Celestial marriage

A couple following their marriage in the Manti Utah Temple

Celestial marriage (also called the New and Everlasting Covenant and Eternal Marriage) is a doctrine unique to Mormonism and Swedenborgianism, particularly The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and branches of Mormon fundamentalism.

Within Mormonism, celestial marriage is an ordinance associated with a covenant that always takes place inside temples by those authorized to hold the sealing power. As such, the only people allowed to enter the temple are those who hold an official temple recommend. In the marriage ceremony a man and a woman make covenants to God and to each other and are said to be sealed as husband and wife for time and all eternity. The Latter-Day Saint distinguishes itself on this point, citing Matthew 16:19 and 18:18, from some other religions by emphasizing that marriage relationships and covenants made in this life will continue to be valid in the next life.

In the 19th century the term celestial marriage often referred specifically to the practice of plural marriage, a practice which the LDS Church abandoned in 1890. The term is still used in this sense by Mormon fundamentalists not affiliated with the mainstream LDS Church.^{[citation needed]}

In the current LDS Church, both men and women may enter a celestial marriage with only one partner at a time. A man may be sealed to more than one woman; if his wife dies, however, he may enter another celestial marriage, and be sealed to both his living wife and deceased wife or wives. Many Mormons believe that all these marriages will be valid in the eternities and the husband will live together in the afterlife as a family with all to whom he was sealed.^{[citation needed]} On page 72 of the 1998 edition of the Church Handbook of Instructions, the LDS Church clarified that a woman may also be sealed to more than one man. A woman, however, may not be sealed to more than one man while she is alive. She may only be sealed to subsequent partners after she has died.^[1] Proxy sealings, like proxy baptisms, are merely offered to the person in the afterlife,^{[citation needed]} indicating that the purpose is to allow the woman to choose the right man to be sealed to, as LDS doctrine forbids polyandry.^{[citation needed]} According to LDS belief, the celestial marriage covenant, as with other covenants, requires the continued righteousness of the couple to remain in effect after this life. If only one remains righteous that person is promised a righteous eternal companion in eternity.^{[citation needed]}

Sealing

Celestial marriage is an instance of the LDS doctrine of sealing. Following a celestial marriage, not only are the couple sealed as husband and wife, but children born into the marriage are also sealed to that family. In cases where the husband and wife have been previously married civilly and there are already children from their union, the children accompany their parents to the temple and are sealed to their parents following the marriage ceremony.

Mormons believe that through this sealing, man, wife and child will live together forever.

Relationship to plural marriage

There is substantial doctrinal dispute between the LDS Church and its offshoots as to whether celestial marriage is plural or monogamous. Sealings for "time and eternity" (i.e. Celestial marriages) were being performed for monogamous couples long before 1890. The great majority of temple sealings were between one man and one wife throughout all time periods of the LDS Church's history.

Some argue that the official LDS scripture, Doctrine and Covenants Section 132^[2], specifies plural marriages only. Others argue that the text indicates "a wife", which would mean that any temple sealing ordinance of marriage is considered Celestial Marriage. The latter view is supported by the Official History of the Church, Vol. 5, p. 134-136, which indicates that marriage for eternity was monogamous except in "some circumstances" (emphasis added):

"...it is borne in mind that at this time the new law of marriage for the Church — marriage for eternity, including plurality of wives under some circumstances— was being introduced by the Prophet, it is very likely that the following article was written with a view of applying the principles here expounded to the conditions created by introducing said marriage system."

In the following quote, Lorenzo Snow, a later President of the LDS church, specifies "celestial plural marriage", not simply "celestial marriage":

"He knew the voice of God—he knew the commandment of the Almighty to him was to go forward—to set the example, and establish Celestial plural marriage. He knew that he had not only his own prejudices and pre-possessions to combat and to overcome, but those of the whole Christian world…; but God…had given the commandment" [The Biography and Family Record of Lorenzo Snow, pp. 69–70 (Salt Lake City, 1884)]. Nevertheless, it is correct and can be demonstrated that "celestial marriage" was often used to refer to plural marriage Cannon 1869; Pratt 1869; Smith 1869).

Mormon fundamentalists cleave to the view that there is no celestial marriage that is not plural, while the LDS Church says otherwise. In their view, plural marriages in the early church, when properly authorized and conducted, were, in fact, celestial marriages; but celestial marriages need not be plural marriages.^{[citation needed]} In addition, since celestial marriages must be performed by someone with proper priesthood authority, and since plural marriage is no longer authorized by the LDS Church, no authorized celestial, plural marriages can be performed today. Mormon fundamentalists argue, in return, that they hold the priesthood authority to perform these marriages. However, while plural marriage is eschewed by the LDS Church today, it continued to be practiced, even after The Manifesto (the 1890 Official Declaration by then LDS President Wilford Woodruff, by which he counseled the Saints to discontinue plural marriage). The practice continued to be passively sanctioned until 1904 and the issuance of the Second Manifesto under Joseph F. Smith.

