# How do Mormons reconcile marriage in the afterlife with Matthew 22:23-33? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 4, 2006, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mormons-reconcile-marriage-in-the-afterlife-with-matthew-22-23-33/351244 "2006-04-04T13:18:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mormons-reconcile-marriage-in-the-afterlife-with-matthew-22-23-33/351244/1 "2006-04-04T13:18:33Z")
In this thread – – it was mentioned that although the LDS Church has renounced polygamy, they believe in polygamy in the afterlife. And I have sometimes read of Mormons getting “sealed for eternity” when they get married. Doesn’t the LDS Church recognize the Bible as at least as authoritative as the Book of Mormon? And Jesus said there is **no** marriage in Heaven. Death = divorce. Matthew 22:23-33: > [@](#): > > 23That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 24"Teacher," they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him. 25Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27Finally, the woman died. 28Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?” > > 29Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32’I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’[a]? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” > > 33When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching. How do Mormons square this with a belief that marriage continues after death? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mormons-reconcile-marriage-in-the-afterlife-with-matthew-22-23-33/351244/2 "2006-04-04T13:19:56Z")
Sorry, I meant, **this** thread: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=363115](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=363115) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mormons-reconcile-marriage-in-the-afterlife-with-matthew-22-23-33/351244/3 "2006-04-04T13:59:47Z")
I was in Templ;e Square in Salt Lake City one day and witnessed an encounter between an Evangelical Christian, who raised this very point, and a young LDS woman (who was not, I think, a tour guide or anything). To my surprise, she was unaware of the verse from Matthew, which surprised me. Perhaps she merely pretended to be, to avoid argument. In any case, I’ve never heard the official LDS popsition on this. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mormons-reconcile-marriage-in-the-afterlife-with-matthew-22-23-33/351244/4 "2006-04-04T14:06:17Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > And Jesus said there is **no** marriage in Heaven. Hell might be a different matter. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mormons-reconcile-marriage-in-the-afterlife-with-matthew-22-23-33/351244/5 "2006-04-04T16:36:21Z")
LDS Doctrine clarifies Matt. 22:23-30 in Doctrine & Covenants 132:15-19, which is also considered to be scripture by members of the LDS church. D&C 132:15-19 read, in part: > [@](#): > > 1. Therefore, if a man marry him a wife in the world, and he marry her not by me nor by my word, and he covenant with her so long as he is in the world and she with him, their covenant and marriage are not of force when they are dead, and when they are out of the world; therefore, they are not bound by any law when they are out of the world. > … > 2. And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood . . . it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world . . . LDS doctrine was clarified most clearly (to me at least) in the 1986 February Ensign. (The Ensign is the official LDS magazine for adults published by the church). In that issue, David H Yarn, Jr. emeritus professor of philosophy and instructor of religion, Brigham Young University explained in part – > [@](#): > > … To understand these verses, we need to understand the context in which the Sadducees asked their question and the context in which Jesus answered it. > First, it should be emphasized that this is a hypothetical situation presented to the Lord by the Sadducees, who, as the scripture itself asserts, did not even believe in the resurrection. They were simply doing what both they and the Pharisees so often did—asking the Lord questions simply to bait him, to see if they could catch him contradicting what Moses, the great Lawgiver, had said . . . . > The Savior effectively dismissed their question on marriage by stating that “in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.” In that way, the Savior turned to the more fundamental issue of the Sadducee’s disbelief in resurrection. Of the resurrection, the Savior bore certain testimony: > “But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, > “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” (Matt. 22:31–32.) > At this point, the Sadducees were silenced. In Mark’s account of the episode, the Lord adds, “Ye therefore do greatly err.” (Mark 12:27.) The Savior had made their error painfully clear by referring to the Law—Exodus 6:3 [Ex. 6:3]—for support. The Law was considered by all Jews, Sadducees included, as the highest authority in the canon of scripture. They couldn’t very well argue with the scriptures they held in highest esteem. > What, then, do we make of the Savior’s statement that “in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage?” > First, we see that it was made in response to an attempt by the Sadducees to trap the Lord. Consequently, it would not have been the Lord’s final word on the subject. Why should the Lord scatter pearls before them that they would only trample underfoot? (See Matt. 7:6.) They were no more prepared to listen to a discourse on eternal marriage than they were prepared to accept the reality of the resurrection. > Second, **the Lord did not say there would be no people in the married state in the resurrection, but that there would be no marriages made in the resurrection.** (my emphasis). . . . You can read the rest of the article or the scriptural passages at [LDS.org](http://LDS.org). Sorry I can’t link, but I had to use a search and I am not confident enough in my link-fu. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mormons-reconcile-marriage-in-the-afterlife-with-matthew-22-23-33/351244/6 "2006-04-04T20:55:53Z")
