CELESTIAL MARRIAGE: THE WAIT IS OVER

by: Norberto Betita

Christopher and Therese May

Baptism into God’s Kingdom on earth and celestial marriage are two important Abrahamic covenants for our salvation and exaltation. The ordinance of baptism is a renewal of the Abrahamic covenant’s promise of salvation. When a man and a woman enter into the ordinance of celestial marriage they are actually performing a renewal of the Abrahamic covenant’s promise of exaltation, where the continuation of family relationship beyond this life and eternal increase was promised to Abraham and his posterity, of which the members became part by adoption after they were baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Accordingly since time immemorial Apostles and Prophets of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Days Saints have counseled single men and women not to settle for less than Celestial Marriage. Yet some among the single women of marrying age sometimes struggle in their quest for potential celestial partners considering the fact that the role of courting seems to be only a special privilege for men. And most of those worthy returned missionaries are short in numbers than the worthy women in the church. This makes even harder for faithful single women of the church in the Philippines.

The Cebu Philippines Temple where they were married

One such was sister Therese May Angob. She did not have the opportunity to serve a mission, but she has long served faithfully in church auxiliary organizations, perhaps longest of which was in the Primary Organization where she is to care for little children, preparing and teaching them to become responsible members of the church. Her responsibilities towards the children as substitute mother while they were in church developed in her the greatest desire to be a mother herself. However, she wanted to stand by the counsel of leaders to marry the right man, at the right time, by the right authority, and at the right place which is the House of the Lord.

For some time she had been trying her best to be faithful in obedience to God’s commandments which is part of her covenant responsibilities as a possible heir of the promises given to Abraham and his posterity. As a woman she tried to be attractive to men her age. But fate appeared to be aloof. While the blessings of celestial marriage can still be available after this life or during the millennium as promised to the women who may not have the opportunity while in this life, yet the wonderful experiences of her family’s receiving the sealing ordinance and the joy and spiritual influence that it brings to their individual lives created in her an earnest desire to experience family life of her own while yet in mortality.

However, God has His own divine designs for His faithful children which are revealed in ways that are sometimes implausible. In 2010 Therese May commented on an lds.org post on Facebook about a convert from Africa who was very excited about his baptism. Then a Filipino returned missionary named Christopher also commented on the post. Surprisingly, the following day the same Christopher sent for her a friend request. Without even checking the profile of the man and other personal background information, she accepted and confirmed the friend request. She never even have the slightest impression that such a man would be a potential eternal partner, nor did she ever thought that their first chat will result to regular communications on Facebook. But from such a very unlikely encounter which to some might be just a glaring coincidence, was started the courtship and eventual long distance relationship which lasted seven long years.

In 2012 Christopher proposed for a temple marriage, however, because of her focus on the family’s difficult circumstances which are common among Filipinos, she decided to defer their marriage plans. Obstacles to their marriage goals did come and go. There was a time when again they were about to finally schedule the marriage with all members of her family already having the required temple recommends. But for some valid reasons marriage plans were again postponed.

Then her father died and she felt she lost her desire to be married. Her loving father, a former branch president of the church, was the one who planned for the reception and other things that are needed for the marriage. She was disheartened that he could no longer be present as she and Christopher exchange marital vows and be sealed for time and all eternity. However, because of the counsels of leaders, her prayers together with Christopher and the prayers of her loved ones and church friends, she became enlightened and comforted as to finally decide to proceed with their common dreams for a temple marriage. She realized then that her father will be very much happy about it, because it was also his dream for her to be able to enter the new and everlasting covenant of marriage in the House of the Lord.

Therese May is very much grateful to Christopher for persistently praying and most patiently waiting for their special day to come to pass. In her deep reflections and reminiscences of the event which brought them together from that most unlikely moment and venue for courtship where their eyes eventually meet and their words of love subsequently echo into their ears in tones of perfect and splendid harmony, she now recognizes God’s extended hands at work for her and Christopher. It was no coincidence, for as in the words of Elder Ronald A. Rasband, “Heavenly Father can put us in situations with specific intent in mind.”

Finally the dawn of their celestial marriage did come. On this day, the 21st of February 2018, in the beautiful sealing room and kneeling upon the holy altar of the Cebu Philippines Temple, Christopher and Therese May entered into the covenant of celestial marriage and vowed as husband and wife not only in this life, but throughout all eternity, in the presence of family and friends. At long last the wait is over.

The newlyweds will now start a new life as one flesh, bound together in love and devotion with a covenant and promise to be true to each other for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, for time and all eternity. Simultaneous with this covenant union is God’s promise: “…verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them---Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths…to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fullness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever. Then shall they be gods, because they have no end...”(D&C 132:19-20).

The hurdles along their route to celestial marriage are now vanished and gone and indeed, the wait is over and "joy cometh in the morning" (Psalms 30:5). 

My warmest congratulations to Christopher Mariano and Therese May Angob on this their wedding day!