Attendees At Temple Sealings

[Jane_Doe]

I'm a looking into the roles of attendees at temple sealings.  Does anyone have some resources which can help me out?

And by attendees I mean people besides the groom/bride/sealer.

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited October 26, 2016 by Jane_Doe

[Just_A_Guy]

I don't think those are recorded, are they?

Edited October 26, 2016 by Just_A_Guy

[Jane_Doe]

39 minutes ago, Just_A_Guy said:

I don't think those are recorded, are they?

Darn typo!  I meant "role"-- as in the part they play.  Not attendance rolls.

[NightSG]

1 hour ago, Jane_Doe said:

I'm a looking into the roles of attendees at temple sealings.  Does anyone have some resources which can help me out?

Well, hopefully bride, groom and sealer's roles are relatively obvious.  I assume you're referring to the more arcane ones like third assistant chair duster.

Edited October 26, 2016 by NightSG

[Jane_Doe]

1 hour ago, NightSG said:

Well, hopefully bride, groom and sealer's roles are relatively obvious.  I assume you're referring to the more arcane ones like third assistant chair duster.

I meant everyone else....

I need lessons of how to write an OP

[SilentOne]

From my experience, the witnesses witness and probably sign something. Everybody else basically sits there and then hugs the bride and groom at the end.

[Jane_Doe]

18 minutes ago, SilentOne said:

From my experience, the witnesses witness and probably sign something. Everybody else basically sits there and then hugs the bride and groom at the end.

Yes, but I have this instinct that the "others" still have a responsibility to support the sealed couple/family in their walk with Christ.  To be a witness and supporter for them, even if they weren't an official sign-the-paper-witness.

Edited October 26, 2016 by Jane_Doe

[Maureen]

I would think the guests at a wedding ceremony are there to give support, to witness the creation of a new family. That's usually what happens at a non-LDS wedding ceremony.

M.

[Sunday21]

I have been as a guest. No special role.

[Jane_Doe]

11 minutes ago, Sunday21 said:

I have been as a guest. No special role.

But you were invited and came, as opposed to not.  That is special and means something, no?

[Sunday21]

1 hour ago, Jane_Doe said:

But you were invited and came, as opposed to not.  That is special and means something, no?

 Am not sure that I understand what you are asking. I came to support my friend and to share her happiness. 

[Jane_Doe]

5 minutes ago, Sunday21 said:

 Am not sure that I understand what you are asking. I came to support my friend and to share her happiness. 

Yes, but does going to the sealing itself give you some level of responsibility to support her in her marriage?   More than like a non-LDS friend who couldn't come?  Why have only endowed members witness a sealing? 

[Just_A_Guy]

I've heard Dr. Laura make that argument about weddings generally, and it rings true to me.  But I'm not aware of any authoritative LDS teaching that suggests sealing guests have a special covenant vis a vis the happy couple.

I think guests are required to be endowed because the sealing logically builds on the endowment and includes special symbols that are not given to the unendowed.  

Also, I realize not all sealers do this, but mine spent several minutes prior to our sealing explaining these links in detail in a sermon the like of which I had never heard beforehand do not expect to hear again.  Had unendowed persons been present, our sealer's ability to teach freely on this topic would have been severely curtailed. 

[bytebear]

When my best friend was sealed, I was proxy for his father (who had passed).  If you look at the chairs in the sealing room, there are seats at the ends for the parents of the bride and groom.  If I recall, I was a special witness, and was documented.  But general guests were not.  It's been a while since I attended a sealing, so I may be fuzzy on the details.

[Jane_Doe]

11 minutes ago, bytebear said:

When my best friend was sealed, I was proxy for his father (who had passed).  If you look at the chairs in the sealing room, there are seats at the ends for the parents of the bride and groom.  If I recall, I was a special witness, and was documented.  But general guests were not.  It's been a while since I attended a sealing, so I may be fuzzy on the details.

I recall similar.

[Traveler]

On ‎10‎/‎26‎/‎2016 at 5:29 PM, Jane_Doe said:

Yes, but I have this instinct that the "others" still have a responsibility to support the sealed couple/family in their walk with Christ.  To be a witness and supporter for them, even if they weren't an official sign-the-paper-witness.

