Temple Marriage Statistics

[happy]

There seems to be a lot of doom and gloom about the future of the Church in terms of the youth. There are a lot of stories of LDS coming back from missions and falling from the Church immediately after. Also I hear about a lot of youth abandoning the Church at 18, and rushing to their non-LDS friend's houses and jumping into the alcohol game almost as a badge of honor that they escaped the Church. To test this problem as a growing problem or an overblown one, the rate of temple marriages seems to be the best test, as a couple marrying in the temple usually indicates a more likely path of remaining in the Church. Do such statistics exist? Is there a year-over-year comparison of marriage rates and young couples choosing to marry in the temples?

[Buzzard]

I'm sure the church has the stats, but don't expect them to be made public anytime soon. I grew up in the 70's, and heard a lot of the same thing. Several of my friends decided that the church was not for them. Some came back, some did not. The difference now is the internet. Back then, you didn't have a forum like exmormon.org to go on and declare your grievances with the church.

Personally, I don't think the numbers are much worse today than back then.

[Duncan]

I have heard that Temples marriages that end in divorce is like 6-10 percent yet I have heard that it is actually like the Temple marriages that go kablooey is around the national average and the 6-10 percent is those that get a cancellation of blessings, but I am just telling you what I heard

[Scott Lloyd]

I have heard that Temples marriages that end in divorce is like 6-10 percent yet I have heard that it is actually like the Temple marriages that go kablooey is around the national average and the 6-10 percent is those that get a cancellation of blessings, but I am just telling you what I heard

Source?

[Duncan]

Source?

I don't have one, it's all hearsay

[Calm]

I have heard that Temples marriages that end in divorce is like 6-10 percent yet I have heard that it is actually like the Temple marriages that go kablooey is around the national average and the 6-10 percent is those that get a cancellation of blessings, but I am just telling you what I heard

The only ones that get cancellation of blessings are those that get remarried in the temple, so I doubt if it is the second.

[Duncan]

The only ones that get cancellation of blessings are those that get remarried in the temple, so I doubt if it is the second.

Most interesting! is it automatic?

[Calm]

Most interesting! is it automatic?

Nope. It has to be approved by the First Presidency. The below is out of date, men have to get approval now to remarry as well after a civil divorce, but I can't remember if they go through an official cancelation of the sealing or not.

http://www.lds.org/new-era/1975/12/qa-questions-and-answers

[Scott Lloyd]

I don't have one, it's all hearsay

Even hearsay has a source.

[Duncan]

Even hearsay has a source.

I have heard it at church by a number of people and probably read it on here

[Scott Lloyd]

Trying to look for some solid documentation on this topic, I ran across this L.A. Times piece from 2000.

[smac97]

Here are some resources:

1. http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/71020

According to a study conducted by Bruce Chadwick, retired BYU professor of sociology, of 6,000 LDS members nationwide, those with a temple marriage have around a 15 to 20 percent chance of divorce, and those who marry in the temple and remain active have about a 5 to 10 percent chance of divorce.

2. http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Marriage

Latter-day Saints married in a temple ceremony are considerably less likely to divorce than those married outside the temple (Thomas, 1983). Among men and women who were married in the temple, 6 percent of the men and 7 percent of the women have been divorced, while among men and women not married in the temple the figures were 28 percent and 33 percent, respectively (Heaton, 1988).

Sources:

-Thomas, Darwin L. "Family in the Mormon Experience." In Families and Religion, ed. W. D'Antonio and J. Aldous. Beverly Hills, Calif., 1983.-

-Heaton, Tim B. "Four C's of the Mormon Family: Chastity, Conjugality, Children, and Chauvinism." In The Religion and Family Connection, ed. D. Thomas. Provo, Utah, 1988.

3. http://www.religious...g/lds_divo.htm/

Brigham Young University professor Daniel K. Judd computed in the year 2000 that only 6% of those Mormons who marry in a temple ceremony subsequently go through a temple divorce. This is a small fraction of the rate in the general American population. Unfortunately, the value may not be accurate:

• Most Mormons who have their marriage sealed in a temple ceremony and who subsequently divorce do so in a civil ceremony. This avoids the rather complex temple "cancellation of sealing" (divorce) procedures. Thus, their divorce is not counted in the above figure.
  
• 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.
  

