Heaven and polgamy???

[Palerider]

President Hinckley stated many times in media interviews that anyone who practises Poligamy is not a member of this Church...

[Elgama]

I guess I struggle with the idea that having been married eternally to my husband if I die I in effect get forgotten and treated as second class. If I die my marriage to my husband still stands and if he remarries I will be seeing him as a man with more than one wife:)

-Charley

[Holly3278]

Polygamy is wrong. Please see the following articles:

Why did God allow polygamy / bigamy in the Bible?

Questions about Marriage

What does it mean to be "the husband of one wife?" - ChristianAnswers.Net

BIGAMY - If bigamy is sinful, why did King Solomon have so many wives? - ChristianAnswers.Net

Marriage (WebBible Encyclopedia) - ChristianAnswers.Net

[Elgama]

As a Latter Day Saint Holly I believe if God allowed something once its up to Him to allow it again or not - right now polygamy in a mortal life is wrong. Personally as long as it involves consenting adults (definition of adult at the time) - I have no issue with it and see much wisdom in it, in modern society it would make my life a lot easier.

-Charley

[ztodd]

No, he did not, at least nowhere I could find, and I have looked in ever nook and cranny I could find. If someone does know of a quote where President Hinckley states polygamy is an excommunicable offense while on earth, but not in the Celestial Kingdom, I would be very glad to have it, and would happily admit I am wrong.

But from what I have seen, President Hinckley, nor any other modern president, has never made a distinction between the mortal life and the immortal when speaking of polygamy.

And he was adamant that any member(s) caught practicing polygamy would be immediately excommunicated, when in fact, to this day, members continue to practice polygamy, as defined by Church doctrine, with no repercussions.*

Therefore, in this one issue, President Hinckley was being disingenuous.

Elphaba

*For example, a man whose first wife has passed on can marry/be sealed to another women in the temple, resulting in two wives in the Celestial Kingdom; thus, a polygamous relationship.

He wasn't being disingenuous- he was just obviously defining polygamy differently than you do.

Even the scriptures have to be read by the Spirit or you won't understand what they're really trying to say. Ours is nowhere near to a perfect language, and even our prophets are not perfect in their use of this imperfect language, so they can be misunderstood. Maybe you think he should have used different language, but I understood what he meant.

[Guest Leeanntheonetwo]

What would happen if you lived back in Joseph smith’s days when polygamy was legal, would your opinion change from today’s opinion?

Personally I can’t see how a man could marry many wives when one is often more than most men can handle. I would consider myself a high maintenance woman, meaning the man who marries me has just found another full time job. I think if a man marries more than one woman he will be over worked and face burnout. Because that’s what I think marriage is, a full time job.

Having said that, hard work never killed anyone so why don’t we just all become polygamists’? LOL.

Leeann

[Elgama]

Personally like I said I have no issue with it my husband wouldn't want to be a polygamist, but if I die I do not want him to remain alone. In mortality though I wouldn't want it to be separate families we would have to work together to be one family, with children brought up as brothers and sister. If everyone pulls together it should be less work for everyone involved and that attracts me. I know my husband would not betray me so I have no need to be jealous and I may get my kingsize bed all to myself some nights lol

Seriously I do believe in todays economic climate it has a place allowing children to be brought up and homes to be bought etc. Maybe with laws changing it will allow it to return but thats the Lord's call.

-Charley

[Vanhin]

The requirement for exaltation, is that one enter into the new and everlasting covenant with at least one wife; it's not about the quantity of wives. However, make no mistake about it, plurality of wives, is an eternal principle of the new and everlasting covenant. I quote from the current LDS edition of the Doctrine and Covenants:

"61 And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood—if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else.

62 And if he have ten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him; therefore is he justified.

63 But if one or either of the ten virgins, after she is espoused, shall be with another man, she has committed adultery, and shall be destroyed; for they are given unto him to multiply and replenish the earth, according to my commandment, and to fulfil the promise which was given by my Father before the foundation of the world, and for their exaltation in the eternal worlds, that they may bear the souls of men; for herein is the work of my Father continued, that he may be glorified." (D&C 132:61-63)

The simple fact is that we are not authorized to practice plural marriage in mortality at this point in time, because the prophet of God, who has the keys to this principle of the priesthood, has prohibited it's practice. As Official Declaration 1 states, the prohibition was brought to pass mainly because:

"...laws have been enacted by Congress forbidding plural marriages, which laws have been pronounced constitutional by the court of last resort".

