Mormon Temple Marriages have only 6% Divorce Rate

[kona0197]

All this talk about sealing is confusing. So confusing that I may not want to get sealed at all.

[mnn727]

Originally Posted by Maureen

I found this information:
Some Mormons marry in a temple ceremony, divorce in a civil procedure and subsequently remarry in a second temple ceremony. This would count as two temple marriages and zero temple divorces -- thus reducing the apparent divorce rate.
M.

This scenario is absolutly impossible, making the entire posting suspect.
You can NOT under any circumstances have a 2nd Temple marriage without:
A. the death of your spouse or
B. A cancelation of sealing
There is no such thing as a temple Marriage, followed by a civil divorce and then a new Temple marriage being done

[mnn727]

There is NO SUCH THING as a Temple Divorce. The phrase itself is an abomination. Temples are for joining families together. There is no divorce ordinance.

Getting a cancelation of sealing is done through counsel with a: Bishop, a Stake President and the approval of the First Presidency.

What happens when a couple gets a temple divorce? What happens to the children in the next life?”
James A. Cullimore, “Q&A: Questions and Answers,” New Era, Dec. 1975, 14–15
Answer/Elder James A. Cullimore

As to the first question, “What happens when a couple gets a temple divorce?” we should understand that there is no such thing as a temple divorce. What we refer to as a temple divorce is in fact a cancellation of a temple sealing. When a couple is married in the temple, they not only satisfy the law of the land as to a legal civil marriage, but they are also sealed for time and all eternity in an eternal relationship.

A civil divorce nullifies the marriage so far as the civil law is concerned, but only by a mandate of the president of the Church can the sealing of the couple be cancelled. A cancellation of the sealing is what we are really referring to when we talk about a temple divorce.

When one has been granted a civil divorce after his temple sealing, he must be cleared by the First Presidency before he can be granted a temple recommend by his bishop. After a divorce clearance has been granted by the First Presidency, an application for a cancellation of the temple sealing might be made to the president of the Church. Normally it is the woman who seeks a cancellation of sealing. Since a woman cannot be sealed to two men at the same time, she must have a cancellation of sealing from one before she can be sealed to another.

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.

Regarding being born in the covenant the General Handbook of Instructions states, “Children born in the covenant cannot be sealed to anyone, but belong to their natural parents. This rule is not altered by adoption, consent of the natural parents, request of the child after becoming of age or death of the natural parents.” (P. 101.)
It should be kept in mind that to be born in the covenant is a birthright blessing, and that if a child remains worthy in this life of celestial blessings, regardless of the actions of his parents, he is assured of that birthright and is guaranteed eternal parentage. One’s worthiness in this life through living the gospel and keeping the commandments, in this as in all things, is the key to eternal life.

[Elphaba]

Originally Posted by mnn727

You can NOT under any circumstances have a 2nd Temple marriage without:
. . . .
B. A cancelation of sealing
There is no such thing as a temple Marriage, followed by a civil divorce and then a new Temple marriage being done

Yes there is, if it's a man.

My brother in law's wife divorced him. He then remarried my sister. Both weddings were marriages/sealings.

In fact, when I pointed this out to him, he was surprised because it hadn't occurred to him that he was now sealed to both wives.

His first wife did pass away, but that was after he was sealed/married to my sister.

This was probably 13 years ago or so.

So unless the policy has changed since then, a man can be civilly divorced from one wife but still married/sealed to her, and then to another wife (or more) as well.

Elphaba

[Elphaba]

Regarding my previous post about my brother in law, this is the relevant paragraph from Elder Cullimore's article:

When one has been granted a civil divorce after his temple sealing, he must be cleared by the First Presidency before he can be granted a temple recommend by his bishop.

After his civil divorce, my brother-in-law must have gone through this procedure to get his temple recommend.

After a divorce clearance has been granted by the First Presidency, an application for a cancellation of the temple sealing might be made to the president of the Church.

Notice this explanation uses the word "might," not "must." This is the crux of the discussion. The man does not have to get a sealing cancellation.

Normally it is the woman who seeks a cancellation of sealing. Since a woman cannot be sealed to two men at the same time, she must have a cancellation of sealing from one before she can be sealed to another.

In other words, she "must" get a sealing cancellation if she wishes to no longer be sealed to her first husband, or if she wants to remarry. She has no choice.

My brother-in-law's sealings, despite his divorce, make sense to me under these guidelines.

Elphaba