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Sacred, Not SecretExplaining the Temple Ceremony to Non-member GuestsRing Ceremonies For couples with large groups of non-members attending, a ring ceremony is becoming the trend. You can make the exchange as personalized as you like, perhaps with speakers (possibly fathers or bishops) giving talks on temples or eternal marriage. You could have others read scriptures (a sample list is accessible in the resource section) that emphasize the true and eternal aspects of the temple marriage and love. Primary children or the family diva could sing "Families Can Be Together Forever", poems can be read, or the "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" can be read. Another option would be to have the couple bear their testimonies. Hallie Springer from Arvada, Colorado, had a ring ceremony in which her uncle read the poem called The Legend of the Wedding Band (which can be accessed in the resource section). Bobbye and Neil Hill from Seattle, Washington, had a ring exchange officiated by the second counselor in the bishopric. The counselor gave a ten-minute talk on the Proclamation concerning the family, marriage and the meaning of the rings. After the exchange, the couple expressed their love for each other and those present, thanking them for attending. Bobbye is the only member in her family and the idea of being married in the temple was met with anger and hurt from her parents. Her father had refused to attend the reception. She said that although it would break her heart if her father was absent, there was something more important: "It would be sad if Daddy wasn't there, but Neil and I had come to realize that it wasn't about who was attending, it was about what we were going to be doing, and it didn't matter if no one was there. It was very important for us to put the focus back on our marriage/sealing." To help you with the preparation, there are internet resources, such as General Conference talks, virtual tours of temples and others containing talks and basic beliefs, linked from the resource page. Keep reading: |