Adoptive Sealings

[Scovy]

So recently I discovered in my family history that one of my ancestors had 23 wives sealed to him. Most were deceased or currently living. Still looking more into this to understand it but was quite fascinated by this as none in our immediate family was aware of this. After talking with some friends on this one of them directed me to adoptive sealings that was practiced among the church around 1879-1880's as this would be in relation to what my ancestor had done. Is there anyone that is familiar with this practice. Still doing more research in it and will update once I find out more.

[Vort]

Most were deceased or currently living.

That narrows it right down.

[Blackmarch]

So recently I discovered in my family history that one of my ancestors had 23 wives sealed to him. Most were deceased or currently living. Still looking more into this to understand it but was quite fascinated by this as none in our immediate family was aware of this. After talking with some friends on this one of them directed me to adoptive sealings that was practiced among the church around 1879-1880's as this would be in relation to what my ancestor had done. Is there anyone that is familiar with this practice. Still doing more research in it and will update once I find out more.

Sealing is about binding families and covenants, it does not always entail a marriage. Many times in earlier church history, when someone would convert to the LDS church they would get disowned by family, and would then find a family in the church to become a part of by being sealed to it.

[Suzie]

So recently I discovered in my family history that one of my ancestors had 23 wives sealed to him. Most were deceased or currently living. Still looking more into this to understand it but was quite fascinated by this as none in our immediate family was aware of this. After talking with some friends on this one of them directed me to adoptive sealings that was practiced among the church around 1879-1880's as this would be in relation to what my ancestor had done. Is there anyone that is familiar with this practice. Still doing more research in it and will update once I find out more.

It was a common ritual back in the 19th century and had many stages and developments. A lot of people argue if it started with Joseph Smith (which I think it did) as early as 1842. If you get the chance to read J. Stapley (highly recommended paper) on this topic you will see the mention of the diaries of James Henry Martineau who was the first person to perform an adoption ritual in the Logan temple by adopting a little girl, you will also see he was sealed to marriage to dozens of deceased women including Joan of Arc.

There were also men to men adoptions and the adoptees would take the last name of the adoptive parent which Brigham Young encouraged to be used publicly (for a short period of time). Time was always an issue, making impossible for a lot of members to participate in this ritual. It also created a lot of feelings of jealousy because some argue that those young men who were sealed to the prophet or someone in higher authority were given special ecclesiastic positions because of who they were adopted by.

Not sure if this little info helped, but if you have any specific questions about it please ask since the law of adoption was practiced for many years and in different ways. I may be able to answer some or suggest some reading material. :)

[estradling75]

It was a common ritual back in the 19th century and had many stages and developments. A lot of people argue if it started with Joseph Smith (which I think it did) as early as 1842. If you get the chance to read J. Stapley (highly recommended paper) on this topic you will see the mention of the diaries of James Henry Martineau who was the first person to perform an adoption ritual in the Logan temple by adopting a little girl, you will also see he was sealed to marriage to dozens of deceased women including Joan of Arc.

James Henry Martineau... is my great-great-great grandfather... Assuming its the same guy... The time is right and I doubt the name is all that common..

[Suzie]

James Henry Martineau... is my great-great-great grandfather... Assuming its the same guy... The time is right and I doubt the name is all that common..

Do you have access to his journals or read "An Uncommon Common Pioneer: The Journals of James Henry Martineau, 1828–1918" by Donald G. Godfrey? I believe it's available online through BYU.

[estradling75]

Do you have access to his journals or read "An Uncommon Common Pioneer: The Journals of James Henry Martineau, 1828–1918" by Donald G. Godfrey? I believe it's available online through BYU.

My mom gave me an An Uncommon Common Pioneer as a Christmas present several years ago. Its been sitting on myself unread all this time

[Iggy]

My mom gave me an An Uncommon Common Pioneer as a Christmas present several years ago. Its been sitting on myself unread all this time

Well pick it up and start reading!

[HEthePrimate]

Most were deceased or currently living.

That narrows it right down.

I'll go out on a limb and hazard that ALL were deceased or currently living.

[james12]

The further truth regarding temple sealings has come line upon line and precept upon precept. It was not completely understood by the early church. Wilford Woodruff gave a seminal address on this matter of adoption and sealings: The Law of Adoption | Wilford Woodruff. In it he said:

We have not fully carried out those principles in fulfillment of the revelations of God to us, in sealing the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers. I have not felt satisfied, neither did President Taylor, neither has any man since the Prophet Joseph who has attended to the ordinance of adoption in the temples of our God. We have felt that there was more to be revealed upon this subject than we had received.

What was to be done, or how was the work to move forward? Wilford Woodruff again says:

When I went before the Lord to know who I should be adopted to (we were then being adopted to prophets and apostles), the Spirit of God said to me, "Have you not a father, who begot you?" "Yes, I have." "Then why not honor him? Why not be adopted to him?" "Yes," says I, "that is right." I was adopted to my father, and should have had my father sealed to his father, and so on back; and the duty that I want every man who presides over a temple to see performed from this day henceforth and forever, unless the Lord Almighty commands otherwise, is, let every man be adopted to his father. When a man receives the endowments, adopt him to his father; not to Wilford Woodruff, nor to any other man outside the lineage of his fathers. That is the will of God to this people. I want ll men who preside over these temples in these mountains of Israel to bear this in mind. What business have I to take away the rights of the lineage of any man? What right has any man to do this? No; I say let every man be adopted to his father; and then you will do exactly what God said when he declared He would send Elijah the prophet in the last days.

I also read a good paper on the subject entitled, "The Law of Adoption: One Phase of the Development of the Mormon Concept of Salvation, 1830–1900" In it he mentions the matter of those who were not sealed parent to child. He says this was considered by the first presidency and the twelve. They concluded that these people should be sealed to their own parents but that the old records should be left standing with possible problems sorted out in the hereafter. Now I'm not sure where that leaves a family tree. Perhaps there has been further clarification on the matter of which I am not aware.

Edited April 29, 2012 by james12

[Seminarysnoozer]

Sealing is about binding families and covenants, it does not always entail a marriage. Many times in earlier church history, when someone would convert to the LDS church they would get disowned by family, and would then find a family in the church to become a part of by being sealed to it.

I think this reinforces the fact that all who make it into the Celestial Kingdom will be sealed to each other and that originally, in the pre-mortal world, we were and still are all family. The question would be, if one finds themselves in the Celestial Kingdom, is it possible to find a soul there that she would not be sealed to?

How is my "sealing bond" any different from my bond with a close earthly genetically linked brother (like my actual brother) than it would be with a brother who is distantly genetically linked (i.e.- through Noah or Adam and Eve) finding ourselves in the Celestial Kingdom after all the sealings back to Adam and Eve have been completed?

I wonder (okay, chastise me for speculating on this forum again - I feel it coming, even though it pertains to questions about doctrine) if sealing is really about binding "the" singular family in the end and not so much about binding families. In that sense, we can be together forever as a family.