Overall, the Mormon divorce rate appears to be no different from the average American divorce rate. A 1999 study by Barna Research of nearly 4,000 U.S. adults showed that 24% of Mormon marriages end in divorce -- a number statistically equal to the divorce rate among all Americans.

...

This simple statistic obscures an interesting factor: Mormons who marry fellow believers have an extremely low divorce rate:

"A 1993 study published in Demography [magazine] showed that Mormons marrying within their church are least likely of all Americans to become divorced. Only 13 percent of LDS couples have divorced after five years of marriage, compared with 20 percent for religiously homogamist unions among Catholics and Protestants and 27 percent among Jews. However, when a Mormon marries outside his or her denomination, the divorce rate soars to 40 percent -- second only to mixed-faith marriages involving a Jewish spouse (42 percent)."

Sources:

-William Lobdell, "Holy matrimony: In era of divorce, Mormon Temple weddings are built to last," Los Angeles Times, 2000-APR-8. See: http://www.adherents.com/ Mirrored at: http://www.divorcereform.org/

-"Christians are more likely to experience divorce than are non-Christians," Barna Research Group, 1999-DEC-21, at:http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/ This article is no longer available online.

-Ken Larsen, "LDS divorce rate at U.S. National Average," Birmingham AL News, 1999-DEC-30. http://www.mormonstoday.com/000102/

-Bob Mims, "Mormons: high conservativism, low divorce, big growth," Salt Lake Tribune, 1999-MAR-6, at:http://archives.his....smartmarriages/

4. http://www.adherents...m/lds_dem.html/

National demographic studies indicate that couples in which both partners are Latter-day Saints (and who marry in a Latter-day Saint temple) have the lowest divorce rate among all U.S. social and religious groups studied. "The divorce rates for Latter-day Saints who marry in the temple are 5.4 percent for men and 6.5 percent for women." (These may not be the most up-to-date figures available.) But statistics indicate that inter-faith marriages in which one partner is a Latter-day Saint and the other is not are more likely to end in divorce than other interfaith religious combinations studied, except for Jewish/non-Jewish couples. The general Latter-day Saint divorce rate is at or slightly lower than the national average for all marriages in which both partners are Latter-day Saints, if the figures include temple and non-temple marriages and both active and non-active Latter-day Saints. These statistics underscore the important distinction Latter-day Saints make between temple marriages (believed to be eternal and valid beyond death) and non-temple marriages (valid only in this life, comparable to civil marriage or marriage in other denominations). [sources: Daniel K. Judd. Religion, Mental Health and the Latter-day Saints. Online article about book. Other sources citing the 6% Latter-day Saint temple marriage divorce rate: William Lobdell, Holy Matrimony: In an Era of Divorce Mormon Temple Weddings are Built to Last in Los Angeles Times, 8 April 2000; Dave Condren, New Temple Marks Origin of Mormons in Buffalo News, 27 March 2000.]

Similar results were found in a 1993 study:

A 1993 study published in Demography showed that Mormons marrying within their church are least likely of all Americans to become divorced.

Only 13 percent of LDS couples have divorced after five years of marriage

, compared with 20 percent for religiously homogamist unions among Catholics and Protestants and 27 percent among Jews.

However, when a Mormon marries outside his or her denomination, the divorce rate soars to 40 percent -- second only to mixed-faith marriages involving a Jewish spouse (42 percent).

Citing a variety of other studies, Duke found that Mormons are the least likely to cohabitate outside of marriage -- 8.2 percent compared with 20 percent to 24 percent for Protestants, 23.1 percent for Catholics, 32.5 percent for Jews and 44.8 percent for nonreligious Americans.

[source: Bob Mims Mormons: high conservativism, low divorce, big growth, 6 March 1999, Salt Lake Tribune.]

5. http://www.divorcere...el/rmormon.html

Mormons who marry in a temple: While other Mormons divorce at the usual rate, only 6% of those who undergo the demanding temple marriage break up, according to Brigham Young University professor Daniel K. Judd.

Edited July 18, 2012 by smac97

[Scott Lloyd]

Here are some resources:

1. http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/71020

According to a study conducted by Bruce Chadwick, retired BYU professor of sociology, of 6,000 LDS members nationwide, those with a temple marriage have around a 15 to 20 percent chance of divorce, and those who marry in the temple and remain active have about a 5 to 10 percent chance of divorce.

