Question
Gramps,
As I have been reading, I came across God’s greatest gift to man is–agency, eternal life, and Christ’ Atonement. So which is the greatest, or is it just that all are??
Bruce
Answer
Bruce,
Here is the plain truth. They are all interconnected. They form a chain.
Eternal life is only desirable because it is the greatest gift of God. But we can’t receive it except through the Atonement. So, the Atonement is the greatest gift of God. But we can’t partake of the Atonement without agency. So, agency is the greatest gift of God. But it is only the greatest gift because we can then
choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil 2 Nephi 2:27
What is eternal life but the infinite increase in agency? How can we attain that without the atonement? And round and round we go.
Recognizing the interconnection of these three gifts makes it apparent that they are not separate at all, but completely intertwined. May the Lord inspire you to exercise your agency to partake of that Infinite Atonement so that you may choose liberty and eternal life.
Gramps
Question
Hi Gramps!
My wife is not a member of the Church, and insists that she will never join. I love her very much, and I fear that we will never be sealed in the temple, something I have always wanted. I desire to make these covenants, but I am almost certain that it will not happen in this life. Scripture study and research have shown nothing useful. Family, friends, and church authorities have given me empty platitudes for answers. I JUST want to know if I can be sealed to my wife in the afterlife.
Jake
Answer
Jake,
I’m sure you’re aware that temple work can be done vicariously for those who have passed on. This could be possible after her death with you still alive. Or it could be done by your descendants after both of you have passed on.
But the truth regarding ALL sealings (whether for the living or vicariously for the dead) is that the validity of the sealing is dependent upon two things:
- Righteousness of the individuals in question.
- Willingness to continue with that choice in the afterlife.
Would you find it odd to believe that it is possible for a couple to be married AND sealed throughout our lives here, and yet decide they DON’T want to be sealed for eternity after this life? I don’t see much of a difference between someone choosing in this life to not be sealed or to choose so in the next. A choice is a choice. And choices regarding righteousness and priesthood ordinances have eternal consequences.
Now, if your wife does want to be with you for all eternity, then she will have a chance at that. But it will be her choice and God’s judgment. None of us can know our final state but the Lord. We can only gain a hope in Christ, and let our confidence wax strong in His presence through a virtuous life.
Gramps
