Question
Gramps,
When we do family history work for our family and come to a family member’s name that has entered into a legally recognized same-gender marriage, do we make any attempt to record that information? (realizing that it is more common that there may be children of these unions through adoption or surrogate parenting)
Going forward, and after the required amount of time following death, could proxy temple ordinances be performed for each individual of the relationship including baptism and confirmation as well as the Initiatory and Endowment? Could they still each be sealed to their own parents, biological children and siblings?
Shane
Answer
Dear Shane,
When we talk of “family history” work, I think it’s helpful to remember that this involves much more than just dates and places. It involves capturing a part of an ancestor’s personality and achievements and challenges, and preserving all of that for future generations. For the sake of making a complete record, a family may wish to record a same-gender legal union in its own records.
With regard to proxy temple sealings: You have probably noticed that FamilySearch is not configured to record a marriage between two persons of the same gender; and parent-child sealings in the temple are done between a child and two parents of opposite genders. This reflects the Proclamation on the Family’s teaching that “Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity”.
As you are probably aware, the Church teaches that any sexual misconduct–especially homosexual experiences–is a serious sin and a major obstacle to eternal progress; for homosexual unions cannot yield eternal increase and are not sanctioned by the Lord. But as with other sins, the prospect for repentance does exist; and I am not aware of any church policy that would bar a deceased gay person from receiving temple ordinances by proxy–up to and including being sealed to any opposite-gender spouse the person may have had in life, and to any children born of an opposite-gender union.
Gramps