Today I read 1 Nephi 7 where Nephi and his brethren go to Jerusalem again to pick up Ishmael's family so they can have wives and husbands. As I was reading this I wondered who married them? I know Nephi would not have acted as a husband without being properly married so who married them. After some thought and discussion with my wife, I think it was Lehi. He clearly had the Melchizedek priesthood, he was able to offer burnt offerings and it is through him that the Nephites had the Priesthood at all, so he clearly was a priest before leaving Jerusalem so I suppose he performed the ceremonies.
I've often thought it was interesting that Ishmael and his family had their hearts softened so completely that they were willing to leave everything and just go with Nephi and his brethren. They must have been some handsome men for those women to just up and leave with them! I wonder if the Lord softened their hearts and influenced them so that each pair of them only wanted one of the other? That would certainly be embarrassing if all 4 of them each wanted the same girl! I'm sure the Lord took care of it though. I wonder how far in advance the Lord prepared Ishmael's family for this moment? Probably since Ishmael's children were young. The Lord thinks of everything! Until tomorrow.
A man and a woman do not need a third person to marry them. A man just takes a woman as his wife, which is what the text actually says:
ReplyDelete"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, took one of the daughters of Ishmael to wife; and also, my brethren took of the daughters of Ishmael to wife; and also Zoram took the eldest daughter of Ishmael to wife."
That is holy matrimony in the eyes of God. It is all based on a personal covenant, per D&C 132:15 and verse 18. But perhaps you are referring to the sealing ordinance (verse 19)? I suppose it is possible that the Nephites had the sealing power of Elijah, after all Nephi did end his record by saying,
"For what I seal on earth, shall be brought against you at the judgment bar; for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey. Amen."
Also, the following was spoken to another prophet named Nephi,
"Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people."
So, if the sealing power of Elijah was had by the later Nephi and also the first Nephi, then perhaps Lehi had it also and perhaps it was he who sealed their marriages for eternity. But apart from the sealing power, no other authority or power is needed from any third party for any man or woman to wed.