"We believe," said Durant, "that marriage is ordained of God, and is binding for eternity, when properly performed by a servant of God having authority."
"Then it would appear that you believe in the family relation continuing throughout eternity?"
"Certainly, why not? Everything that is done by the Lord receives the impress of eternity. That being the case, marriage, being sanctioned and ordained of Him, is also eternal if performed by one having power as the ancient apostles had, to bind on earth and it should be bound in heaven. It then becomes a work of God, and, as the Preacher exclaims: 'I know that whatsoever God doeth it shall be forever; nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it.' (Eccles. iii: 14.) Can you think of anything more comforting than that the loving ties formed in this world are to endure through out the ages of eternity?"
"It is certainly more pleasant than to dwell upon a union that shall last only 'till death do you part;' but what proofs have you that your view of the matter is correct?"
"In the first marriage that was ever performed, when the Creator joined together Adam and Eve as the parents of the human race, we have no record of its being done to last only 'till death do you part,' and we do not learn that He set any limit to the continuance of their marriage relations. Why should we doubt that the gift of Eve to Adam, was designed to be eternal? They were married before the Fall, before death came into the world. They were eternal beings not subject to death; death was not considered when God gave her to be his companion and helpmeet. Why then should we conclude that death should void the contract or separate them any more than that it should destroy the spirit? If their spirits could be restored with resurrected bodies, why should not the eternal work of God in joining them as one remain unbroken? The whole second chapter of Genesis breathes the spirit of everlasting union between Adam and Eve. In the eighteenth verse we are told by the Lord that, 'it is not good that the man should be alone.' Adam, the man, was created an eternal being, and when God said that it was not good for him to be alone, we must conclude it was not good that he should be alone in immortality; so the Lord gave him Eve for no particular period of his life, but evidently, as she was also an eternal being, to be his wife forever the union to last as long as they should last eternally."
"That seems reasonable, and it is a pleasant hope you have," said Claire.
"With us it is more than a hope; it is knowledge. There are other passages of scripture which bear upon the inseparable connection between man and wife, in marriage as ordained of God. Paul (Eph. v: 22) says: 'The husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the Church.' Christ remains forever the head of the Church, and even so the husband remains the head of the wife eternally."
"What do you mean by saying 'in marriage as ordained of God?' Is not all marriage ordained of Him?" said Mr. Sutherland.
"By marriage as ordained of God, I mean marriage performed in the way He has appointed, by a man whom He has authorized to act in His stead. What man does of himself, without authority from God, must be like him limited to this life. Now, like the authority to baptize, this authority to marry in the way God has ordained, must come by revelation from Him, for no man can take these honors to himself. To find this authority, we must look for it among a people who believe in revelation, and not among churches who declare that the heavens are sealed, and that no further revelation is necessary."