by RB Mac
When I heard about the change in the temple sealing policy yesterday,
I was a little frustrated. Don’t get me
wrong I was happy about it, it a long overdue change. If you haven’t heard: if
you have a family that cant be in the temple for the wedding, you can get
married outside the temple first, then get sealed without a waiting
period. In North America, there was a
one-year waiting period couples would have the wait if they got marries civilly
before they could be sealed.)
But I was a little afraid of telling my wife about it. No
one from her family was able to be at our wedding in the Bountiful temple, and
that was really hard on us. We talked
about doing it civilly, but to be 100% upfront and honest we did not because of
the social pressure and stigma associated with anon temple wedding, that by having
a civil ceremony we were somehow admitting that we were unworthy of a temple recommend. And if we did that, it would be my half of the
family that would have a hard time supporting us, rather then my wife’s half of
the family. So we had to choose, which half of the family got
to be offended because of where we were going to get married?
Now to my wife’s family’s credit, they were so supportive of
our wedding, and I have five sisters in awesome laws! But it was hard on us
having to choose which side of the aisle to lean towards…. I’m glad that no one
has to feel that pressure and make that decision ever again. This is one “policy” reversal that I wish they would make a revelation, publish it in the D&C,
and vote on it in General Conference, as to give it the best chance of not getting
changed again!
My fear in telling my wife was that she would go “Great, all
that pain was for nothing, the Brethren should have made the change a long time
ago.” That’s pretty much what she said, and she is right. This change should have
been made a long time ago. And while the verbiage in the letter did not say, “we
are sorry for the family heartache this policy caused” it at least acknowledged
that this policy will get rid of that heartache. Good for them….I guess.
The family has always been the center of the church. In
recent years almost every change in church policy from the two-hour block to
the LGBTQ changes is all built around strengthening the family. I am glad that the temple is now in line with
that focus, especially on the day a new family is created.
Cheers,
RB Mac.
P.S. All the time I hear members remark about how they
should not try to make policy changes in the church. That we should be patient
and wait for the brethren to reveal the will of the Lord to us. Well, two items on that. 1. The church askes for members opinion...sometimes. 2. Pointing out issues to the brethren actually
works. Just see the recent temple changes in regards to Women and even this
change. here is a link to a petition
that has been going around since 2009. The
lesson…. When making a suggestion be prepared to wait for years to see action
on the subject, but make the suggestion anyway. https://www.mormonmatters.org/temple-wedding-petition/
