Temple Marriage and Sealing to Children

Q_A_111 · #1 (**permalink**) 11-16-2009, 03:02 AM

If Husband 1 (who is non-LDS) marries Wife No. 1 (who is LDS) in a civil ceremony, and they later have children, and then divorce, if Husband 1 later converts to LDS and marries Wife No. 2 (who is LDS) in the temple, can Husband 1 get sealed to his children eventhough he is no longer married to Wife No.1? What happens if after Husband 1 (non-LDS) and Wife No. 1 (LDS) divorce, can Wife No.1 later get married to an LDS man and get sealed to the children she had with Husband 1? Is there any way that Wife No. 1 can be sealed to her children if she is no longer married to Husband 1?

FunkyTown · #2 (**permalink**) 11-16-2009, 03:13 AM

Oooh! Good question: Two non-members marry, have kids and get divorced. Later, independently, they marry LDS people and both want to seal themselves to their children.

This is a fantastic question!

Q_A_111 · #3 (**permalink**) 11-16-2009, 03:45 AM

Funky Town: You almost got it. Actually, in the first hypothetical, Husband 1 is NON-LDS, but Wife No. 1 is. Husband 1 later converts, but not until after he divorces Wife No.1. After Husband 1 converts, he gets remarried in the Temple to Wife No. 2 (who is LDS.) Hopefully, that clarifies the marital status of all people described in my original post.

Hemidakota · #4 (**permalink**) 11-16-2009, 06:57 AM

They are still belong to both of them unless one of them releases the paperwork for adopation to one or the other and will need permission from the First Presidency.

WmLee · #5 (**permalink**) 11-16-2009, 07:29 AM

My brother was inactive, married a non-member who later joined the church. They had three children and were preparing for the temple when some else caught her eye. She left my brother for this guy and took the kids.
Four years later they are divorced and have worked things out. She and this new friend do not work out.
She then meets a return missionary, (yep, she is a little older) goes back to church and they are married in the temple.
When they wanted to have the children sealed to them my brother had to write a letter to the Stake President with his permission for the sealing. He still pays child support, is still the legal father and all. The children are just sealed to that wicked woman and her much younger and not so bright husband.
(can you tell I am not happy with anyone here)

FunkyTown · #6 (**permalink**) 11-16-2009, 07:35 AM

Why did your brother agree to let them seal the children to them?

That's... Wow.

Q_A_111 · #7 (**permalink**) 11-16-2009, 07:02 PM

Thanks everyone for chiming in, but I don't think what Hemidakota said is completely accurate, (but I could certainly be mistaken.) The fault is probably mine because I most likely was not clear enough in my original post. Let me try one more time:

Scenario No. 1: In this first case, Husband No.1 (who is NOT an LDS member) marries Wife No. 1 (who is LDS) in a civil ceremony. Husband No.1 and Wife No.1 are NEVER married in the Temple (because Husband No.1 is not a member.) They attend church together as a family for 20 years and have a number of children. Unfortunately, Wife No.1 makes life absolutely miserable for all involved leading to divorce. Again, at the time of their marriage and divorce, Husband No.1 is NOT an LDS member - therefore no Temple ordinances were performed as to marriage or in sealing the children. Assume that following his divorce from Wife No. 1, Husband No. 1 (who always loved attending Church with his family) later converts and becomes a member. If Husband No. 1 later decides to marry again to Wife No. 2 (who has never been married and is also LDS) in the Temple, can Husband No. 1 get sealed to Wife No.2 and his children from his previous marriage (without including Wife No.1 in that sealing?) Would the husband need to get her consent to do that?

Scenario 2: Assume again that Husband No. 1 (non-LDS) and Wife No. 1 (LDS) (who have NOT been married in the Temple) divorce. Can Wife No.1 later get married to an LDS man (who is not the biological or adoptive father of the children) in the Temple and get sealed to the children that were a product of her marriage with Husband No. 1 (and assuming that Husband No. 1 will not give his consent?) Is there any way that Wife No. 1 can be sealed to those children if she is no longer married to Husband No. 1, regardless of whether she ever marries again (LDS or non-LDS)?

Hopefully, that is a little clearer. Thanks all. If anyone has scriptural cites, that would be helpful as well.