2. http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Marriage

Latter-day Saints married in a temple ceremony are considerably less likely to divorce than those married outside the temple (Thomas, 1983). Among men and women who were married in the temple, 6 percent of the men and 7 percent of the women have been divorced, while among men and women not married in the temple the figures were 28 percent and 33 percent, respectively (Heaton, 1988).

Sources:

-Thomas, Darwin L. "Family in the Mormon Experience." In Families and Religion, ed. W. D'Antonio and J. Aldous. Beverly Hills, Calif., 1983.-

-Heaton, Tim B. "Four C's of the Mormon Family: Chastity, Conjugality, Children, and Chauvinism." In The Religion and Family Connection, ed. D. Thomas. Provo, Utah, 1988.

3. http://www.religious...g/lds_divo.htm/

Brigham Young University professor Daniel K. Judd computed in the year 2000 that only 6% of those Mormons who marry in a temple ceremony subsequently go through a temple divorce. This is a small fraction of the rate in the general American population. Unfortunately, the value may not be accurate:

• Most Mormons who have their marriage sealed in a temple ceremony and who subsequently divorce do so in a civil ceremony. This avoids the rather complex temple "cancellation of sealing" (divorce) procedures. Thus, their divorce is not counted in the above figure.
  
• 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.
  

Overall, the Mormon divorce rate appears to be no different from the average American divorce rate. A 1999 study by Barna Research of nearly 4,000 U.S. adults showed that 24% of Mormon marriages end in divorce -- a number statistically equal to the divorce rate among all Americans.

...

This simple statistic obscures an interesting factor: Mormons who marry fellow believers have an extremely low divorce rate:

"A 1993 study published in Demography [magazine] showed that Mormons marrying within their church are least likely of all Americans to become divorced. Only 13 percent of LDS couples have divorced after five years of marriage, compared with 20 percent for religiously homogamist unions among Catholics and Protestants and 27 percent among Jews. However, when a Mormon marries outside his or her denomination, the divorce rate soars to 40 percent -- second only to mixed-faith marriages involving a Jewish spouse (42 percent)."

Sources:

-William Lobdell, "Holy matrimony: In era of divorce, Mormon Temple weddings are built to last," Los Angeles Times, 2000-APR-8. See: http://www.adherents.com/ Mirrored at: http://www.divorcereform.org/

-"Christians are more likely to experience divorce than are non-Christians," Barna Research Group, 1999-DEC-21, at:http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/ This article is no longer available online.

-Ken Larsen, "LDS divorce rate at U.S. National Average," Birmingham AL News, 1999-DEC-30. http://www.mormonstoday.com/000102/

-Bob Mims, "Mormons: high conservativism, low divorce, big growth," Salt Lake Tribune, 1999-MAR-6, at:http://archives.his....smartmarriages/

4. http://www.adherents...m/lds_dem.html/

National demographic studies indicate that couples in which both partners are Latter-day Saints (and who marry in a Latter-day Saint temple) have the lowest divorce rate among all U.S. social and religious groups studied. "The divorce rates for Latter-day Saints who marry in the temple are 5.4 percent for men and 6.5 percent for women." (These may not be the most up-to-date figures available.) But statistics indicate that inter-faith marriages in which one partner is a Latter-day Saint and the other is not are more likely to end in divorce than other interfaith religious combinations studied, except for Jewish/non-Jewish couples. The general Latter-day Saint divorce rate is at or slightly lower than the national average for all marriages in which both partners are Latter-day Saints, if the figures include temple and non-temple marriages and both active and non-active Latter-day Saints. These statistics underscore the important distinction Latter-day Saints make between temple marriages (believed to be eternal and valid beyond death) and non-temple marriages (valid only in this life, comparable to civil marriage or marriage in other denominations). [sources: Daniel K. Judd. Religion, Mental Health and the Latter-day Saints. Online article about book. Other sources citing the 6% Latter-day Saint temple marriage divorce rate: William Lobdell, Holy Matrimony: In an Era of Divorce Mormon Temple Weddings are Built to Last in Los Angeles Times, 8 April 2000; Dave Condren, New Temple Marks Origin of Mormons in Buffalo News, 27 March 2000.]

