Blended Couple who cannot be sealed ???

[B4790B]

Two purposes to this. My wife and I are active faithful members who cannot be sealed because she is widowed and sealed to her prior husband. I am divorced and sealed. Both prior marriages were terrible to put it bluntly because both of our spouses suffered from severe addiction issues.

We both thought we were "happy" before but now realize happy is not what this is about. We are now content, committed, madly in love and living life like we believe it is to be lived not surviving a jungle in our own homes. Together we have 17 children and an insane wonderful life, BUT, it is not our circumstance that makes me seek guidance here. We have chosen to bury our heads in the sand and hope for the best and have faith in the our Heavenly Father.

I teach 16/17 year olds. This month’s topic is the plan of salvation. After having a general discussion about the plan today I then told the students this was their class and to tell me what they wanted to discuss and learn as we went forth this month. A young women in the class finally asked about the exact situation I described in my own life. Her "parents" are a blended family that cannot be sealed because of the same situation my wife and I face and I had no idea. That is her family and they are content and happy as well and she knows the pain that her "mother and father" face and try to hide. She wants an answer. I realize it is not my place to counsel and she and her family need to be directed to our bishop BUT it doesn't change the fact that I have an obligation to address the question.

Problem is I cannot find it addressed anywhere. Everything I read talks about inactives remarrying and becoming converted and being sealed or men that can be sealed a second time and are etc etc. Are our families the last taboo ???

I want church or scripture answers or direction. I have plenty of my own anecdotal ones that get me through my own day but that is not what I want to do with this class.

[NeuroTypical]

You know, when I was an Executive Seceretary, I saw the bishop get at least 3 or 4 similar questions that he didn't have a good answer for. He would ask the Stake President, who has needed to ask a GA more than once.

Advising her to go counsel with her bishop, is an answer. And a pretty good one, if you're not sure.

[rameumptom]

Pres Heber J Grant has the following history. His mother was sealed to Joseph Smith, who then died not long after. She married Jedediah Grant, who died a few months before his birth. Heber was called as an apostle at 25 years of age, when the other apostles were more than twice his age. He wanted to know just why he was called so young. He received his answer in a dream. He saw both of his fathers, Joseph and Jedediah standing before the throne of God, pleading that their son be called as an apostle.

Clearly, the sealing is important, but all righteous and loving ties continue through the eternities. The sealing, in my view, is more a sealing into the Family of God. You and your current wife will still have a loving relationship of some kind, as you will also have with the kids.

[Wingnut]

Is there a reason that your wife can't get a sealing cancellation?

[Vort]

Pres Heber J Grant has the following history. His mother was sealed to Joseph Smith, who then died not long after. She married Jedediah Grant, who died a few months before his birth. Heber was called as an apostle at 25 years of age, when the other apostles were more than twice his age. He wanted to know just why he was called so young. He received his answer in a dream. He saw both of his fathers, Joseph and Jedediah standing before the throne of God, pleading that their son be called as an apostle.

Which raises the questions: Why would two men plead to God that their son be called as an apostle? And why would God grant such a request?

[applepansy]

Is there a reason that your wife can't get a sealing cancellation?

I've been told in a similar circumstance the sealing can't be cancelled because the spouse has died.

[applepansy]

Two purposes to this. My wife and I are active faithful members who cannot be sealed because she is widowed and sealed to her prior husband. I am divorced and sealed. Both prior marriages were terrible to put it bluntly because both of our spouses suffered from severe addiction issues.

We both thought we were "happy" before but now realize happy is not what this is about. We are now content, committed, madly in love and living life like we believe it is to be lived not surviving a jungle in our own homes. Together we have 17 children and an insane wonderful life, BUT, it is not our circumstance that makes me seek guidance here. We have chosen to bury our heads in the sand and hope for the best and have faith in the our Heavenly Father.