Yeah, what he said. The priesthood keys were given to Peter in the Bible: “That which ye bind shall be bound in heaven…” and so on. We think that applies to human relationships, that part of those keys is the authority to seal families together. Jesus wasn’t lying when he answered the Sadducees, but he wasn’t telling them the whole story either. Any more than he told them all about holding all their goods in common and consecrating their riches to God when they asked him about tribute to Caesar. They were trying to trap him, so he stumped them back and gave them a little something to think about, but there was no point in going further. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mormons-reconcile-marriage-in-the-afterlife-with-matthew-22-23-33/351244/7 "2006-04-04T23:23:49Z")
> [@Reloy3](#): > > LDS Doctrine clarifies Matt. 22:23-30 in Doctrine & Covenants 132:15-19, which is also considered to be scripture by members of the LDS church. D&C 132:15-19 read, in part: That passage makes it sound like only Christians – or perhaps only Mormons – can make marriages that will still be valid in Heave. > [@Reloy3](#): > > LDS doctrine was clarified most clearly (to me at least) in the 1986 February Ensign. (The Ensign is the official LDS magazine for adults published by the church). In that issue, David H Yarn, Jr. emeritus professor of philosophy and instructor of religion, Brigham Young University explained in part – I find the bolded part unpersuasive. The Sadduccees were not asking Jesus if marriages could be made in Heaven, but whether a marriage made on Earth would still matter in Heaven; and he did not in any way dodge the question, but answered it clearly in the negative. ---
**Author:** ![Rachm\_Qoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Rachm\_Qoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachm_Qoch)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mormons-reconcile-marriage-in-the-afterlife-with-matthew-22-23-33/351244/8 "2006-04-04T23:45:16Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > That passage makes it sound like only Christians – or perhaps only Mormons – can make marriages that will still be valid in Heave. That’s about right. LDS marriages conducted in the Temple, where the wife is sealed to the husband, are for “time and eternity”; all other marriages are for “time” only. Ceremonies held outside the temple (e.g. Chapels) are often considered “civil weddings”, and many believe such marriages dissolve upon death. Accordingly, Jesus was right on target when he spoke to the Sadducees, but a new covenant – marriage “for eternity” – was brought forth with Joseph Smith’s restoration of the church. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mormons-reconcile-marriage-in-the-afterlife-with-matthew-22-23-33/351244/9 "2006-04-04T23:52:28Z")
> [@Rachm Qoch](#): > > That’s about right. LDS marriages conducted in the Temple, where the wife is sealed to the husband, are for “time and eternity”; all other marriages are for “time” only. What’s this about “time” as something distinct from “eternity”? Eternity **is** time, it is **all** time. Or does the LDS have some doctrine about Heaven’s time being something of a completely different nature than the time we experience? I’ve never heard of that in any other Christian denomination. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mormons-reconcile-marriage-in-the-afterlife-with-matthew-22-23-33/351244/10 "2006-04-05T00:04:59Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > That passage makes it sound like only Christians – or perhaps only Mormons – can make marriages that will still be valid in Heave. > > I find the bolded part unpersuasive. The Sadduccees were not asking Jesus if marriages could be made in Heaven, but whether a marriage made on Earth would still matter in Heaven; and he did not in any way dodge the question, but answered it clearly in the negative. Only people sealed in the temple will still be married in Heaven, yes. An ordinary civil ceremony is only for this life; “till death do you part,” just like it says (some of the time anyway). As far as the Sadduccees were concerned, the answer was true, since they had no sealing authority at that time. However, Mormons wish to extend the sealing ceremony to all who will accept it, so just like baptisms, we do them for our ancestors by proxy in the temple. Should the people in question _wish_ to be sealed to each other, it’s available to them too. And yes, we do see eternity as a little bit different than time. If you like, you can call it all of time, but we think of it as being sort of outside time; rather like in Flatland. God inhabits eternity, and can see all of time at once. But we don’t pretend to understand it well. I’ve seen other people refer to something similar, so I don’t think it’s exclusive to Mormons. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mormons-reconcile-marriage-in-the-afterlife-with-matthew-22-23-33/351244/11 "2006-04-05T00:54:12Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > Only people sealed in the temple will still be married in Heaven, yes. An ordinary civil ceremony is only for this life; “till death do you part,” just like it says (some of the time anyway). Does that mean a “sealed” marriage is so Eternal that it can’t be ended by divorce? What’s the LDS policy on divorce? > [@dangermom](#): > > However, Mormons wish to extend the sealing ceremony to all who will accept it, so just like baptisms, we do them for our ancestors by proxy in the temple. … . . . “by proxy” . . . You’re serious? Ah, well, it’s no sillier than Catholics praying to get their loved ones out of Purgatory. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mormons-reconcile-marriage-in-the-afterlife-with-matthew-22-23-33/351244/12 "2006-04-05T04:00:40Z")
