I am unmarried and have a daughter, if I were to join the Mormon Church would I ever be worthy of being married in the temple?

Question

Dear Gramps,

Big Question…I really need an answer. I’m 21 years old and I’ve definitely done some things over the past few years that I’m not proud of. I’ve recently made friends with two missionaries that live across the street from me. They taught me about Mormonism and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I love it. I absolutely love the ideas and beliefs and I’m thinking of converting. I’ve never had more sense of peace in my life or been more happy.

This is my question. I have a daughter. Her father and I are not together. If I were to convert into Mormonism, I would want to marry somebody that had the same thoughts and beliefs as I do. I know that you have to be worthy to be married in a temple. If I believe in Christ (which I do), repent of my sins, get baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost… would I be worthy of getting married in a temple even though I already have a daughter??

Lindsay

Answer

Dear Lindsay,

Absolutely! As you study more of the gospel of Jesus Christ, you will come to know that the purpose of the great atoning sacrifice of the Savior was to pay the price demanded by an eternal justice for all the sins committed by all our Father’s children. He has bought you with a dear price! Although He owns you, in that you belong to him, He will not force you to be obedient to the things He wants you to do. He loves you so much that He will not interfere with your right to choose whatever you want to do and whoever you want to be.

If you want to return to his presence and live with him in eternity you must first really believe that He is and that He loves you as the person that you are. If you change your life by repenting of all your sins and are then baptized in the Lord’s Church you will be forgiven of all the sins that you have ever committed. When you emerge from the water in the baptismal font you will be as free from sin as a new-born child. Such a person would be fully worthy of entering the Lord’s holy temple. However, to prove your stability in your new-found commitments, you would be required to wait for a year after your baptism before you would be allowed to have a recommend that would permit you to enter the temple.

As you begin your new life as a member of the community of the Saints of God you will undoubtedly meet some worthy member with whom you would want to spend the rest of eternity and who would desire to be the father of your children, including the one that you already have. You will then plan to be married for time and for all eternity in one of the Lord’s holy temples, and begin your eternal journey to receive all the blessings that a kind and loving Heavenly Father has in reserve for all those who love Him and who keep his commandments.

Gramps