Honoring the request of deceased spouse

[garryw]

Young's first wife never gave consent, she was dead before he married his other wives. So it's settled: death is equivalent to consent.

[Backroads]

Young's first wife never gave consent, she was dead before he married his other wives. So it's settled: death is equivalent to consent.

I laughed, but in all seriousness, there's kind of a point there. While I still figure it's the family's business first and foremost, demanding that someone never be married or sealed to another person after your death rather bothers me.

[Just_A_Guy]

Young's first wife never gave consent, she was dead before he married his other wives. So it's settled: death is equivalent to consent.

Are you sure Young didn't get some kind of revelation informing him that she had consented from beyond the veil? For that matter, are we sure that a surviving, widowed spouse couldn't receive the same kind of "consent" via individual revelation?

[garryw]

Are you sure Young didn't get some kind of revelation informing him that she had consented from beyond the veil? For that matter, are we sure that a surviving, widowed spouse couldn't receive the same kind of "consent" via individual revelation?

We know he didnt need consent (special case) because he had the keys, and also because his 1st wife was married for time only.

But I think the real meat of the issue is: what is the definition of consent?

For example, when a person pay taxes or a speeding ticket, is it totally voluntary? or by threat of force (imprisonment, garnishment, etc)? I would suggest the latter.

Likewise there is a threat of "destruction" in section 132 for those who don't consent.

We know Abraham consented to sacrifice Isaac, but it was out of sheer obedience, not the individual desires of Abraham. I think that was the type consent JFS was referring to in that quote.

[Just_A_Guy]

Sure, though scripture contains threats of punishment for various forms of disobedience. The arguments you raise about consent, strike me as a microcosm of a more general argument about the nature of obedience and agency.