Question
Gramps,
I’m just starting my investigation into becoming a Mormon. I am separated from my Church of England wife some 5 or 7 years now. I only stayed within that marriage and the Church of England because of the oath I swore unto God to love my wife until death do we part. Would I have to keep that marriage or would I be expected to divorce? I made the oath to God but we shall never live again as a couple. What would the Mormon faith decide for me?
Jefferson
Answer
Jefferson,
Thank you for this question, and for taking the time to investigate the gospel of Jesus Christ as restored through the prophet Joseph Smith in these last days. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we wholeheartedly believe in the sanctity of marriage. We also wholeheartedly believe in keeping our oaths/covenants we have made.
The Church would not decide anything for you with regards to your present situation with your separation from your wife. As to whether or not you decide to divorce, or to remain true to the oath made with the Church of England would be your decision.
As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we believe that God has given us our “moral agency.” This is our ability to act for ourselves, and hopefully we choose the good over any evil. If you should choose to become a member of God’s restored gospel and church, then this is a matter you can take to the Lord and discover His will in your life. I am sure you are familiar with passages of scripture where the Lord tells us to call upon his name should we lack wisdom, or should we need an answer. The Lord loves you and cares about you. He will answer your prayer as you humbly approach him in prayer pertaining to membership in His Church, and what to do with regards to the situation you find yourself in with your wife.
The Church and the Lord would have one expectation of you. That you live the law of chastity. A good reminder to all of us is that we need to put away our old toys before playing with new ones. The Lord bless you Jefferson.
Gramps
Question
Hi gramps,
As we were discussing resurrection, I wondered. Could someone, having been exalted after resurrected and judged, fall even in their exalted state? My reason for this question revolves around free agency. Choosing to follow all of God’s teachings enables us to return and be crowned in glory, but Satan and his followers had full knowledge and still rebelled against God. So my question is, hypothetically could an exalted being still fall away in the eternities and lose their state?
Jeremy
Answer
Jeremy,
What you’re really asking is a paradox of hypotheticals. The fact is that being exalted means that you have liberty like you’ve never known. But you only have that agency because you’d use it for good. And to do good, you would not choose to fall. But if you have that liberty, then one of the choices given to you that you could choose is to fall.
Kind of a conundrum, isn’t it?
I tend to think that if it were possible, how would we know about it? And if it weren’t possible, then we REALLY wouldn’t know about it. So, you know what? I wouldn’t worry about it.
Gramps