Similar results were found in a 1993 study:

A 1993 study published in Demography showed that Mormons marrying within their church are least likely of all Americans to become divorced.

Only 13 percent of LDS couples have divorced after five years of marriage

, compared with 20 percent for religiously homogamist unions among Catholics and Protestants and 27 percent among Jews.

However, when a Mormon marries outside his or her denomination, the divorce rate soars to 40 percent -- second only to mixed-faith marriages involving a Jewish spouse (42 percent).

Citing a variety of other studies, Duke found that Mormons are the least likely to cohabitate outside of marriage -- 8.2 percent compared with 20 percent to 24 percent for Protestants, 23.1 percent for Catholics, 32.5 percent for Jews and 44.8 percent for nonreligious Americans.

[source: Bob Mims Mormons: high conservativism, low divorce, big growth, 6 March 1999, Salt Lake Tribune.]

5. http://www.divorcere...el/rmormon.html

Mormons who marry in a temple: While other Mormons divorce at the usual rate, only 6% of those who undergo the demanding temple marriage break up, according to Brigham Young University professor Daniel K. Judd.

Once again, you have demonstrated your awesomeness, Smac.

Incidentally, in my post just prior to yours I linked to the full L.A. TImes article that you cited above as number 5 on your list. (Your link has only excerpts.)

Edited July 18, 2012 by Scott Lloyd

[Storm Rider]

If one listened to gossip then do not be surprised if one begins to believe almost anything. Anti-Mormons are notorious for spouting the doom and gloom for the LDS Church. If only half of what they said was true then the pews would be empty on Sunday; no one would be attending BYU because they would all be drunk and incapable of living the Honor Code; no one would be on missions; the Church is only building temples around the world so no one can attend them. Surprisingly, the Church moves forward, people still believe in the Savior of the World, and righteousness reigns in the lives of many people.

[Thinking]

Brigham Young University professor Daniel K. Judd computed in the year 2000 that only 6% of those Mormons who marry in a temple ceremony subsequently go through a temple divorce. This is a small fraction of the rate in the general American population. Unfortunately, the value may not be accurate:

• Most Mormons who have their marriage sealed in a temple ceremony and who subsequently divorce do so in a civil ceremony. This avoids the rather complex temple "cancellation of sealing" (divorce) procedures. Thus, their divorce is not counted in the above figure.
  
• 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.
  

Overall, the Mormon divorce rate appears to be no different from the average American divorce rate. A 1999 study by Barna Research of nearly 4,000 U.S. adults showed that 24% of Mormon marriages end in divorce -- a number statistically equal to the divorce rate among all Americans.

I emailed Dr. Judd in 2009 about the 6% figure.

How did you arrive at the 6% figure? The reason I ask is because I know several women who were married in the temple and are now civilly divorced, but their sealings have not been canceled. Are they considered to still be sealed and so are not part of the 6% who are considered to be divorced?

He responded.

I have attached a copy of a presentation I gave at a BYU Forum Assembly a few years ago that should answer your questions. The part you will want to read begins on page 7.

This is the part that begins on page 7.

Another area of concern is divorce. Divorce certainly isn’t a mental illness, but it does represent the instability of family relationships. While some argue for the benefits of divorce in some circumstances, research studies clearly indicate the vital roles traditional marriage and family relationships have in the mental health of individuals. Recent national surveys reveal that the divorce rate for Latter-day Saints “falls below the national average.”

In a study initiated in 1981, designed in part to measure the rates of marriage and divorce among Latter-day Saints married civilly and those sealed in the temple, it was reported that 27.8 percent of men and 32.7 percent of women who married outside the temple divorced. For those couples who had been sealed in the temple, 5.4 percent of the men and 6.5 percent of the women had marriages that ended in divorce. From these datawe see that the divorce rate is five times higher for those that marry outside the temple than it is for those who are sealed within. I have had many interesting conversations with academics and reporters from around the world discussing why most Latter-day Saints who marry in the temple have more enduring marriages.

Recent national surveys indicate that the divorce rate for Latter-day Saints (civil and temple combined) is “about three fourths as high as the national rate,” which would put the number at 37.5 percent. One group of researchers basing their statement on these surveys, have estimated that “30 percent of temple marriages . . . eventually end in

divorce” which is significantly higher than the near 6 percent (rates for both men and women combined) reported earlier. Contradictory results like these underscore the

challenges and limitations of research.

