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I know the LDS Church says that those who live in areas where plural marriage is legal have to choose only one wife to come with them if they come to the US. I understand but don't know for sure that they have to choose only one if they join the church and stay where plural marriage is legal. Anyone know?

Also, if you live where plural marriage is legal, have more than one spouse, join the LDS church, why should you have to choose? If it is legal, and the Articles of Faith on obeying the laws of the land really hold in the belief, you can keep multiple partners as it is legal, you are following the law and nothing is wrong with the practice. Why would one be forced to choose? Seems if they were forced to choose that you would be spitting on your own scriptures and belief system.

To be practiced right and proper, one is sealed (welded) to their mate for time and all eternity. The Keys to this are held by the prophet of the church, and he has decreed that this is not to be practiced at this time.

Gazelam wrote:To be practiced right and proper, one is sealed (welded) to their mate for time and all eternity. The Keys to this are held by the prophet of the church, and he has decreed that this is not to be practiced at this time.

Right on. Your spouses have to perish first before you can be sealed to others for your Celestial edification.

moksha wrote:

Gazelam wrote:To be practiced right and proper, one is sealed (welded) to their mate for time and all eternity. The Keys to this are held by the prophet of the church, and he has decreed that this is not to be practiced at this time.

Right on. Your spouses have to perish first before you can be sealed to others for your Celestial edification.

Your spouse does NOT have to perish first. A man can civilly divorce a woman to whom he is sealed in the temple, and then subsequently be sealed to another woman (while the first wife is still living). He can be sealed to the two women simultaneously, while both are living.

Your spouse does NOT have to perish first. A man can civilly divorce a woman to whom he is sealed in the temple, and then subsequently be sealed to another woman (while the first wife is still living). He can be sealed to the two women simultaneously, while both are living.

Exactly!

LDS men can and are sealed to more than one woman alive on the earth.

Regardless of how often and adamantly the LDS church denies it, they absolutely engage in polygamy right here on earth.

While these polygamous men may not be civilly married to their polygamous wives (Joseph Smith didn't believe civil marriages were even necessary so I don't see how this matters in the LDS church), they are very much practicing plural marriage.

~dancer~

Truth dancer, you may be right, but we cannot have more than one legal wife on earth. Men can be sealed to more than one person, only if one dies. I don’t know about situations of divorce, but in the grand scheme of things, you will only be sealed to a worthy person that can go with you in the Celestial Kingdom.

Mahonri wrote:I know the LDS Church says that those who live in areas where plural marriage is legal have to choose only one wife to come with them if they come to the US. I understand but don't know for sure that they have to choose only one if they join the church and stay where plural marriage is legal. Anyone know?

Also, if you live where plural marriage is legal, have more than one spouse, join the LDS church, why should you have to choose? If it is legal, and the Articles of Faith on obeying the laws of the land really hold in the belief, you can keep multiple partners as it is legal, you are following the law and nothing is wrong with the practice. Why would one be forced to choose? Seems if they were forced to choose that you would be spitting on your own scriptures and belief system.

It doesn't matter if it's legal. It has to be commanded by God before LDS can allow it within the church and when not commanded, it's considered an abomination per the Book of Mormon. Therefore, practicing polygamists cannot join the church.

truth dancer wrote:

Your spouse does NOT have to perish first. A man can civilly divorce a woman to whom he is sealed in the temple, and then subsequently be sealed to another woman (while the first wife is still living). He can be sealed to the two women simultaneously, while both are living.

Exactly!

LDS men can and are sealed to more than one woman alive on the earth.

Regardless of how often and adamantly the LDS church denies it, they absolutely engage in polygamy right here on earth.

While these polygamous men may not be civilly married to their polygamous wives (Joseph Smith didn't believe civil marriages were even necessary so I don't see how this matters in the LDS church), they are very much practicing plural marriage.

~dancer~

Unless the other wives are hanging around as lively ghosts, I don't think it's "very much practicing plural marriage".

And even if Joseph Smith didn't think civil marriages meant much, LDS today do. We also believe civil divorces are binding. I doubt very much any woman who divorces her husband civilly thinks she's bound to him any longer--since no one is forced to be with a spouse in the eternities if they don't wish to be...and temple divorces are routinely granted for civil divorces. I don't see how you can equate this with plural marriage. Plural marriage the way the church looks at it, was the way it was practiced 120 years ago--a man and more than one woman were married, had children and set up households.