Close Topic Options

Should You Be "unsealed"?

When a sealing is cancelled, are you then still sealed to your children? How does this work? I've never heard anything about this in casual conversations, and never researched it. What do you all know about this?

Thanks,
Roz

quotunsealedquot You Should

A sister in my branch was 'unsealed' from her exhusband. Their children are still sealed to them. At least that is what the letter from the First Presidency said that she recieved. She then was sealed to her second husband, just one month before their child was born, so the little guy was born in the covenent.

Should You Be "unsealed"? Studies Doctrine Mormon

Well, this doesn't make sense. How can your children be sealed to you and your ex-husband and you be sealed to someone else? I have never heard discussion about this. I imagine the reasons are several. First, they probably don't want to have public discussions or classes/sacrament talks that seem to make it acceptable or palatable to divorce. Second, we probably don't really know what the eternal effect is.

I realize that scripture tells us what we bind on earth is bound in heaven and what we loose is loosed in heaven. So, clearly the sealing between husband and wife will not be in effect in the eternities when it is broken here. Now, if we don't expressly break the sealing of the children, I suppose it is technically possible for this sealing to exist and function much like a divorced family does here. They are still your family, but the parents just don't live as a family unit. However, I am not convinced, that this theory doesn't exist just to make the parties to the diivorce feel better about their eternal futures.

Does anyone have any official Church teachings to back up what the letter to these unsealed parents said?

What I am sure of is however it works, those who are innocent will find themselves happy because I do not believe anyone is punished in the celestial kingdom or suffers in the celestial kingdom because of someone elses failure(s). So, my earthly mind might not understand how I could be happy without a loved one with me, but my faith tells me that it will somehow work out to my eternal happiness as long as I am doing all I can to live my life righteously in accordance with the Gospel. This doesn't mean, as long as I live my life perfectly. Divorces happen between imperfect people.

Edited: tenaheff on 31st Jan, 2004 - 10:37pm

quotunsealedquot You Should

I have been involved in many discussions about this subject. But then, I grew up in Mormon Country (SE Idaho) and completed my degree at BYU, so attended four years of seminary and was required to attend several religion classes. I have also heard discussion on this in Priesthood lessons.

Having said all this, I still don't have any answers based on solid scriptural or theological grounds.

The most common answer is that "the Lord will sort it all out."

I always found this answer to be a little bit wimpish. So, here is my opinion and reasoning.

Essentially, having either participated in the sealing ordinance or being born in the covenant seems to be the vital part of the equation, at least as far as your original question is concerned. Meeting either of these two conditions allows the people involved (the husband, wife, or child) to then have that sealing ratified (justified) by the Holy Spirit of Promise, if they live their lives accordingly. Without having the ordinances justified, none of them are of eternal effect. (See D&C 132) But this is true of all ordinances, as any that aren't justified by the Holy Spirit will not be in effect.

As the children grow up, make their choices, and develop, if they have their sealing justified, then the Lord will sort out the actual sealing lineage. This is also true of the man and woman. Of course, divorce and the "unsealing" brings up other questions that the individuals involved must address for themselves, that will affect the validity of their own sealings.

NightHawk

quotunsealedquot You Should

I do not see it as whimpish because we do not know the beginning nor the end of any given situation, so in the end the Lord will ultimately judge. Here is a very basic example... is someone who is sealed solely for the purpose of curiosity be 'worthy' of staying in a circle of those who are genuine? You may say 'yes'? Then were they worthy to be there in the first place? You may say 'no', and on what grounds can you based that?

Should You Be "unsealed"?

I did not mean to imply that the answer, "The Lord will sort it out", is entirely wimpish, but that so many people wimp out and just give that answer, without any contemplation or discussion of the subject.

Of course, the Lord will judge, and will sort it all out. The thing is, that it is obvious, so is normally used to end an uncomfortable conversation. And it is very uncomfortable for many people.

I am not at all sure what you are saying here.

NightHawk

Should You "unsealed"

I understand what you mean now. However what kind of response do you want people to give so that they will not be considered 'whimpish'?

My example lacked background, sorry, what I meant by curiosity is someone that becomes a member and then goes to the temple solely for the purpose of finding out 'what goes on', they have no care for the Church and may even reveal the information learned for money.

Should You "unsealed" Mormon Doctrine Studies

Doesn't it seem, though, that once every person who ever lived is sealed to every family member, that eventually we will ALL be sealed together as one big family? That has always seemed to be the eventual outcome of all the genealogy going on -- we will be united as one family of God.

Roz