Edited July 18, 2012 by Thinking

[CASteinman]

I don't see this negativity. Maybe I have not paid attention, but I just don't see it. At least, I should say, things seem no different than 30 years ago.

[DBMormon]

I'm sure the church has the stats, but don't expect them to be made public anytime soon. I grew up in the 70's, and heard a lot of the same thing. Several of my friends decided that the church was not for them. Some came back, some did not. The difference now is the internet. Back then, you didn't have a forum like exmormon.org to go on and declare your grievances with the church.

Personally, I don't think the numbers are much worse today than back then.

I would guess they are greater as with the internet, many are running into info they didn't know, that is challenging at first, and that they felt was hidden from them. IMHO

[Buzzard]

The divorce rates have been out there for a while. I think the OP was regarding what percentage of LDS young men and women get married in the temple as opposed to those who are married outside of the temple and/or do not marry at all. I have never seen that statistic, but I am sure they keep it, since they knew the percentage of activity for men who go on missions and marry in the temple vs. those who marry in the temple but did not go on missions.

[Duncan]

Here are some resources:

1. http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/71020

According to a study conducted by Bruce Chadwick, retired BYU professor of sociology, of 6,000 LDS members nationwide, those with a temple marriage have around a 15 to 20 percent chance of divorce, and those who marry in the temple and remain active have about a 5 to 10 percent chance of divorce.

2. http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Marriage

Latter-day Saints married in a temple ceremony are considerably less likely to divorce than those married outside the temple (Thomas, 1983). Among men and women who were married in the temple, 6 percent of the men and 7 percent of the women have been divorced, while among men and women not married in the temple the figures were 28 percent and 33 percent, respectively (Heaton, 1988).

Sources:

-Thomas, Darwin L. "Family in the Mormon Experience." In Families and Religion, ed. W. D'Antonio and J. Aldous. Beverly Hills, Calif., 1983.-

-Heaton, Tim B. "Four C's of the Mormon Family: Chastity, Conjugality, Children, and Chauvinism." In The Religion and Family Connection, ed. D. Thomas. Provo, Utah, 1988.

3. http://www.religious...g/lds_divo.htm/

Brigham Young University professor Daniel K. Judd computed in the year 2000 that only 6% of those Mormons who marry in a temple ceremony subsequently go through a temple divorce. This is a small fraction of the rate in the general American population. Unfortunately, the value may not be accurate:

• Most Mormons who have their marriage sealed in a temple ceremony and who subsequently divorce do so in a civil ceremony. This avoids the rather complex temple "cancellation of sealing" (divorce) procedures. Thus, their divorce is not counted in the above figure.
  
• 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.
  

Overall, the Mormon divorce rate appears to be no different from the average American divorce rate. A 1999 study by Barna Research of nearly 4,000 U.S. adults showed that 24% of Mormon marriages end in divorce -- a number statistically equal to the divorce rate among all Americans.

...

This simple statistic obscures an interesting factor: Mormons who marry fellow believers have an extremely low divorce rate:

"A 1993 study published in Demography [magazine] showed that Mormons marrying within their church are least likely of all Americans to become divorced. Only 13 percent of LDS couples have divorced after five years of marriage, compared with 20 percent for religiously homogamist unions among Catholics and Protestants and 27 percent among Jews. However, when a Mormon marries outside his or her denomination, the divorce rate soars to 40 percent -- second only to mixed-faith marriages involving a Jewish spouse (42 percent)."

Sources:

-William Lobdell, "Holy matrimony: In era of divorce, Mormon Temple weddings are built to last," Los Angeles Times, 2000-APR-8. See: http://www.adherents.com/ Mirrored at: http://www.divorcereform.org/

-"Christians are more likely to experience divorce than are non-Christians," Barna Research Group, 1999-DEC-21, at:http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/ This article is no longer available online.

