Today I was reading through section 128 and noted the "whatsoever ye shall bind on earth" verse (8) which also shows up in sections 127 and 132.
But what particularly caught my attention was verse 14, which talks about "the sealing and binding" power, and "in one sense of the word, the keys (plural) of the kingdom".
I think that we tend to assume that sealing and binding are synonyms.
However, as I've been studying this a bit, I think that sealing and binding are actually two different elements of the kingdom of God.
"Sealing" and "seal", does show up consistently, in both the New Testament and in the Doctrine and Covenants. In the New Testament, the Greek word used means "authenticized" and "established and recognized by one person/entity and to be used only as that person/entity directs". For example, when the stone was rolled in front of the sepulchre and "sealed", it wasn't cemented shut...the verb used indicates that a Roman seal was placed upon it, likely wrapping a rope around the stone and then sealing the rope to the adjacent wall, to show that it was not to be opened without Pilate's approval. (Rolling the stone away would break the seal).
Sealing
Doctrine and Covenants sections on baptism for the dead talk about "sealing", particularly the importance of recording...a form of establishing the authenticity of the ordinance. Baptism does not establish a relationship between mortals. Clearly, here, sealing is not a form of establishing such relationships, it is a word used to describe clearly whose work this is...having the ordinance sealed, or given the "seal or stamp of authenticity and directive" by God, recognizing that He is the one who determines how it should be used by the recipient.
In temple marriages we are not sealed together, but when you listen to the words, you discover that blessings are sealed upon the individuals who are being married, ie., blessings are pronounced and made authentic by God if/as we abide by His directives/commandments about how we are to engage in this new covenant we are taking on.
If we engage in marriage in ways that are opposed to what he has directed....not only do we fail to receive blessings we might otherwise have received, but we also ultimately lose His approval/authorization of that marriage.
Binding
Various forms of the verb "to bind", or the adjective "bound" also show up in various verses in scripture. Going through the verses where it shows up in the Doctrine and Covenants I find that it means
- our obligation to keep the covenants we have made
- God's obligation to keep His covenants with us when we keep ours with Him
- the limits placed on Satan during the Millennium
- the unity that comes when people make and keep covenants with each other
- to obligate someone to act against his/her conscience
- obligation to sustain government
- obligation that rulers have to enact laws to protect citizens
- a state of being prevented from doing something due to one's previous choices
If I am on track, then the "whatsoever ye shall bind...whatsoever ye shall loose" scripture is referring, most likely, to the establishment of obligations and responsibilities, and the disestablishment of obligations and responsibilities between us and God, or between us and God and other individuals.
So, how does that apply to the various covenants we make?
As for binding and loosing covenants, per the bulleted list above....Binding, (the taking on of obligations/promises) comes as individuals make authentic, authorized covenants with God (baptism, priesthood, endowment, marriage) and loosing covenants (the extrication from those obligations and promises) comes as we choose not to fulfill those obligations and God no longer is obligated to provide the blessings that would have come if we had been working to keep them.
For some people, this extrication involves some church action in this life. For others, it will happen without that official church action in this life.
So..."sealed" means the ordinance is recognized as being authentic and under the authority of God and binding means the taking on and living of covenants as part of that ordinance.
(side note: *an ordinance being authorized or ratified by the Holy Spirit, aka. the Holy Spirit of Promise, is a point for further discussion and is different from being "authentic" or from being authorized by a church leader---you might fool people, but if you are entering into a covenant and you have no desire or will to fulfill it and have been dishonest in your efforts to enter it, it you might fool other people, but can't fool the Holy Spirit and the ordinance doesn't count in heaven. But I digress.)
Finally...what about children being sealed to parents? That wording is used in the temple. But...it is given with a huge extra blessing.... The parentage is recognized/authorized by God, (of course...it's His plan of salvation that put them there) but that sealing blessing is given with the blessing of the full and complete healing offered through the atonement of Christ...so in essence, they are authorized/recognized as children in that family "as if they had been born in the new and everlasting covenant".
Now...the new and everlasting covenant is, as you know, not just the marriage in the temple. The new and everlasting covenant is different from the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. The new and everlasting covenant is the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In other words, the blessing pronounced upon those children is that it will be, for them, ultimately, as if their parents had lived as Jesus taught and teaches us to live (or at least were seriously trying to and making progress).
So, in essence...the children are sealed to parents with the promise of the atonement of Christ....healed from every pain or suffering they have experienced due to the sins, wickedness, foolishness, horrible behavior, stupid mistakes, etc. of their parents, and blessed with every opportunity and kindness that they missed.
That is, in my opinion, HUGE. We need to recognize that more.
