Wedding Plans

 So… people have been asking.  Do we have a date yet?  Sort of.  Our current plan is to get married the middle of June in Utah, with a June 30 reception in northern Virginia.

We have selected a timeframe for our wedding, but we will not be finalizing the time and location of the wedding until we hear about permission to be sealed in the temple.  In an LDS temple is our first preference on where to be married.  Since James was sealed to his first wife, the presidency of the church will review our request.  Our paperwork is still in progress.  We hope to hear back by early April.  We would appreciate your prayers that we will be able to get our paperwork submitted without further delay and be granted the opportunity to start our marriage with a temple sealing.

As far as other wedding plans, they are “coming along”.  There are some things we have decided on, but several more decisions to make.   :-)

I am so grateful for James.  I am grateful that James has a firm belief in the atonement of Jesus Christ and is committed to living his religion.  Our common religious beliefs add so much to our discussions and relationship.  We both have our set of life experiences that have prepared us to be where we are today.   James and I try to attend the temple together at least once a month.  We can both attest to how much of a blessing temple attendance has been to us individually and together as a couple.   

I’ve been thinking lately about what is needed to attend the temple.   In order to enter the temple, one must have faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior, believe in the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith, and accept that the church is led by a prophet of God today with priesthood authority.  In addition to matters of faith and belief, one must demonstrate that they are committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Some demonstrations of this are by attending church regularly, following the law of health known as the Word of Wisdom, contributing tithes and offerings, living a chaste life, and trying to be honest.  The invitation to enter the temple is open to all, but is limited to those who have prepared themselves. 

I'm optimistic that  mid-June will work for us, and have even added a wedding countdown to my blog!  It will probably be another month or so before I confirm things and update our wedding website.