-Ken Larsen, "LDS divorce rate at U.S. National Average," Birmingham AL News, 1999-DEC-30. http://www.mormonstoday.com/000102/

-Bob Mims, "Mormons: high conservativism, low divorce, big growth," Salt Lake Tribune, 1999-MAR-6, at:http://archives.his....smartmarriages/

4. http://www.adherents...m/lds_dem.html/

National demographic studies indicate that couples in which both partners are Latter-day Saints (and who marry in a Latter-day Saint temple) have the lowest divorce rate among all U.S. social and religious groups studied. "The divorce rates for Latter-day Saints who marry in the temple are 5.4 percent for men and 6.5 percent for women." (These may not be the most up-to-date figures available.) But statistics indicate that inter-faith marriages in which one partner is a Latter-day Saint and the other is not are more likely to end in divorce than other interfaith religious combinations studied, except for Jewish/non-Jewish couples. The general Latter-day Saint divorce rate is at or slightly lower than the national average for all marriages in which both partners are Latter-day Saints, if the figures include temple and non-temple marriages and both active and non-active Latter-day Saints. These statistics underscore the important distinction Latter-day Saints make between temple marriages (believed to be eternal and valid beyond death) and non-temple marriages (valid only in this life, comparable to civil marriage or marriage in other denominations). [sources: Daniel K. Judd. Religion, Mental Health and the Latter-day Saints. Online article about book. Other sources citing the 6% Latter-day Saint temple marriage divorce rate: William Lobdell, Holy Matrimony: In an Era of Divorce Mormon Temple Weddings are Built to Last in Los Angeles Times, 8 April 2000; Dave Condren, New Temple Marks Origin of Mormons in Buffalo News, 27 March 2000.]

Similar results were found in a 1993 study:

A 1993 study published in Demography showed that Mormons marrying within their church are least likely of all Americans to become divorced.

Only 13 percent of LDS couples have divorced after five years of marriage

, compared with 20 percent for religiously homogamist unions among Catholics and Protestants and 27 percent among Jews.

However, when a Mormon marries outside his or her denomination, the divorce rate soars to 40 percent -- second only to mixed-faith marriages involving a Jewish spouse (42 percent).

Citing a variety of other studies, Duke found that Mormons are the least likely to cohabitate outside of marriage -- 8.2 percent compared with 20 percent to 24 percent for Protestants, 23.1 percent for Catholics, 32.5 percent for Jews and 44.8 percent for nonreligious Americans.

[source: Bob Mims Mormons: high conservativism, low divorce, big growth, 6 March 1999, Salt Lake Tribune.]

5. http://www.divorcere...el/rmormon.html

Mormons who marry in a temple: While other Mormons divorce at the usual rate, only 6% of those who undergo the demanding temple marriage break up, according to Brigham Young University professor Daniel K. Judd.

so I was right. I know many, many divorced and remarried members of the church-not all are active but

[Maestrophil]

Nope. It has to be approved by the First Presidency. The below is out of date, men have to get approval now to remarry as well after a civil divorce, but I can't remember if they go through an official cancelation of the sealing or not.

http://www.lds.org/n...ons-and-answers

First hand experience... the Church is reluctant to cancel sealings. I had to get permission to be sealed to my present wife, but to my chagrin, the brethren would not grant me a cancellation of my previous sealing.

Edited July 18, 2012 by Maestrophil

[Duncan]

First hand experience... the Church is reluctant to cancel sealings. I had to get permission to be sealed to my present wife, but to my chagrin, the brethren would not grant me a cancellation of my previous sealing.

I wonder what that means in the eternities? Even if you don't get a cancellation of a sealing would someone be stuck with their civilly divorced ex forever? what if they weren't worthy of exaltation?

[Calm]

Even if you don't get a cancellation of a sealing would someone be stuck with their civilly divorced ex forever? what if they weren't worthy of exaltation?

Absolutely not. The cancellation is not done because the sealing involves God as well as the exspouse. While the exspouse may be out of the picture, God is still present and that part of the sealing is still in force, the other involving the spouse is not....at least that is how it has been explained to me. Edited July 18, 2012 by calmoriah

[Buckeye]

I wonder what that means in the eternities? Even if you don't get a cancellation of a sealing would someone be stuck with their civilly divorced ex forever? what if they weren't worthy of exaltation?

No one is ever "stuck". None of these ordinances become eternal until confirmed by the holy spirit of promise, which is dependent on our acceptance and righteousness. Agency is the first and last principle of the gospel.

[KevinG]

I don't have one, it's all hearsay

The most honest post of the day!

[Duncan]

The most honest post of the day!

I am nothing if not honest! haha!