Question
Dear Gramps,
If an endowed member of the church who has been sealed to his wife asks to have his name removed from church records, can he come back into the church at a future time? What becomes the status of his marriage sealing, his sealing to his children born in the covenant and his sealing to his own parents? If he didn’t come back to the church during his mortal life, could the work be done for him vicariously after his death?
Anonymous
Answer
Anonymous,
The unfortunate truth is that this very situation is a real event in the Church. To answer the first question, when someone asks to be removed from the Church records, when it is completed, they are as though they had never made any covenants. All covenants are then broken for that individual and are of no effect in this life or the next. Because of this, they lose the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, any priesthood authority for the men that leave, and also any blessings or promises given through the temple ordinances including the temple marriage, or sealing.
The consequence for the spouse is interesting in that so long as they remain faithful to their covenants, they lose no blessings at all, and this includes the temple sealing. You see, with a temple sealing, the covenant is between three people, the husband, the wife, and Heavenly Father. Later on, as children enter the family, they are assumed to be participating, and thus receiving the blessings of the temple sealing. If the husband or wife breaks that sealing, they lose all blessings promised through that covenant. However if the other spouse remains faithful and true, they lose no blessings, because the seal remains in force between them and Heavenly Father.
As to whether or not the opportunity will be presented to repent and receive the saving ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ after this life, I’m unsure myself. It hasn’t been set forth in any scripture that I know of stating that it will be available. However, the understanding I have of the great love Heavenly Father has for us leads me to think it’s not out of the question by any means.
Gramps
