It's like rain on your Wedding Day

By the end of the Royal Wedding Ceremony, Evan had joined me in the oogling festivities.  Right as the priest was finishing his shpiel, Ev turned to me and said with a grimace on his face like he was about to witness a car accident, "Here it comes..." and then the Priest said that part of the vows, "Til death parts us."  Both William and Kate repeated him, word for word.  Evan then turned to me and with a sad face exclaimed, "Aww they're getting divorced." 

Not that they will get "divorced" in this lifetime, but it always makes me sad during weddings to hear that the couples only vow to be married until they die.  It doesn't matter how beautiful the wedding, or how much money was spent, it's always the same.

I know that most people in their hearts believe that when they get married, it will be forever, but most religions don't follow along with this belief; it's stated right there in the vow!  I am so thankful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and to know that when I am married, I will be sealed to my husband for "time and all eternity." 

So here some facts about what the Mormons believe about marriage.

1.  First and foremost, Mormons are Christians. 

I just thought I would get that out there, as many people think we are not.  We believe in God the Father, his son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.  We believe that they are three seperate beings working together in one purpose.  We do not believe they are the same person, as many other Christians do.  We worship God in the name of his son, and follow his teachings.  Our church is organized the exact same way that Jesus' church was when he was on the earth.  We also read the King James version of the Bible (with the Old and New Testaments), but we also have additional scriptures in the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price and a newer book of revelation, the Docterine & Covenants.

2.  We believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman.

This may get me some nasty comments, but it's true, I believe this.  This does not mean that I judge people who are involved in same sex marriage, or that I think they are bad people or "damned," but that practice just doesn't fall in line with my belief system.  I like just about everyone I meet, and I try to see the good in everyone, and try very hard not to judge people, because I myself am far from perfect.

"Many people in the world consider marriage to be only a social custom, a legal agreement between two people to live together. But to Latter-day Saints, marriage is much more. Our exaltation depends on marriage, along with other principles and ordinances, such as faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. We believe that marriage is the most sacred relationship that can exist between a man and a woman. This sacred relationship affects our happiness now and in the eternities."  {Gospel Principles, 2009}

3.  We strive to get married in the temple.

While many people are not able to get married in our Holy Temples, it is always a goal of most to do so.  Not just anyone can enter the temple, and there are very strict qualifications that one must have before they do.  For example, we must be active members of our church for at least one year, we must lives our lives in such a way that we are worthy.  We must be interviewed by the Bishop or Branch President again by the Stake President.  Some of the interview questions include: 

• Do you have faith in and a testimony of God, the Eternal Father; His Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost? Do you have a firm testimony of the restored gospel?
• Do you sustain the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the prophet, seer, and revelator? Do you recognize him as the only person on earth authorized to exercise all priesthood keys?
• Do you live the law of chastity?
• Are you a full-tithe payer?
• Do you keep the Word of Wisdom?
• Are you honest in your dealings with others?
• Do you strive to keep the covenants you have made, to attend your sacrament and priesthood meetings, and to keep your life in harmony with the laws and commandments of the gospel?

Once we pass these interviews and are found worthy, we are permitted to marry in the Temple. 

In the temple, Latter-day Saint couples kneel at one of the sacred altars in the presence of their family and friends who have received the temple endowment. They make their marriage covenants before God. They are pronounced husband and wife for time and all eternity. This is done by one who holds the holy priesthood of God and has been given the authority to perform this sacred ordinance. He acts under the direction of the Lord and promises the couple the blessings of exaltation. He instructs them in the things they must do to receive these blessings. He reminds them that all blessings depend on obedience to the laws of God.

If we are married by any authority other than by the priesthood in a temple, the marriage is for this life only. After death, the marriage partners have no claim on each other or on their children. An eternal marriage gives us the opportunity to continue as families after this life.

For those members who are not able to get married in the temple, they are not denied the blessings of an eternal marriage.  Once they have done what they need to do in order to be found worthy, they may go to the temple as a couple, or even as a family and be sealed together as an eternal family.

5.  We do not practice plural marriage. 

Many people today believe that Mormons are Polygamists, but we are not.  There are groups of people throughout the world who do engage in this practice, and some refer to themselves either as "FLDS"  (Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints) and sometimes they go so far as to use the same nickname as us "Mormons."  However, these people do not belong to our church, or else they would be ex-communicated.

At various times throughout history,  the Lord has commanded His people to practice plural marriage. For example, He gave this command to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Solomon (Doctrine and Covenants 132:1). At other times the Lord has given other instructions. In the Book of Mormon, the Lord told the prophet Jacob “for there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife: and concubines he shall have none... for if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things” (Jacob 2:27-30).

In this dispensation, the Lord commanded some of the early Saints to practice plural marriage. The Prophet Joseph Smith and those closest to him, including Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, were challenged by this command, but they obeyed it. Church leaders regulated the practice. Those entering into it had to be authorized to do so, and the marriages had to be performed through the sealing power of the priesthood. In 1890, President Wilford Woodruff received a revelation that the leaders of the Church should cease teaching the practice of plural marriage.

The Lord’s law of marriage is monogamy unless he commands otherwise to help establish the House of Israel.

6.  We believe that those who are married/sealed in the temple are married for "time and all eternity," not just until "death parts us."

As Latter-day Saints, we are taught to live with  an eternal perspective, not just for the moment. However, we can receive blessings in this life as a result of being married for eternity. Some of those blessings are as follows:

1. We know that our marriage can last forever. Death can part us from one another only temporarily. Nothing can part us forever except our own disobedience. This knowledge helps us work harder to have a happy, successful marriage.
2. We know that our family relationships can continue throughout eternity. This knowledge helps us be careful in teaching and training our children. It also helps us show them greater patience and love. As a result, we should have a happier home.
3. Because we have been married in God’s ordained way, we are entitled to an outpouring of the Spirit on our marriage as we remain worthy.

 Sources of Information:

Gospel Principles

Mormon.org