Beliefs > Question & Answer > Marriage

Question

Why do LDS members not talk about the Temple wedding / sealing process? I notice you chose not to disclose details of your wedding in your book. I have read some "recovering LDS" accounts but cannot fathom that the cultish details that they give could be true in any way. I am drawn to the family focus and spirituality of the LDS faith. But the practice of not disclosing details of the marriage process does leave me with questions as to why?

Response

Thank you for your e-mail where you requested information about the temple marriage ceremony. The reason I have chosen not to disclose the details of the marriage ceremony in my book is that it is such a sacred and solemn occasion that I did not wish to make it "common" by presenting it for public consumption. It isn’t that the temple is so secret, but rather, the ordinances and worship are so sacred that we simply don’t discuss the details outside of the temple. However, there are some things that I can tell you. First of all, you would be interested to know that the bride and groom are both dressed in white, signifying cleanliness and purity. All of their extended family and friends who hold temple recommends from their priesthood leaders are in attendance. In most marriages, that group would range in size from forty to a hundred people. (A wedding reception usually follows the marriage vows at another location and is the time and place for all of the other family and friends to greet the bride and groom and their parents, wish them well, and give gifts.) When the bride and groom enter the room where the marriage is to take place, they are seated on a lovely sofa with their family and friends on either side of the room, in as many rows as are necessary for the size of the group. The one conducting the ceremony will spend a few minutes giving counsel to the new bride and groom about marriage and family and how they should treat each other throughout their lives. This is much the same kind of counsel that a minister might give a new bride and groom in any other church setting. At the conclusion of that, the bride and groom are invited to come to the middle of the room where there is an altar. It is upholstered in lovely, beautiful material and as they kneel on either side of that altar, holding each other by the right hands. The one who is conducting this sacred ordinance begins to pronounce upon them some of the choicest and most sacred blessings imaginable. There are great promises associated with those blessings, and all of this is sealed upon them according to their faithfulness. Naturally, within the text of this "sealing ceremony" they are sealed together as husband and wife for time and for all eternity. At the conclusion of these pronouncements, they can kiss each other across the altar. Then they stand, and with the help of the one who has conducted the marriage, they exchange rings. It is a lovely experience and I hope you have the opportunity some day to witness such a thing first hand. Please do not be troubled by any other accounts that you might have read. Either they simply do not know or have some mean-spirited vendetta to accomplish by their statements. It is such a simple yet glorious and beautiful ceremony with so many wonderful promises. It disturbs me greatly that someone would try to debase its sacredness. I hope this is helpful to you. Sincerely, Donny Osmond See related multimedia presentations

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