Temple work for excommunicated


carlimac
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15 hours ago, carlimac said:

Not really. the news that Family Search will include same gender marriages in their records just got me thinking about the implications. Obviously the couples couldn't be sealed but I was wondering if their individual temple work could be done after death.

Oh for sure, it would likely be treated as a person that had just never married

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I was led to believe that people who removed their names from Church records couldn’t be baptized for the dead without pre-approval from the apostles. So I was wondering if it would be the same for individuals who were excommunicated before their death. And I assume that baptized members who marry the same gender are automatically excommunicated. Also wondering about sealing of children to parents. What happens? Biological children aren’t ever un-sealed are they?

Edited by Mcmomma
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"The church affirms that marriage between a man and a woman is essential to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children........  Sexual relations between persons of the same gender are sinful and undermine the divinely created institution of the family.  The Church accordingly affirms defining marriage as the legal and lawful union between a man and a woman." - Handbook

Excommunication is not automatic for same gender marriages.  It is only automatic for Murder, and almost always required for incest.  Typically excommunication is reserved for those who commit grievous sins, including violation of temple covenants, and are not repentant.  

First presidency approval is required to perform temple ordinances for deceased persons, who at the time of their death were excommunicated or had their names removed from Church membership records.

If biological children were born in the covenant, then they do not require subsequent sealing.  If their parents got divorced, and had their sealing cancelled, then the children are not sealed to the mother anymore.

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57 minutes ago, mdfxdb said:

If their parents got divorced, and had their sealing cancelled, then the children are not sealed to the mother anymore.

Not sure this is accurate.  Cite?

@carlimac, I have also heard what @mdfxdb says re not doing proxy work for excommunicated members.  But I’m not sure whether the Church has any system in place to flag such names if/when they are submitted for ordinances.

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Citation is letter from first presidency upon request of dissolution of temple sealing.  They make you return the letter, so I don't have it anymore.

Church tracks excommunicated members.  They have a system, and formal written letter must be sent to request clearance. 

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8 hours ago, mdfxdb said:

...If biological children were born in the covenant, then they do not require subsequent sealing.  If their parents got divorced, and had their sealing cancelled, then the children are not sealed to the mother anymore.

The bold part is not true.

As to the next question, “What happens to the children in the next life when there has been a cancellation of sealing of the parents?” it is understood that in the case of a cancellation of the sealing of the woman to the man, this does not cancel the sealing of the children to the parents, since they were born in the covenant, which is a birthright blessing. They remain in the status of the sealing to their parents and can never be sealed to anyone else. The decision as to with whom they will go will be determined by the Lord in the hereafter.

https://www.lds.org/new-era/1975/12/q-and-a-questions-and-answers/what-happens-when-a-couple-gets-a-temple-divorce?lang=eng

M.

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9 hours ago, mdfxdb said:

Citation is letter from first presidency upon request of dissolution of temple sealing.  They make you return the letter, so I don't have it anymore.

Church tracks excommunicated members.  They have a system, and formal written letter must be sent to request clearance. 

When my husband received his Sealing Cancellation letter from the 1st Presidency he did not have to return it.  That was in 2014. Also, it did mention that the children would retain their blessing of being born in the Covenant. It did not say the children would go with the father, but it would be decided in the next life and all will be conditional upon personal worthiness and individual agency.

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Whenever I hear questions about policy on whether we should do the work for the dead who had a questionable life (should we baptize Hitler? Should we baptize the excommunicated?) I am reminded of this scripture:
 

Quote

D&C 64:10

I, the Lord will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.

I interpret this as meaning that in this life, we err on the side of forgiveness. We just do the work, forgive them and let the Lord decide in the next life what happens.

Edited by bytebear
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