President Woodruff wrote:

"I should have let all the temples go out of our hands; I should have gone to prison myself, and let every other man go there, had not the God of heaven commanded me to do what I did do; and when the hour came that I was commanded to do that, it was all clear to me. I went before the Lord, and I wrote what the Lord told me to write. . . ." (See Official Declaration 1)

At this point in time I would like to also point out, that we are prohibited from practicing this principle in mortality by default! Whenever the law is authorized, it is exceptional. The prophet Jacob, from the Book of Mormon, taught:

"27 Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none;

28 For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts.

29 Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts, or cursed be the land for their sakes.

30 For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things." (Jacob 2:27-30)

Should the Lord once again command us to practice plural marriage here in mortality? That I do not know. But no matter what, I intend to follow the commandments of God as he gives them to his his authorized servant, the living prophet.

Regards,

Vanhin

[Elphaba]

President Hinckley stated many times in media interviews that anyone who practises Poligamy is not a member of this Church...

Hey there my future boxing partner,

I am aware of President Hinckley's words on this issue; unfortunately, I do not agree with his presentation. But President Hinckley makes no distinction between mortal lives and immortal lives as written the D&C 132.

Being a past bishop, you are probably aware of a man and a woman fall in love and would like to be married/sealed together in the temple. The man is a widower, so his choice is a fairly easy one.

However, for the woman it is more difficult if she had previously been married in the temple to another man in the U.N.'s Let's say she was married in the temple prior to this marriage. But her ex husband wants nothing to do with the Church. I don't know the exact details of the this, but the woman has to give the man permission for her to remarry, thus ending their relationship for eternity.

I would be glad if someone could give me a better description of this, as I am only relaying what I have heard, and don't want to use inaccurate information.

Once she has received the ex-husband's agreement he wants nothing to do with the marriage, she was ecstatic this marriage could go on without complications.

To me, this is practicing polygamy. You can call it Celestial Married, or "The Principle," of whatever other idioms is it may have had, but polygamy is defined as a spouse having two or more wives. And that is what happens in the polygamy.

I say Church authorities are disengenuous about the doctrine, as practiced, during this day and age. And I understand the Church's efforts to insist it has nothing whatsoever to do with the polygamist sects. It does make sense to me. But it is also not telling the complete truth, and I've seen converts on the brink of joining who hear about this, think it is too weird, and decided not to join. Also, the information is available on the internet, but it is most potent, in my opinion, when coming from an anti-site.

The bottom line is that the saying the Church has nothing whatsoever to do with polygamy, when a man, perhaps that very day, is being married/sealed to his 2nd, 3rd, etc. wife, is disengenous. I've had it happen three times in my family.

In the Church officials' defense, it is obvious they are distancing themselves as far as possible from the fringe groups, and I understand that's why President Hinckley was so adamant about it.

So I still think it should be brought out as soon as possible; that way investigaters would know about it to begin with, and not be shocked as the discussion comes up.

Just my opinion.

Elphaba

*I take full responsibility for the typos and misuses of grammar as I am really sick (sympathy will be accepted), and I am on some drugs that make it very hard to think. I have read this three times, and think I've eliminated all of the dumb things I wrote.

But I'm not sure.

I'm sick. . . sniff....snifff sniff. Any sympathy will be GREATLY appreciated..

[Canuck Mormon]

Hey there my future boxing partner,

I am aware of President Hinckley's words on this issue; unfortunately, I do not agree with his presentation. But President Hinckley makes no distinction between mortal lives and immortal lives as written the D&C 132.

Being a past bishop, you are probably aware of a man and a woman fall in love and would like to be married/sealed together in the temple. The man is a widower, so his choice is a fairly easy one.

However, for the woman it is more difficult if she had previously been married in the temple to another man in the U.N.'s Let's say she was married in the temple prior to this marriage. But her ex husband wants nothing to do with the Church. I don't know the exact details of the this, but the woman has to give the man permission for her to remarry, thus ending their relationship for eternity.

I would be glad if someone could give me a better description of this, as I am only relaying what I have heard, and don't want to use inaccurate information.

Once she has received the ex-husband's agreement he wants nothing to do with the marriage, she was ecstatic this marriage could go on without complications.

To me, this is practicing polygamy. You can call it Celestial Married, or "The Principle," of whatever other idioms is it may have had, but polygamy is defined as a spouse having two or more wives. And that is what happens in the polygamy.

*I take full responsibility for the typos and misuses of grammar as I am really sick (sympathy will be accepted), and I am on some drugs that make it very hard to think. I have read this three times, and think I've eliminated all of the dumb things I wrote.

But I'm not sure.

I'm sick. . . sniff....snifff sniff. Any sympathy will be GREATLY appreciated..

I believe there are also sealings for time only, not just for eternity. A firend of mine lost her husband at a young age and was sealed to another but only for their time on earth. I could be wrong, and if anyone knows this please let me know.

