Question
Dear Gramps,
This is my third question to you in the past month. I want to thank you for your previous answers. I checked “sealings” in “search Ask Gramps” as you recommended to another reader, but didn’t find an answer to the following: If a person joins the church, but his parents and siblings do not, can that church member have his relatives sealed to him? If parents can be sealed to a child, at the request of the child who joins the church (but the parent never joins), can you have just one parent sealed, but not the other? How would sealings apply to a convert with non member divorced parents? Otherwise, it sounds as if sealings might be available only to those who have idyllic families, and those of us from divorced families are excluded from such a blessing. Please clarify or explain. Thank you.
Shane
Answer
Dear Shane,
Wives can be sealed to husbands, and children can be sealed to parents, and that’s all! PERIOD! Further, no live sealings can be performed in the temple unless the participants are present. In order to be present they must be members of the the church in full fellowship, and must have received recommends to enter the temple that have been signed by their bishop and stake president certifying that they are in full compliance with all the laws and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The only relatives that can be sealed to a person by proxy are his deceased wife and deceased children. He may have his deceased ancestors sealed to each other by proxy according to the above rules–wives to husbands and children to parents. This is the great work of salvation for the dead that goes on continually in all of the temples of the Mormon Church. Even Paul preached this doctrine, (which has fallen on deaf ears, except in the restored The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the (Mormon Church). Paul said,
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead? (1 Cor 15:22-29).
That should answer your first question.
“If a person joins the church, but his parents and siblings do not, can that church member have his relatives sealed to him?”
See above.
“If parents can be sealed to a child, at the request of the child who joins the church (but the parent never joins), can you have just one parent sealed, but not the other?”
Of course not–see above.
”How would sealings apply to a convert with non-member divorced parents?”
It is my understanding that deceased non-member parents could be sealed together by proxy. However, it is recognized that the sealing is only valid if the persons for whom the sealing was performed would have heard, believed, accepted and lived by the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the spirit world. If that were the case, after the resurrection they would inherit all the blessings that had been put upon their heads through the participation of their faithful descendant acting for them by proxy in the holy temple.
Gramps
