I read this today and I thought it would be interesting to discus this angle of Plural Marriage. I do not know whether the story is true BUT is provided just as an example. Can the Church excommunicate someone on the grounds of Plural Marriage in this example given? (Whether the person is the one offering the help or the one receiving it).
I can see someone having a long counseling session because of such an offer, but at the same time, I don't see how they could be excommunicated. The thing is, I think that is exactly what is needed to provide more stability for single mothers.
Well I believe this will largely depend on who you are and how much of a zealot of a Bishop you have in your Ward. The whole proposal sounds like a reason for Disfellowship at a minimum because it is seen as an acceptance of Plural Marriage, something that the very utterance to any Member is assumed to be sin these days let alone making a 'contract' with it.
From a single woman's perspective, long divorced and with no outside help from past husbands or children's fathers, this would have made me think twice. It made me cry to read it.
Candidly, I will tell you that I've observed couples at church and wondered whether or not "we" would be a good match. I have one friend whose husband calls me his "second wife" -- jokingly, of course, but I can tell she doesn't like it. (Not a good match, apparently.)
The doctrine of Plural Marriage was never rescinded, it simply stopped being practiced (as we've discussed repeatedly in the "Seven Women" thread). So, I don't see how anyone could be excommunicated over a promise of a future bond in the afterlife. Men can still be sealed to more than one woman in this life, provided that they are legally married to only one at a time.
I'm not saying I would have accepted an offer like that. But I certainly would have thought it over very carefully.
Re Funmom, Wow, I can see the merits in these proposals. Makes a lot of sense to me. It will of course never be approved because you are moving this whole "Issue" Towards the slippery slope side.