Marriage and conversion Question

[Claire-Carl-wetzel]

Have a question am a possible Convert and was wondering about Marriage.

My Husband and I are both NON mormons at precent and are meeting with a pair of young missionary Elders and considering Conversion.

Here is my question

Are converts that are already married expected to remarry within Temple and ore CAN they renew vows/remarry within Temple?

What happens in a Sealing ( wedding) within a Mormon Community?

[FunkyTown]

Have a question am a possible Convert and was wondering about Marriage.

My Husband and I are both NON mormons at precent and are meeting with a pair of young missionary Elders and considering Conversion.

Here is my question

Are converts that are already married expected to remarry within Temple and ore CAN they renew vows/remarry within Temple?

What happens in a Sealing ( wedding) within a Mormon Community?

You can certainly be sealed in the temple, though whether you and your spouse are going to is entirely up to you.

Basically: What happens in the temple is that the two couple are sealed together in a marriage ceremony for time and all eternity, because marriage was supposed to be forever.

It's pretty amazing.

[NeuroTypical]

Hi and welcome.

There's really no "expected to" here, any more than someone who gets a great job will be "expected to" accept big raises and benefits.

Here's a website that explains more.

What Temples Mean to Latter-day Saints - MormonTemples.org

[Dravin]

Are converts that are already married expected to remarry within Temple and ore CAN they renew vows/remarry within Temple?

It is expected that all members of the Church as they grow in the gospel come to desire the blessings of the Temple. You go when you're ready though, and you most certainly won't be kicked out of the Church if you don't feel ready and desiring within a certain time period. When you go you won't be remarried, as you are already civilly married, you'll be sealed (and children can be sealed to parents). While members tend to talk about temple marriages what goes on, in the US at least, is one is sealed and legally married at the same time.

I realize this may raise the question of just what is sealing, I think the Church Website describes it better than I:

Another temple ordinance is celestial marriage. In this ordinance husband and wife are sealed to one another for eternity. A sealing performed in the temple continues forever if the husband and wife are faithful to the covenants they make.

Children born to parents who have been sealed in the temple are born in the covenant. These children automatically become part of an eternal family. Children who are not born in the covenant can also become part of an eternal family once their natural or adoptive parents have been sealed to one another. The ordinance of sealing children to parents is performed in the temple.

Link: Temples

As far as renewing vows, technically no. You would take upon yourselves specific covenants before the Lord, since you've not taken them upon yourselves as a non-member they'll be new not renewed. You will be able though to go to the temple and be sealed as previously mentioned.

What happens in a Sealing ( wedding) within a Mormon Community?

The sealing or temple marriage (depending on how one wants to look at it) is not really a community event in the way marriages are. A relatively small number of individuals, limited to the physical size of the room the sealing is performed in, can be invited to be there with you when you are sealed. The more community minded aspect comes after in a reception (traditionally, one could if one so desired not have a reception).

As far as the sealing itself, it consists of kneeling (those being sealed) at an altar and making covenants/two way promises, with the Lord.

*In some countries, such as the UK, legal marriages can't be performed in the Temple, so individuals are civilly married first and then sealed.

Edited December 18, 2012 by Dravin

[Guest]

Have a question am a possible Convert and was wondering about Marriage.

My Husband and I are both NON mormons at precent and are meeting with a pair of young missionary Elders and considering Conversion.

Here is my question

Are converts that are already married expected to remarry within Temple and ore CAN they renew vows/remarry within Temple?

What happens in a Sealing ( wedding) within a Mormon Community?

No, you don't have to re-marry in the temple. You can get sealed in the temple if both of you desire.

Here's the difference:

Marriage - is a mortal covenant.

Sealing - is an eternal covenant.

So, since you're already married (mortal bond) all you would need to do is get sealed (eternal bond).

The sealing really gives a completely different perspective to your marriage vows. You become cognizant that no, it is not 'Til Death Do Us Part but Through Life After Death.