Can You Really Marry A Dead Loved One In Idaho?

Mormons and LDS believe the bonds of marriage and family are eternal. When it comes to marriage, they believe in keeping the flame alive even beyond the grave. But few outsiders truly understand what that means. 

Mormons & LDS on Posthumous Marriage

It's not a quirk. It's part and parcel of their faith, a belief that its members require the eternal bonds of marriage to enter the higher heavens with God and their ancestors. From an outsider's perspective, it seems beautiful and mystic. 

Mormons & LDS throw weddings for the deceased? 

In a manner, but let's be respectful. Our friends and neighbors who follow the teachings of the prophet Joseph Smith refer to the sacred ceremony as a posthumous 'sealing.' It exists to help escort married couples on their journey to heaven. Think of it sort of like a key to everlasting bliss for a married Mormon or LDS couple. 

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What happens if a Mormon or LDS member dies before marriage?

Like many other religions with Christian-Judeo values, Mormons and LDS place a heavy emphasis on the pursuit and glory of the afterlife. When they pass on, they believe they become conscious spirits spending eternity with their sealed community. 

If someone were to die just short of their wedding day, there's a special protocol in place. And it happens more often than you'd think. 

The custom of proxy and posthumous sealings are very common within the LDS church. These rituals are fundamental to the faith’s belief that the higher levels of heaven are only reached through marriage and eternal bonds to God and family.

-American Marriages Ministry

 

Other groups believe in posthumous marriage. 

Posthumous wedding ceremony aren't exclusive to Mormons and LDS members. Unbeknownst to many, ourselves included until today, these sacared ceremonies have been practiced throughout the ages.

According to Slate, "posthumous marriage—that is, nuptials in which one or both members of the couple are dead—is an established practice in China, Japan, Sudan, [and] France." 

What are your thoughts on this fascinating practice? Email ryan.valenzuela@townsqauremedia.com. 

Scroll on for a look at 10 ridiculous myths about Mormons & LDS.