Temple Work and Family
I received the following question from someone in my stake. Can an active member (child) be sealed to its divorced parents which were never sealed ? Because they were divorced I assume there is no chance to get the parents sealed to each other, but is there a possibility to seal the child to its deceased and divorced parents? This question is reason for some discussion and also for some frustration. Like the next topic.
It concerns illegitimate children. Can they be sealed at least to their mother?
Thank you for your help.
Answers
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@Ulrike Kaiser There are 2 good ways to get answers to your temple sealing policy questions. One is to chat with your bishop or branch president.
The other is to sign in to FamilySearch. Then, in the upper right, click Help. Click Help Center in the list that appears. On the main Help Center page, notice all the icons under the search box. Click the one labeled Temple. In the search box, enter "sealing divorced" and the second search result takes you to an article titled Can a Divorced Couple Be Sealed? Another search might be "sealing one parent" to find an article about that particular policy.
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@Ulrike Kaiser
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FYI
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These types of "Question" have been discussed, both, in this Forum; and, the more (very) OPEN "FamilySearch" ("Get Satisfaction") 'Feedback' Forum on may occasions.
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Direction directly from "Knowledge Articles" in "FamilySearch" is very clear and concise:
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Can a Divorced Couple Be Sealed?
Policy
Deceased couples who were divorced may be sealed. This may provide the only way for their children to be sealed. However, if they were sealed in life and the sealing was canceled, First Presidency approval is required for them to be sealed again.
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As to the your latter question about, can "Illegitimate" Children be at least (ie. ONLY) 'Sealed' to their Mother, alone, the answer is quite clear: 'NO'.
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To seal a child to parents, the names of both the father and mother are required.
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Sealing-to-parent ordinance when name of parent is unknown
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Here are some further "Knowledge Articles" in "FamilySearch" on such matters:
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Policies for sealing deceased spouses to each other
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Policy on sealing a deceased couple that were never married nor ever lived together
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I hope this helps.
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Brett
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I totally agree that to get the most appropriate answer for a given situation is to talk to your Bishop and Stake / Temple President.
(not that there is a different answer based on who you ask)
but rather these are people that will more intimately know your specific situation and know how to best provide counsel.
Also realize that no matter what the situation is (cases like ****, illegitimacy etc) in the Lord's time and in the Lord's way - anyone who has lived worthily will ultimately receive the blessings of being sealed to spouse and TWO parents (whether in this life or the next) - no matter what was or was not allowed (in this life) based on current policy. (noting that in many cases a person could end up being sealed to a parent who was not their biological parent in this life)
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Thanks for your response @Brett . I know that these policies as outlined are why my grandparents have been sealed even after a divorce. They were never sealed in the temple (to my knowledge, until after death), and I'm coming to understand now that this is why it was possible. I'm working with my father and his siblings to ensure that my grandmother's wish to have her children sealed to them takes place.
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Thank you for your fast responses. I've forwarded your answers to the person concerned and I hope she will be satisfied
I'm responsible for family history in some of our wards that's why I asked. My goal is to convince the members to join the different groups so that they can ask their questions directly. Again, thank you, Ulrike
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