liz3564 wrote:With that clarification in mind, does anyone know the answers to my questions:
1. Can someone who is non-endowed, but possess a current temple recommend be eligible to witness a temple sealing?
2. How long has this new practice of a non-member husband providing written permission for a member wife to receive a temple recommend been in place?
I can't answer the first question (although I would guess that endowment would be necessary; a sealing still contains certain things that are directly related to the temple ceremonies).
As to the second, I believe my non-member father was required to give my mother permission to take out her endowment when that was opened to women in "mixed" marriages back in (I think) the 1980s. I can't recall if it was written or not (although maybe he just needed to write a note??). I had actually thought that the practice had been discontinued, but I have nothing to base that on.
I may be going to hell in a bucket, babe / But at least I'm enjoying the ride.
-Grateful Dead (lyrics by John Perry Barlow)
Skippy wrote:I can't answer the first question (although I would guess that endowment would be necessary; a sealing still contains certain things that are directly related to the temple ceremonies).
True. However, once you have a temple recommend, you are worthy to participate in any of the ordinances. I understand that it is mandatory to receive your own endowments before being sealed yourself, but to witness the sealing of someone else?
I really am curious about this. Any of our resident TBM's care to answer? BC? Gaz? Bob? Charity?
In my opinion, watching the wedding of a sibling is not a good reason for one to seek the endowment. If your brother in law were not getting maried would she even be thinking of it? Why werent the ordinances of the temple important enough for her to want to be endowed and married in it?
One should seek out the endowment because want wants to make additional covenants with our Heavenly Father an the Lord Jesus Christ and recieve the corresponding blessings, here and in the here-after.
But be that as it may;
If I were you, I would let her go an recieve her endowment. You loved her and married her AS A Mormon. Her religion was good enough for her before and during the time you made the marriage vows; it should be good enough for her after the marriage vows as well.
One cannot say: "I marry you knowing that you are a Mormon and that's alright with me" and then after the vows have been made, a marriage consimated and a life together lived "of no, you cannot go and do your Mormon thing." What did you expect would happen?
Did you have a secret plan to convert her to your faith after your marriage? If so, why not wait for her to convert to your religion, before the marriage?
Let your wife do her Mormon thing and let the judgement be in God's hands. Niether you or I can say were anyone* is going after the judgement day, only Christ can.
*except Hitler, Bin Ladin, the terrorists that tortured the children of Beslan Russia etc.
Skippy wrote:I can't answer the first question (although I would guess that endowment would be necessary; a sealing still contains certain things that are directly related to the temple ceremonies).
True. However, once you have a temple recommend, you are worthy to participate in any of the ordinances. I understand that it is mandatory to receive your own endowments before being sealed yourself, but to witness the sealing of someone else?
I really am curious about this. Any of our resident TBM's care to answer? BC? Gaz? Bob? Charity?
Recall what position the hands are in, while resting on the altar during the sealing, and you'll remember why one must be endowed in order to witness a sealing. One of the "sacred secrets".
I don't envy your position bro. My advice giving ends there; Im not married so i really can't comment on those issues.
This is one reason I think mixed religion marriages are alaways a bad idea.
catholics with catholics, cafeteria catholics with cafeteria catholics, jews with jews, buddhists with buddhists, hindu with hindu, atheist with atheist and devil worshipper with devil worshipper.