Can you advise me about the impropriety of interracial marriages?

Question

Dear Gramps,

I am a convert to the Mormon Church and I am white and I married a black man and had two wonderful boys. I divorced him but I married another black man. We don’t have any kids, but I have read that the Church advises against interracial marriages. I really need some advice about this. I am a temple recommend holder, and I know that I should have thought about this and had my questions answered prior to having my endowments done, but I didn’t think about until now. I really need to know more about this. I hope that you can help me with this.

K.C.,

Answer

Dear K.C.,

I wish that I knew what you meant by the word, “this” that you would like to know more about. Two possibilities that loom out are 1) your new husband is a faithful member of the Mormon Church, and 2) your husband belongs to some other church. Assuming situation No. 1, you may be wondering if the children by your first husband could be sealed to your second husband. Since you are endowed, but not sealed, the children not sealed to anyone. Whenever you and your husband go to the temple to be sealed to each other, your children will be sealed to you and your present husband.

Let’s assume possibility No. 2. You have a civil marriage, and it will remain so until your new husband accepts and lives the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then it will be possible to be sealed together in the temple as an eternal family.

The Mormon Church discourages interracial marriages simply because being united to someone with a different background from a different culture puts a heavy added strain on the marriage relationship, with a much higher probability that the marriage may not last. But if those cultural obstacles can be overcome, so that the marriage is secure, then there should be no problem.

Gramps