The Revelation cited by **Reloy3** come from the Doctrine & Covenants or the D&C, as it is commonly referred to, and are revelations to Joseph Smith, believed to come directly from the Lord. The particular revelation comes from Section 132, and is a very significant scripture for Mormons. It would not be much of an exaggeration to say that this section has caused more controversy than any other passage of Mormon scripture. The verses quoted by **Reloy3** , 15 to 19, were just the build up to the main act, outlined in verses [58 to 66](http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/132/58-66#58) in which the Laws governing the plurality of wives were proclaimed by God and set forth. (The entire section can be read at the link, just scroll up.) > [@The Lord](#): > > 60 Let no one, therefore, set on **my servant Joseph** ; for I will justify him; \*\*for he shall do the sacrifice which I require at his hands \*\* for his transgressions, saith the Lord your God. > > 61 And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood—if **any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another** , and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; **he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him** ; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else. > > 62 **And if he have ten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery** , for they belong to him, and they are given unto him; therefore is he justified. > > 63 But if one or either of the ten virgins, after she is espoused, shall be with another man, she has committed adultery, and shall be destroyed; for they are given unto him to multiply and replenish the earth, according to my commandment, and to fulfil the promise which was given by my Father before the foundation of the world, and for their exaltation in the eternal worlds, that they may bear the souls of men; for herein is the work of my Father continued, that he may be glorified. > > 64 And again, verily, verily, I say unto you, **if any man have a wife, who holds the keys of this power, and he teaches unto her the law of my priesthood, as pertaining to these things, then shall she believe and administer unto him, or she shall be destroyed** , saith the Lord your God; for I will destroy her; for I will magnify my name upon all those who receive and abide in my law. > > 65 Therefore, it shall be lawful in me, if she receive not this law, for him to receive all things whatsoever I, the Lord his God, will give unto him, because she did not believe and administer unto him according to my word; and she then becomes the transgressor; and he is exempt from the law of Sarah, who administered unto Abraham according to the law when I commanded Abraham to take Hagar to wife. > > (bolding mine) As can be read in the Section, the Lord is commanding Joseph Smith to marry other wives and commanding his first wife to accept this or be destroyed. Some think that the word “sealed” was used in place of the word “marriage” to refer to polygamous marriages. There is evidence that Joseph Smith secretly married teenage girls as young as 14 and the wives of some of his associates, while they were still married. Using another word could help this seem more acceptable. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mormons-reconcile-marriage-in-the-afterlife-with-matthew-22-23-33/351244/13 "2006-04-05T05:30:12Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Does that mean a “sealed” marriage is so Eternal that it can’t be ended by divorce? What’s the LDS policy on divorce? > … > > . . . “by proxy” . . . > > You’re serious? LDS people get divorced. When it’s a sealing in question, it’s a little more complex. You can be divorced and still sealed to one another, although such a bond is dissolved by unrepentant wrongdoing (for example, an abusive or adulterous spouse would not still be sealed in the afterlife). When a divorce occurs, the usual procedure is to leave the sealing in place until one of the ex-partners wishes to remarry. Then a cancellation of the sealing is given. The reason for the delay is that whether or not the couple are still together, there are certain things that go along with a sealing anyway, for the individuals in question. _shrug_ I figured you knew about the baptisms; it’s well-known. There are some old threads here if you want to look them up. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mormons-reconcile-marriage-in-the-afterlife-with-matthew-22-23-33/351244/14 "2006-04-05T07:09:00Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > When a divorce occurs, the usual procedure is to leave the sealing in place until one of the ex-partners wishes to remarry. Then a cancellation of the sealing is given. This sounds like a change from my days, when it was more difficult to get cancellation of the sealing. At any rate, even without a cancellation of the sealing, the husband can be remarried in the temple, because polygomy is allowed in the next life, but the wife can not, because she cannot be sealed to two men in the next life. She can be remarried “for time” here in this world, but not “for eternity.” If the process of cancellation has become more liberalized, then this would help the equality of the sexes. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mormons-reconcile-marriage-in-the-afterlife-with-matthew-22-23-33/351244/15 "2006-04-05T16:26:26Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Hell might be a different matter. 😉 But all you get are the in-laws.