Members Marrying Non-members

Q.

I was wondering if the LDS church recognizes a marriage if one of the married members is not of the church?

A.

The answer to the question is a simple, no.

This may seem like a radical hard line to those who are unfamiliar with our doctrine. However by examining marriage and its purpose it all becomes clear.

While still in their perfect form Adam and Eve were put together and instructed to have children.

"And God blessed them, and God said to them, 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

So God has instructed that married people are to have children. He has given this as an original purpose.

Today we live at a time when almost no one knows what marriage is actually about. I was brought up in Protestantism with the understanding that getting married was just the way you did things.

Even atheists occassionally decide it seems a good idea eventually.

To the Catholic / Protestant marriage is a sex license allowing them to be alright with God.

But what is the purpose of marriage?

To have children and raise them in a guaranteed environment with a set of balanced parents. No homosexual marriages or divorce.

We believe that people are put together, through marriage, and stay that way for all eternity. Only some church members understand this family of eternity and the idea that couples are to spend eternity having children. This service requires great love. Non-members aren't creating that deep a relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Even very few members are.

Yet to create such a relationship requires a united direction. Therefore those people with that vision in their hearts need to marry each other.

Husbands, Wives and Children being Naked / Nude

Q.


My wife and her brother got into a rather heated debate about the definition of modesty. My brother in law is a member of your church but my wife is not. He feels that modesty basically means nudity is a sin unless you are married. Even between married people, he feels he should "try to wear his garments whenever possible." We understand a little bit about the covenant a member makes but it seems extreme in our view.

He, for instance, is always fully clothed around his own children who are 6 and 4 (boy and girl). In our family, my wife doesn't parade around in front of our boys (also 6 and 4) but if they happen to walk into our room and she is naked, she doesn't freak out.

Do LDS people really feel modesty means being fully clothed around everyone at all times?


A.

This is a rather individual matter. Also it, to some extent, can depends on the view of society at large.

After Jesus had died his disciples went fishing. We read the following _

"Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat onto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea." John 21:7

So it would seem that there was a sense of feeling able to be naked when away from the crowds fishing, but a need to dress otherwise, in their culture. Also it is interesting to note that he felt a need to get dressed knowing it was the Lord. What does that suggest?

Today we live at a time when you can go down to the beach and see people with almost nothing on. But if those people walk into town that way they will be quickly told to get dressed. I strongly oppose such dress (or lack thereof).

I will go to the beach and there get dressed in only my shorts style of bathers that go most of the way down to the knees. Yet otherwise I dress from the neck down. I don't feel totally wrong in taking off my top to sunbath for health reasons, at home, if I feel no one will be offended or have wrong ideas in regards to it. But this is an extreme rarity.

I oppose showing of cleavage by women. I find that irresponsible. It sometimes encourages the wrong feelings in men; and women deep down know this. Though they will deny it fervently, even to themselves.

As to your children, you need to set a good example. "Train up a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it." Prov 22:6 So think deeply about how you want your children to handle sex. If it is loosely then don't complain when you have to live with the results.

I don't believe it is good to "freak out" if your children accidently walk in and you are naked. How you take the situation reflects on how they are likely to take it. However it is wise to save the day by telling the child to leave the room or putting clothes on immediately.

I notice with General authorities of the church that their wives are always fully covered to the knees at least.

As to husbands and wives alone, it is left to the individual to search for spiritual wisdom. But I personally hold to what your brother-in-law has said.

How Come Some People get More Blessings?

Q.


How come selfish, rude, disobedient, and generally just people who live very far beneath their privelages seem to be recipients of the wonderful blessings like marriage, family, vocational success, athletic ability etc. and others who try the hardest they possibly can to keep their covenants, repent and become better daily, and love/live as best they can are denied such?

A.

People get out of things what they put into them. Just because a person is married doesn't mean that they are happily married. It can be all show. If they are selfish then they won't be happy. They will always want what they think they don't have.

Rude people don't get people's respect.

You have quoted this type of person as being both disobedient and yet just. They can't be both. They can be disobedient sometimes and obedient the other. But this doesn't work very well. As Christ stated, you can't serve two masters. And they cannot be stated to be just.

Vocational and athletic success are just outward things. The person who is sick has more chance of learning charity and patience. But not everyone needs to learn those abilities to that degree. We hardly spend any time here on the earth. So it is just a very fleeting thing. Hardly worth talking about. When you are sick you certainly do feel the pinch. And I empathise with that thought. But I know that we just move on soon.

Don't feel denied just because everything doesn't flow in rosy manner. These things assist us in learning to gain the attributes we need to adopt to become like our heavenly parents. Thank God for the opportunity.