Sorry to hear you are sick, hopefully they are good drugs and you'll be back to your stubborn self soon!!

[Vanhin]

Elphaba,

The Church recognizes a distinction between Civil marriage (for time only, including temple marriage for time only), and Sealing (the marriage that is in effect in the life after this). A person's divorce (civil) proceedings must be final according to law, before he or she can remarry.

In order for a divorced (civil) woman to be sealed to another man, she must request a cancellation of her former sealing from the First Presidency of the Church. This she must do regardless of the deseased/living status of the former spouse.

A divorced (civil) man may only be sealed to another living woman if he receives a sealing clearance from the First Presidency.

In any case, the former sealing, is preserved (unless cancelled) so that the requirements of exaltation are met, and are only in effect in the life after this (when all this mayhap will be rectified). The former couple are not "man and wife" in this life according to either the Church or the law, and would violate the law of chastity should they have sexual relations during that time, for example.

Just a bit trivia.

Deseased couples who had divorced, may be sealed to one another by proxy, because that is usually the only way their children can be sealed to their parents. Like I said before, the final status of those who merit exaltation will be determined at a later time, and everything will be set straight, in these exceptional cases.

Also deseased women may be sealed by proxy to each of the men they were civilly married to during mortality, as long as she was not sealed to one of them while she was living. Again, who she will be sealed to in the end, will be hashed out at some later time, where she will, no doubt, have the most say so about with whom.

These sealings, are part of the new and everlasting covenant, and are the final ordinances of mortality. They are required for exaltation. Children are sealed to parents and parents to one another.

Many of Joseph Smith's early sealings, were performed with that understanding that they were in effect in the eternities only, and did not constitute "marriage" in the Civil sense. This understanding helps explain the peculiar practice of Joseph Smith being sealed to women who were already in a civil marriages to other men. There is no credible evidence that these marriages were ever "consummated". In a sense he was still trying to figure out the proper order of this new law, and was really just linking families to one another through the sealing power which he had. But that is another conversation altoghether.

Regards,

Vanhin

[Elphaba]

I believe there are also sealings for time only, not just for eternity. A firend of mine lost her husband at a young age and was sealed to another but only for their time on earth. I could be wrong, and if anyone knows this please let me know.[know]

I believe there are also sealings for time only, not just for eternity. A firend of mine lost her husband at a young age and was sealed to another but only for their time on earth. I could be wrong, and if anyone knows this please let me know.

Yes, you are correct. Many people choose to be remarried just for time. However, it does not change my argument.

Sorry to hear you are sick, hopefully they are good drugs and you'll be back to your stubborn self soon

Thank you! I'm going to go lie down in a minute. You guys have worn me out trying to be stubborn!

[rayhale]

I don’t know whether or not polygamy is going to come back, but Joseph Smith said that the reason to bring back polygamy was to have all the things of the Old Church to be in the New Church, that means polygamy, and I might want to state, sacrifice.

Sacrifice was the most important part of the Mosaic Law, it was a forshadowing of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It has been stated that sacrifice will come back before the Second Coming.

By sacrifice I of course mean the sacrifice of animals. What other Mosaic Laws will come back? Here is a link to the 613 commandments of the Mosaic Law:

Print Version - The 613 Commandments_

[Hemidakota]

If you are referring too the Jews bringing back the practice of Animal Sacrifices then yes but not the church. Plural Marriage I suspect will return after the Lord's return due to the amount of faithful women in the church.

[Moksha]

Plural Marriage I suspect will return after the Lord's return due to the amount of faithful women in the church.

I understand faithful followers of Islam believe they will be rewarded with 72 virgins in paradise.

[Hemidakota]

Actually, it is 40 but for me, one will suffice. Lol

[Rico]

During Temple Prep class, I had an interesting question.

Great Grandpa was Mormon and had a first wife. His kids were devout Mormons and I believe he is sealed to his first wife, but Great Grandpa divorced the first wife and moved two states away and never had contact with the family again. He met my great grandma and got married. (It's a funny story how I learned all about it) Great Grandma wasn't Mormon and I am the first in the family line to re-enter the church.

My question was this: Can we seal great grandma and great grandpa and the answer was yes.

It makes perfect sense. I hardly consider it polygamy, even though it probably is. It's just impossible to equate anything as holy as Temple Marriage with anything negative. I think it's glorious that we will all be together in Heaven.

[Shell72]

personally am trying not to focus on the human souls that I will be around, and trying to focus on the wonderful time I am going to have with our Heavenly Father. I don't need to collect multiple souls to make my time there any better - IT'S ALREADY HEAVEN :)