He's Married

What an incredible day filled with great happiness and joy. My son was sealed in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple on Friday to his sweet, beautiful bride. I have never seen him smile so big and be so happy. I was very grateful to witness his marriage and so thankful he was sealed in the temple.

Parenting isn't always easy. It's fraught with plenty of ups and downs, trials and tribulations, mistakes. Of course, happy times are sprinkled throughout as well. As parents, we sacrifice our time, talents, and energy in raising our children. We teach them, pray for them, and suffer with them. They occupy our thoughts, spend our money, and teach us patience. Every once in a while, we have a "parent payday." The first time I went through the temple with my son, the day he went into the MTC, and the day he returned home from serving an honorable mission were all "parent paydays." However, Friday was the biggest payday yet. To see him kneel across the altar, pledging his life, love, and eternity to his wonderful bride and make covenants with her and the Lord made me realize how truly blessed I am. How truly blessed we all are to have the gospel and the opportunity to seal our families together for all of eternity.

Friday overshadowed all the begging and pleading to turn in homework, to keep curfew, and to clean his room. Friday overshadowed the dirty underwear he'd leave in the bathroom regularly, the damage done to the cars when he was learning to drive, and the times he'd spring things on me with no warning. Friday overshadowed all of it. The potty training, the arguing while he was in middle school, the parent-teacher conferences when I learned he hadn't turned in assignments, and all the time I spent driving him back and forth for school activities. Friday trumped everything. It was a glorious day wherein I saw the fruits of my labor. Parenting certainly isn't easy, but it's definitely worth it, especially when you can sit in a sealing room holding the hand of your child, knowing that he's in the right place, at the right time, being sealed by the right authority.

In a world where morality is belittled and religion is mocked, where messages on every side urge us to to break commandments, where the world delights in ridiculing standards, it is no small feat for a young couple to enter the temple worthily and make covenants with the Lord. Friday, Satan had to admit defeat as my son and his new bride exited the temple, sealed for time and all eternity as husband and wife. Though Satan will continue to work on my son, as he will work on me and everyone else, he did not prevent this sealing. That is definitely cause for celebration.

Yes, Friday was a payday.