Q_A_111 · #8 (**permalink**) 11-16-2009, 07:34 PM

Does anyone have any pearls of wisdom they could share regarding these two scenarios:

Scenario No. 1: In this first case, Husband No.1 (who is NOT an LDS member) marries Wife No. 1 (who is LDS) in a civil ceremony. Husband No.1 and Wife No.1 are NEVER married in the Temple (because Husband No.1 is not a member.) They attend church together as a family for 20 years and have a number of children. Unfortunately, Wife No.1 makes life absolutely miserable for all involved leading to divorce. Again, at the time of their marriage and divorce, Husband No.1 is NOT an LDS member - therefore no Temple ordinances were performed as to marriage or in sealing the children. Assume that following his divorce from Wife No. 1, Husband No. 1 (who always loved attending Church with his family) later converts and becomes a member. If Husband No. 1 later decides to marry again to Wife No. 2 (who has never been married and is also LDS) in the Temple, can Husband No. 1 get sealed to Wife No.2 and his children from his previous marriage (without including Wife No.1 in that sealing?) Would the husband need to get her consent to do that?

Scenario 2: Assume again that Husband No. 1 (non-LDS) and Wife No. 1 (LDS) (who have NOT been married in the Temple) divorce. Can Wife No.1 later get married to an LDS man (who is not the biological or adoptive father of the children) in the Temple and get sealed to the children that were a product of her marriage with Husband No. 1 (and assuming that Husband No. 1 will not give his consent?) Is there any way that Wife No. 1 can be sealed to those children if she is no longer married to Husband No. 1, regardless of whether she ever marries again (LDS or non-LDS)? (And quite frankly, the children do not want to spend all time and eternity with her; do they get any say in the matter?)

Hopefully, that is a little clearer. Thanks all. If anyone has scriptural cites, that would be helpful as well. This sad situation involves a family member, so any insight would be helpful. Thanks again.

MarginOfError · #9 (**permalink**) 11-17-2009, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Q_A_111

Does anyone have any pearls of wisdom they could share regarding these two scenarios:

Scenario No. 1: In this first case, Husband No.1 (who is NOT an LDS member) marries Wife No. 1 (who is LDS) in a civil ceremony. Husband No.1 and Wife No.1 are NEVER married in the Temple (because Husband No.1 is not a member.) They attend church together as a family for 20 years and have a number of children. Unfortunately, Wife No.1 makes life absolutely miserable for all involved leading to divorce. Again, at the time of their marriage and divorce, Husband No.1 is NOT an LDS member - therefore no Temple ordinances were performed as to marriage or in sealing the children. Assume that following his divorce from Wife No. 1, Husband No. 1 (who always loved attending Church with his family) later converts and becomes a member. If Husband No. 1 later decides to marry again to Wife No. 2 (who has never been married and is also LDS) in the Temple, can Husband No. 1 get sealed to Wife No.2 and his children from his previous marriage (without including Wife No.1 in that sealing?) Would the husband need to get her consent to do that?

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the husband would only be able to seal the children to him if the children were legally adopted by him and his second wife. I don't believe current policy permits children to be sealed to a single parent.

Quote:

Scenario 2: Assume again that Husband No. 1 (non-LDS) and Wife No. 1 (LDS) (who have NOT been married in the Temple) divorce. Can Wife No.1 later get married to an LDS man (who is not the biological or adoptive father of the children) in the Temple and get sealed to the children that were a product of her marriage with Husband No. 1 (and assuming that Husband No. 1 will not give his consent?) Is there any way that Wife No. 1 can be sealed to those children if she is no longer married to Husband No. 1, regardless of whether she ever marries again (LDS or non-LDS)? (And quite frankly, the children do not want to spend all time and eternity with her; do they get any say in the matter?)

Again, children can only be sealed to biological or adoptive parents. If the wife's second husband has not adopted her children, then they cannot be sealed to them. If the children are living adults, then they do have a say, but it's a moot point if they haven't been adopted.

Quote:

Hopefully, that is a little clearer. Thanks all. If anyone has scriptural cites, that would be helpful as well. This sad situation involves a family member, so any insight would be helpful. Thanks again.

Once people are dead, it's a little different. People are sealed by proxy to all of their relations, but that's more of a covering-all-the-bases thing, and the correct sealings get worked out on the other end.

Hemidakota · #10 (**permalink**) 11-17-2009, 07:26 AM

There is no sealing to a single parent...