Mormon Wedding

by Roy

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known to many people by its nickname of ”the Mormon Church” teaches that families can be together forever and that marriage between a man and a woman is essential in the Lord’s Plan of Salvation. The General Authorities of the LDS Church, by inspiration, have given to the world a proclamation regarding the beliefs of the Church about marriage and the family: “We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children. All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World“; this proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.).

Marriage is the one of the first commandments God gave to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In their marriage, God declared, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:28).  As mentioned in the statement earlier, gender is essential in marriage and the institution of marriage is reserved only for one man and one woman. (Plural marriage, or polygamy, is no longer practiced by Mormons or the LDS Church and hasn’t been for more than 100 years. Read more about Mormon polygamy.) The LDS Church teaches that each of us dwelt with God before we came to earth, and one of the purposes of marriage is to help God in His plan of bringing His spirit children into mortality so that they can further progress and develop faith in God by keeping His commandments.

In the world today, there are various types and forms of weddings. Many people are curious about weddings in the LDS Church, how they are done, and what the standard place is for that precious event in a Mormon‘s life.

If a Mormon chooses to marry a member of another faith, or if a Mormon couple chooses to be married outside of a Mormon temple, the ceremony is a civil one, not unlike any other civil wedding ceremony. However, is a Mormon couple decides to be married in a Mormon temple, they must meet strict moral standards. A temple is literally the house of the Lord on earth. It is a holy place of worship where the Lord may visit or where His Spirit can be strongly felt. The Mormon temple is the most elaborate structure of the LDS Church. Its beauty and holiness is like a piece of heaven and it signifies the kind of life that all the faithful might experience in the presence of God. The blessing for choosing to be married in a Mormon temple is that the bond is sealed by the power of God to last for eternity. The relationship will continue beyond the grave, whereas civil unions end with death.

Weddings performed in the temple are done in a simple, dignified manner. Each candidate for marriage must thoroughly prepare spiritually for the blessings the Lord provides for worthy individuals. A woman may choose to wear a simple, white, modest wedding dress for the ceremony, or she may use a plain white dress provided by the temple.

During the wedding ceremony, family members and close friends who are also worthy to enter the temple are invited to witness the ceremony. A representative of the Lord, often the temple president, performs the marriage (or sealing) in a room specially designed for temple sealings. The couple kneel at an altar and make sacred vows, promises, or covenants to God and to each other. After the ceremony, everyone in the family is welcome to join the couple in pictures on the beautiful temple grounds, but outside of the temple. Wedding receptions after the temple ceremony may be held by the couple and their families for those who could not attend the temple ceremony. A reception also serves as an extension and a form of celebration for the newly wedded couple.

The LDS Church has exerted strong efforts to protect and maintain the proper and approved standard of the Lord for marriage, and encourages all members to partake of this great blessing. The LDS Church strongly disagrees with the practice of same-sex marriage and homosexual relationships, because such practices are in contrast to the commandments of God.

The Lord has declared, “And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 14:7). God knows the beginning of things as well as the end, and He can help us avoid confusion that brings much sorrow and disappointment in life. God wants His children to obey His commandments because doing so will bring eternal growth and happiness.