Marriage between man and wife is viewed by the Church to be ordained by God and essential for his plan. Plural marriage was discontinued by President Woodruff in 1890. If members continue to practice plural marriage, they could lose their church membership.^[3]

Influence of Emanuel Swedenborg

D. Michael Quinn, a historian who writes about Mormonism, argued in his book Early Mormonism and the Magic World View that the concept of celestial marriage may have been taken by Joseph Smith from Emanuel Swedenborg's book Heaven and Hell, which was first published in Latin in 1758. In the book, Swedenborg details his concept of marriage in heaven^[4]. Swedenborg claimed to have witnessed a marriage ceremony in heaven^[5], which would be contrary to LDS belief (D&C132:16-17). However, the idea that the marriage relationship can or should exist in the next life is similar.

It should also be noted, however, that there is an ancient Chinese belief which holds that an unmarried life is incomplete, which is why some parents in this Chinese culture will "marry" their loved ones who have died to a spouse if they had not married in this life. According to that belief, it helps ensure a happy afterlife for those individuals. This similar belief existed without any connection to Swedenborg.

Quinn further argues that the book was available to Smith, and that he was familiar with it. By one account, Smith told Latter Day Saint convert Edward Hunter that "Emanuel Swedenborg had a view of the world to come, but for daily food he perished."^[6] Additionally, Quinn shows that the book was in the Palmyra public library (Smith's hometown) since 1817.^{[citation needed]} Quinn also writes that "[n]ine miles from Smith's farm, in 1826 the Canandaigua newspaper also advertised Swedenborg's book for sale. The bookstore offered Swedenborg's publications for as little as 37 cents."^{[citation needed]}

The counterargument to Quinn says that it is likely that Joseph Smith knew a well read New Church (Swedenborgian) member or members who were very familiar with the Swedenborg's writings. It is not likely that Joseph Smith read Heaven and Hell himself or had first hand familiarity with it. Joseph Smith's mother states that by the age of eighteen, Joseph hadn't read the Bible all the way through and was less inclined to reading than any other of the Smith children (Lucy Mack Smith, History of Joseph Smith, pg 82). There are no reports that Joseph Smith spent his time reading or spending time researching religious viewpoints at libraries. Nevertheless, Swedenborg's writings existed in the U.S. when Joseph was alive and Joseph had probably heard of him. In fact, some context to the quote given by Quinn provides some insight. A Swodenborgian convert, Edward Hunter, later converted to the LDS Church in 1839 after protecting the Mormon elders when they came through the area preaching. Joseph stayed with Edward for three days and discussed a number of topics, among them the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg. It was after these conversations when Joseph Smith's stated, "Emanuel Swedenborg had a view of the world to come, but for daily food he perished." There is no evidence that Joseph was familiar with Swedenborg before this point. Hunter took the statement to mean that Swedenborg's teachings were unreliable and without credibility (Hunter, William E., Edward Hunter, Faithful Steward, 1970, pg 51.)

Notes

References

• Buerger, David John (2002), The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship (2nd ed.), Salt Lake City: Signature Books, ISBN 1560851767 .
• Cannon, George Q. (October 9, 1869), "Celestial Marriage", Journal of Discourses by President Brigham Young his two Counsellors, and the Twelve Apostles, 13, Liverpool: Horace S. Eldredge, pp. 197–209 .
• McConkie, Bruce R (1966), "Plural Marriage", Mormon Doctrine, 1, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, pp. 578 .*Pratt, Orson (1853), "Celestial Marriage", The Seer (Washington D.C.: Orson Pratt) 1, http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Seer/Volume1/No1/Celestial_Marriage?oldid=398146 . A multi-part series of articles in which Orson Pratt describes his view of the relationship between celestial marriage and polygamy in the 1800s. Complete series in PDF available here (26MB). This work was never accepted as official doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• Pratt, Orson (October 7, 1869), "Celestial Marriage", Journal of Discourses by President Brigham Young his two Counsellors, and the Twelve Apostles, 13, Liverpool: Horace S. Eldredge, pp. 183–196 .
• Smith, George A. (October 8, 1869), "Celestial Marriage—Bishops and Deacons Should be Married—Divorce", Journal of Discourses by President Brigham Young his two Counsellors, and the Twelve Apostles, 13, Liverpool: Horace S. Eldredge, pp. 37–42 .
• Swedenborg, Emanuel; Alger (Translator), John C. (1758 (Latin); 1958 (English)), Heaven and its Wonders and Hell From Things Heard and Seen (New ed.), Swedenborg Foundation, http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Heaven_And_Hell 

External links

• The Family: A Proclamation To The World - a formal statement on marriage from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Eternal marriage at Mormonsite.org
• Heaven and Hell chapter 40 (Marriages in Heaven)

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