sealing after divorce

mikewilliams · #1 (**permalink**) 03-01-2011, 03:54 PM

My girlfriend and I are both members of the church with current recommends. She was previously divorced and has previously received a sealing cancellation. We are planning on being married in the near future and I have some questions about two things;

She is told that she needs to present the sealing cancellation at the temple before the sealing, why is this?
Is there any difference in the sealing ceremony for someone who has been divorced prior, sealed prior, etc...?

I'm not asking for specifics on the second one, just a yes or no.

Daybreak79 · #2 (**permalink**) 03-01-2011, 03:59 PM

I'm only guessing....
1. By bringing the sealing cancellation with her it will keep any hiccups from happening incase the computer says that she is still sealed.
2. When my sister was sealed to someone who had already been sealed I didn't notice anything different in the ceremony. (I don't know if they were asked to bring his sealing cancellation or not.)

mikewilliams · #3 (**permalink**) 03-01-2011, 04:31 PM

would it not be simpler to get a copy of living ordnances (I usually am given one during tithing settlement)? it will say if they are sealed to a former spouse.

jayanna · #4 (**permalink**) 03-01-2011, 04:42 PM

I would take the actual sealing cancellation, just in case.

The temple can be sticklers about the paperwork, I had to provide the adoption papers for my kids, even though our names were on their new birth certificates.

We had to have 1. our recommends 2. a living ordinance recommend 3. adoption paperwork 4. new birth certificates 5. baptism certificate for my oldes daughter 6. our marriage license and 7. the papers that the temple mailed to us after making our appointment (which had a detailed list of the requirements on paperwork and when to get there, what to tell your guests, etc)
The adoption itself was an actual miracle.

Don't let the details overwhelm you, your girlfriend will take care of most of it, I'm sure...It is not good for man to be alone

Worth it to just take the papers, but if you still have any doubts, call the temple, they are more than happy to help couples who are preparing to get sealed.
Congratulations by the way!!!

mikewilliams · #5 (**permalink**) 03-01-2011, 07:07 PM

What paperwork do we need to do there? The temple recommends, rec for living ord etc... will be obtained before the day, the marriage licence earlier that day. Neither of us have children, so there is no complication there.
I could understand that perhaps the cancellation is sometimes received before the records are updated, but this is not an issue for us.
Why else would it need to be shown?

MarginOfError · #6 (**permalink**) 03-01-2011, 07:17 PM

I know it seems odd and inconvenient. But I assure you it's better to have all the paperwork and not need it than to get there and find out the Church records aren't quite in order and not be able to be sealed. I can also assure you that if the temple doesn't see that all the records are in order, they will not allow the sealing to take place.

One thing to remember is that it isn't often that the temple receives a couple where the sealing was cancelled a long time ago. They are much more familiar with the situation of the sealing having been cancelled recently. If you have everything in the order that the people at the temple are expecting to see it, it will cause less confusion for them and make things go much more smoothly.

We are a volunteer church, and the majority of the people that will be handling the issues between now and your sealing will be volunteers. One of the unfortunate side effects of a highly volunteer organization is less customer service and not as well trained people trying to do their best. While I have the greatest sympathies for the confusion you've expressed over the procedures, my best advice is to just get all the paperwork together so that things can go as smoothly as possible.

mikewilliams · #7 (**permalink**) 03-01-2011, 07:41 PM

It is odd, but not really very inconvenient. It is a piece of paper, much like the other pieces of paper required for the event.
I am mostly just curious to the reasoning. That may be the reason; that usually the cancellation is recent, so the records may not be in order. I thought perhaps they wanted to know because the sealing ceremony may be different, but as far as I can find out, it is not.

In our case, it isn't recent, and the records are in order. Have been for some time. As far as I know, the computer system at the temple is not separate, but a part of the larger church system/records.
Since I know they are in order, and it has been quite a while, why is it even necessary for them to be aware?

btw, thanks to everyone for replying to my post, it is much appreciated.

Backroads · #8 (**permalink**) 03-02-2011, 12:08 PM

Take the sealing cancellation to the temple on the day of the sealing to you, when that happens. It will be REQUIRED.

rameumptom · #9 (**permalink**) 03-02-2011, 12:20 PM

You take the form letter to ensure there are no problems when you attend the temple. The ceremony is exactly the same.

God's house is a house of order. While you and your fiancee are honest in this issue, sadly others may not be. There are, for example, those who actually belong to polygamist sects, who will become members and be sealed in our temples. The cancellation letter ensures such people are not trying to use our temples for their plural marriage events.

mikewilliams · #10 (**permalink**) 03-02-2011, 01:56 PM

rameumpton - Interesting. How exactly would people use it to have polygamous marriages sealed in the temple?
When they scan your recommend the last name of whoever you are sealed to (if you are female) is shown in parenthesis after their name. Also, your records would state if you are currently sealed to anyone, under living ordinances. It just doesnt seem like you could get around that, at least not easily. Or without help from someone working there. Anyway...

Backroads - Its required. Fair enough. I know this, and dont disupute it.
Theoretically, how would they even know to ask, or enforce this if the cancellation has been processed and the records updated? Perhaps the records would show they were at one time sealed, but then it would obviously state that they were no longer sealed, rendered the hard copy unnecessary.

Anyway, this was and still is, about curiosity. It's not a big deal, not enough to make an appointment with my Bishop and ask officially. I just figured the all-powerful internet might have answers. So.... I ask.