Will there be marrying in heaven?

Last week a friend was asking me about this issue. She wanted to know what we thought about people who died unmarried and how it works that they will get a chance to marry. This verse in Matt. 22:30 came up: "For in the resurrection, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven."

Talmage in Jesus the Christ, chapter 31, explains:

In the resurrection there will be no marrying nor giving in marriage; for all questions of marital status must be settled before that time, under the authority of the Holy Priesthood, which holds the power to seal in marriage for both time and eternity.

There is also this from D&C 132:16: "Therefore, when they are out of the world they neither marry nor are given in marriage; but are appointed angels in heaven, which angels are ministering servants."

But then we have statements like this one in General Conference:

If you are single and haven't identified a solid prospect for celestial marriage, live for it. Pray for it. Expect it in the timetable of the Lord. Do not compromise your standards in any way that would rule out that blessing on this or the other side of the veil. The Lord knows the intent of your heart. His prophets have stated that you will have that blessing as you consistently live to qualify for it. We do not know whether it will be on this or the other side of the veil. But live for it. Pray for it (Scott, Receive the Temple Blessings, Ensign, May 1999).

And the True to the Faith entry on "Marriage" says under the heading "Counsel for Those Who Do Not Marry":

Some members of the Church remain single through no fault of their own, even though they want to marry. If you find yourself in this situation, be assured that "all things work together for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28). As you remain worthy, you will someday, in this life or the next, be given all the blessings of an eternal family relationship. The Lord has made this promise repeatedly through His latter-day prophets.

So how does it work that people can marry after death, but there is no marriage in the resurrection? The only way I can fit those two together in my mind is to suppose that it will all happen during the Millennium. Gospel Principles, chapter 44, lists this under the heading "What Will Be Done during the Millennium?"

There will be two great works for members of the Church during the Millennium: temple work and missionary work. Temple work involves the ordinances that are necessary for exaltation. These include baptism, the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the temple ordinances—the endowment, temple marriage, and the sealing together of family units.

Many people have died without receiving these ordinances. People on the earth must perform these ordinances for them. This work is now being done in the temples of the Lord. There is too much work to finish before the Millennium begins, so it will be completed during that time. Resurrected beings will help us correct the mistakes we have made in doing research concerning our dead ancestors. They will also help us find the information we need to complete our records.

So the Millennium will be a time for setting things in order. Here is one more quote to that effect:

We know that many worthy and wonderful Latter-day Saints currently lack the ideal opportunities and essential requirements for their progress. Singleness, childlessness, death, and divorce frustrate ideals and postpone the fulfillment of promised blessings. In addition, some women who desire to be full-time mothers and homemakers have been literally compelled to enter the full-time workforce. But these frustrations are only temporary. The Lord has promised that in the eternities no blessing will be denied his sons and daughters who keep the commandments, are true to their covenants, and desire what is right.

Many of the most important deprivations of mortality will be set right in the Millennium, which is the time for fulfilling all that is incomplete in the great plan of happiness for all of our Father's worthy children. We know that will be true of temple ordinances. I believe it will also be true of family relationships and experiences (Oaks, The Great Plan of Happiness, Ensign, Nov. 1993).

BCC's latest poll also touches on the issue of marriage after death. There are still some unanswered questions: How will people find each other and decide to marry after death? (I had to laugh at Steve's question at BCC about whether there can be hell - singles wards - in heaven. Or the spirit world.) How will those on earth know to do the ordinances for those in the spirit world? Will there be polygamy? But I guess the important thing is that it's all in God's hands and he wants us to be happy.