Our First Adoption Story--The Temple

Second only to the day we were married in the Salt Lake Temple, Saturday was the most significant day in our family's life. On August 15th at 11:30 in the morning, we were in the LDS Washington DC Temple together and participated in a special sealing ceremony that binds our family together--eternally. This means that death will not sever our family relationship, and in a plan made perfect by God himself, we will be blessed to be reunited forever. As a side note, if a baby is born to a couple that is already sealed in the temple, then they do not have to take the child to the temple for this ceremony. Once David's adoption was legally complete, we went to the temple to spiritually complete the process.

The temple is a place of light. David kept inspecting the chandelier over our heads and the beautiful lights lining the walls. The temple is meant to reflect heaven, and in doing so, the three of us were dressed in white for the ceremony. The temple is sacred, so we publicly talk very little about everything that happens inside the temple doors. It is also very symbolic. Just as Jesus taught in parables so each person could understand according to their own experience, the temple teaches us in symbols. In the room where we were sealed are two mirrors, facing each other so they reflect back and forth and never stop. This represents forever--just what our family is trying to achieve. "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matt 16:19


The temple is a place of happiness. We couldn't stop smiling while we were gathered there. The temple is a place of love, peace and joy. We have had an added measure of each of these in our family since we were inside the temple two days ago.

On Monday, August 10th at 1:30 in the afternoon, the decree of adoption was put before legal courts. It was an uneventful day on our part, as we appeared in writing, so the attorney read our answers before the court to the questions posed to us. Eleven simple questions like, "State your full name and address" and "If the decree of adoption is granted to you, do you realize that you are legally responsible for the care of this child as though he had been born to you?" and "Has anything out of the ordinary happened to the child since he has been in your care?". Of course, these questions were all yes/no, because the court also relied on the report generated by our agency after all of the interviews we have had with them since David's placement in our home. The decree of adoption was signed at 1:38 pm, and at that point he was legally bound to us as our son.

The courts signed the decree, and now heaven knows it too.