Endowed with the keys of the holy priesthood and all of the power of that priesthood, we confer the only authority upon the face of the earth which reaches into the world beyond.  No King, no president of a nation, no official of any entity in the world of which we are a part has any authority over matters beyond the grave.  Everyone is helpless before the reach of death.  But the humblest, good, righteous high priest who has received the sealing authority may bind in the heavens that which is bound on earth.  There is nothing like it” (Teachings, Gordon B. Hinckley).
 

Testimony - The sealing power used to control the elements is most remarkable.  (See Helaman 10-11)  However, it is not as remarkable or important as the power to seal families both on earth and in heaven.  Because the sealing power is used this way almost every day in temples throughout the earth it must not become common place. We must not forget that the entire world, and particularly worthy members of the Lord’s Church, are exceedingly blessed because the sealing power has been restored.