Sealing (Mormonism)

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Sealing is an ordinance (ritual) performed in Latter Day Saint temples by a person holding the sealing authority.^[1] The purpose of this ordinance is to seal familial relationships, making possible the existence of family relationships throughout eternity.^[2] Sealings are typically performed as marriages or as sealing of children to parents. They were performed prior to the death of Joseph Smith (the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement), and are currently performed in the largest of the faiths that came from the movement, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). LDS Church teachings place great importance on the specific authority required to perform these sealings. Church doctrine teaches that this authority, called the priesthood, corresponds to that given to Saint Peter in Matthew 16:19.