I believe we all have responsibility to uphold the institution and blessing of marriage ordained by G-d - even those done outside the temple as an institution ordained and commanded by G-d.  Much more for those in attendance at the temple - I believe that those that attend a sealing at the temple will have great difficulity making an account before G-d for supporting, to any degree - gay marriage.

 

The Traveler

[Guest]

I've witnessed 2 sealings and I loved going to participate and watch. Both very special events.

[Traveler]

On ‎10‎/‎28‎/‎2016 at 2:08 PM, Zarahemla said:

I've witnessed 2 sealings and I loved going to participate and watch. Both very special events.

\

When I returned from my mission I was ask to help with sealings – to be the proxy for the husband for a number of sealings.  I was very worried that the wrong words would be uttered by mistake and that I would end up sealed (in mortality) to an elderly sister that was the proxy for the wife.  But listening intently to each and every word touched me greatly about marriage and gave me insights that have influenced me when I married – and still influence me.

 

The Traveler

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

On October 26, 2016 at 4:29 PM, Jane_Doe said:

Yes, but I have this instinct that the "others" still have a responsibility to support the sealed couple/family in their walk with Christ.  To be a witness and supporter for them, even if they weren't an official sign-the-paper-witness.

Jane, I love this idea, but I have never heard it before.  I have attended several temple dealings.  I always thought my role was one of love and support.  Now that you mention it, I think I did instinctively accept some idea of supporting them, but it was more unconscious than anything.  

The idea as you expressed it here reminds me of Jewish tradition. Not that I claim to be an expert on that, it's just that I think I read something similar in Mudhouse Sabbath.  Mudhouse Sabbath is a delightful little book written by a Jewish born Christian woman.  She said she loves being a Christian and has no intent to turn back, but still there are some things she misses about being Jewish.  I think she mentioned something like what you said here about weddings.  

[Guest]

On 10/26/2016 at 9:21 PM, Jane_Doe said:

Yes, but does going to the sealing itself give you some level of responsibility to support her in her marriage?   More than like a non-LDS friend who couldn't come?  Why have only endowed members witness a sealing? 

I might be repeating JAG's comment a bit.  But the sealing is by necessity a higher sacrament than the endowment.  Thus we don't attend a higher ordinance without first being through the preparatory ordinances.

If you're asking about "social" responsibilities, yes, everyone there and not there is supposed to provide emotional and even spiritual support to the couple.  But I see this as no more or less than our covenant at baptism to mourn with those that mourn, etc.

If you're asking if there is some spiritual link through the ordinance, no.  The sealer, the witnesses, the bride and groom are all who are supposed to attend.  Traditionally, the witnesses are the respective fathers of the bride and groom.  But this may be due more to tradition than because of a divine requirement.  The witnesses are supposed to be Mechizedek Priesthood holders.  Mothers are not asked to be witnesses (at least to my knowledge).  So, this appears to be a priesthood role.  But their role is never explained or gone into any detail during the interview with the Temple President.  So, it must not be much more than the witnesses at a baptism as far as I can tell.

[Maureen]

17 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

...The witnesses are supposed to be Mechizedek Priesthood holders...

Do you know why witnesses must be Melchizedek Priesthood holders? Could the LDS leaders change this requirement?

M.

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, Maureen said:

Do you know why witnesses must be Melchizedek Priesthood holders? Could the LDS leaders change this requirement?

M.

https://www.lds.org/new-era/1971/06/information-for-brides-and-grooms-planning-a-temple-marriage?lang=eng

Quote

Laws of Both Land and Church

Witnesses. Witnesses who can attest to the fact that you were indeed married are usually required throughout the world, and there is no exception in the temple. The Lord requires witnesses of this event—two male members of the Church who have valid and current temple recommends. When convenient, you may arrange for the selection of your two witnesses, who will sign your marriage papers at the temple. However, if you go alone to the temple and do not have witnesses available, the temple will provide them.

In this case the temple recommend must be a full recommend rather than a limited use one.  Thus if they are male members, they would also hold the Melchizedek priesthood.

There appears to be no other source material on how/when this was established.  So we don't know the reasoning.  Without the reasoning, we don't know if or how it could be changed in the future.

[MarginOfError]

Carboendum nailed it. attending the sealing does not put you under any obligation or covenant beyond those made at baptism. nor should it, seeing as we are already renewing that covenant every week.