I teach 16/17 year olds. This month’s topic is the plan of salvation. After having a general discussion about the plan today I then told the students this was their class and to tell me what they wanted to discuss and learn as we went forth this month. A young women in the class finally asked about the exact situation I described in my own life. Her "parents" are a blended family that cannot be sealed because of the same situation my wife and I face and I had no idea. That is her family and they are content and happy as well and she knows the pain that her "mother and father" face and try to hide. She wants an answer. I realize it is not my place to counsel and she and her family need to be directed to our bishop BUT it doesn't change the fact that I have an obligation to address the question.

Problem is I cannot find it addressed anywhere. Everything I read talks about inactives remarrying and becoming converted and being sealed or men that can be sealed a second time and are etc etc. Are our families the last taboo ???

I want church or scripture answers or direction. I have plenty of my own anecdotal ones that get me through my own day but that is not what I want to do with this class.

If we repent and live righteously we will be blessed.

There are a lot of messy situations in life. Yours is one of them and its not uncommon. I believe Heavenly Father has a plan in place.

All our blessings (including sealing) are conditional on our obedience. D&C 82:10 says "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." To me that means we have to keep our covenants to obtain the blessings. You suggest that your wife's deceased spouse was not keeping his covenant - addiction, therefore is the sealing covenant something she will be held to for the eternities? I don't think so.

There might not be anything that can be done in this life because one party is deceased, but I doubt a righteous spouse will be forced to remain sealed to an unrighteous partner. Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to be happy.

[rameumptom]

Vort, I think it only raises those questions in your mind.... God can do whatever he chooses to do, which includes allowing both of Heber's fathers to be engaged in his life.

[Anddenex]

Vort, I think it only raises those questions in your mind.... God can do whatever he chooses to do, which includes allowing both of Heber's fathers to be engaged in his life.

I actually felt Vort's questions were insightful. I also believe the emphasis on "God can do whatever he chooses to do" is moot, because we know Vort already accepts this.

[Vort]

Vort, I think it only raises those questions in your mind....

If you mean only in my mind and not anyone else's, I happen to know you're mistaken.

God can do whatever he chooses to do, which includes allowing both of Heber's fathers to be engaged in his life.

But this does not address the question.

[Maureen]

Two purposes to this. My wife and I are active faithful members who cannot be sealed because she is widowed and sealed to her prior husband. I am divorced and sealed....

B4790B, this should be covered in the CHI, probably Book 1 under Sealing Policies.

...Although the doctrine of plural marriage is currently prohibited from being practiced in the Church, a man can be sealed to multiple women. A widower may be sealed while he is alive to his subsequent wives. Additionally, men who are dead may be sealed by proxy to all of the women to whom they were legally married while alive. Recent changes in church policy also allow women to be sealed to multiple men, but only after both she and her husband(s) are dead.[2]

Church doctrine is not entirely specific on the status of men or women who are sealed by proxy to multiple spouses. There are at least two possibilities:

1. Regardless of how many people a man or woman is sealed to by proxy, they will only remain with one of them in the afterlife, and that the remaining spouses, who might still merit the full benefits of exaltation that come from being sealed, would then be given to another person in order to ensure each has an eternal marriage.

2. These sealings create effective plural marriages that will continue after death. There are no Church teachings clarifying whether polyandrous relationships can exist in the afterlife, so some church members doubt whether this possibility would apply to women who are sealed by proxy to multiple spouses. The possibility for women to be sealed to multiple men is a recent policy change enacted in 1998[citation needed]. Church leaders have neither explained this change, nor its doctrinal implications. It should be noted, however, that proxy sealings, like proxy baptisms, are merely offered to the person in the afterlife, indicating that the purpose is to allow the woman to choose the right man to be sealed to, as LDS doctrine forbids polyandry....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sealing_(Mormonism)

M.

[NightSG]

Which raises the questions: Why would two men plead to God that their son be called as an apostle? And why would God grant such a request?

Maybe they were afraid he'd become a lawyer otherwise.