What Happens In A Mormon Temple Marriage Ceremony?

A Mormon wedding ceremony, also known as a sealing ceremony, is a sacred and exclusive event for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Attending such a wedding requires being a member of the Church, abstaining from premarital sex, avoiding drugs and alcohol, paying tithing, and wearing temple garments. Couples must follow strict rules when planning a temple wedding, including reserving a sealing room for a specific time and date, and entering the temple on a specific date.

During a temple sealing, the groom kneels on one side of the altar, while the bride kneels on the other. They look into each other’s eyes over the altar. Temple sealings ensure that death cannot separate loved ones, and for marriages to continue after death, they must be sealed.

Temple sealings are short, do not involve decorations, music, rings, or ritual, and generally occur in the mornings. The couple kneel and join hands across a simple altar, with someone designated as a sealer performing the ceremony. Friends and family who hold recommends are in the room watching.

Mormons believe that marriages can last forever, even beyond death. The sealing ceremony is the final and official part of the ceremony, where the groom kneels on one side of the altar and the bride kneels on the other.

The officiant (sealer) includes the words “For time and” and the couple may exchange rings and make their marriage vows. A temple wedding ceremony may incorporate readings from scripture, quotes, and guidance from trusted leaders. It is inappropriate to exchange vows after being married in the temple, where sacred covenants have already been entered into.


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What do Mormons wear in the temple when they get married?

Brides’ dresses in the temple should be long-sleeved, modest, white, and not elaborate. Dresses in the temple should have high necklines. No dresses with trains in the temple. Tuxedos, cummerbunds, formal headwear, and flowers are not allowed in the sealing room. If you have questions about clothing, call the temple where you’re getting married. Grooms wear temple clothes for the ceremony and change into other clothes for pictures. Brides can also wear a temple dress for the ceremony and change into wedding clothes later. You can invite family and friends to your temple marriage. They must be members of the Church with current temple recommends. Temples have different-sized sealing rooms. When you schedule your ceremony, the temple will ask how many people you expect and tell you when to arrive.

Do you have to wear a white bra in the LDS Temple?

Let’s talk about misconceptions. LDS women have some strange ideas about wearing their garments. Some say you can only wear white bras and wear your garments against your skin. Both of those are false. The Church Handbook says: “The garment should be worn under clothes. You can wear other underwear over or under the garment. The handbook doesn’t say what color other undergarments should be. The bra policy was changed because many women struggled to wear garments against their skin. This was due to mastectomy prosthetics, health problems, being big or small busted, and having a harder time to clothe shapes. There was no announcement about this change. I wish bishops in each ward would have said, “You can wear your bra under your garments!” Can you imagine? That would be great.

What are Mormon women’s garments?

What are temple garments? The temple garment is worn under regular clothes by faithful Church members. It’s a pair of underwear and shorts. There are different styles for women and men, and they come in different fabrics. They are usually white, but military members can wear them in khaki. Why do they matter? Only adult members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have made temple promises can wear temple garments. They remind us of our temple commitments. They protect the body and show that we should dress modestly and live simply. Christ-like. These garments are unique to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are similar to other religious clothing. They are like a nun’s habit, a priest’s collar, a Jewish yarmulke and prayer shawl, a Muslim skull cap or hijab, or a Sikh turban. Each item represents the wearer’s commitment to serve and follow God.

Mormon wedding ceremony secrets
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Can a Mormon marry a non-Mormon in the Temple?

Only faithful Church members can marry in the temple. You can marry someone who isn’t a member, but you can’t do it in the temple.

Marriage outside the temple. Some Latter-day Saints couldn’t marry in the temple for valid reasons like proximity or local laws requiring government marriage. The Church understands and will allow a marriage by legal authority, but it should be sealed in the temple as soon as possible. If a couple follows God’s commandments, they can be sealed in the temple after being married outside the temple. This will also make their children sealed to them.

What rituals happen in a Mormon temple?

The main ceremony, called the endowment, is a ritual about Adam and Eve, their expulsion from the Garden of Eden, and their return to God. At each stage, participants make promises in Jesus’ name. Temple rituals also include an eternal marriage ceremony and baptism by proxy. Some say that some of the temple rites were taken from Freemasonry after Joseph Smith joined that group in Nauvoo, Illinois. They point to the use of symbols like the all-seeing eye, the handshake, and the compass and square. “There are only a few similarities between the two rituals,” Kenneth Godfrey writes in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism. Latter-day Saints believe their temple ordinances are different from Masonic and other rituals. They think similarities are remnants of an ancient original.

Mormon wedding consummation
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Can Mormons marry non-Mormons?

Only faithful Church members can marry in the temple. You can marry someone who isn’t a member, but you can’t do it in the temple.

Marriage outside the temple. Some Latter-day Saints couldn’t marry in the temple for valid reasons like proximity or local laws requiring government marriage. The Church understands and will allow a marriage by legal authority, but it should be sealed in the temple as soon as possible. If a couple follows God’s commandments, they can be sealed in the temple after being married outside the temple. This will also make their children sealed to them.

Mormon wedding ceremony oil
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What actually happens in a Mormon temple?

In temples, members of the church make covenants, receive instructions, and perform sacred ceremonies and ordinances. These include baptism for the dead, washing and anointing (or initiatory ordinances), the endowment, and eternal marriage sealings. The church teaches that ordinances were practiced by the Lord’s covenant people in all dispensations.

History Biblical references. Latter-day Saints cite references to temple ordinances in the Old Testament, such as Exodus 29:4–9, Exodus 28:2–43, and Leviticus 8:6–13. The words “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” can be found on LDS temples as referenced in Exodus 28:36. Likewise, the Tabernacle was considered a portable temple by the children of Israel in the Old Testament.

What is the secret Mormon temple ceremony?

In Mormonism, the endowment is a ceremony that makes participants kings, queens, priests, and priestesses in the afterlife. In the first ceremony, participants act out the story of Adam and Eve. The ceremony includes washing and anointing, a new name, and the temple garment. Mormons are expected to wear the garment under their clothing day and night throughout their life. Participants learn gestures and passwords to help them pass by angels guarding the way to heaven. They are not to reveal these to others. As practiced today in the LDS Church, the endowment also consists of a series of covenants (promises to God) that participants make. All LDS Church members who serve as missionaries or participate in a temple marriage must first complete the first endowment ceremony. The second part of the endowment is the pinnacle ordinance of the temple. It is given to a husband and wife couple to ensure salvation, guarantee exaltation, and confer godhood. Participants are anointed kings, queens, priests, and priestesses. In the first endowment, they are only anointed to become those who follow specified covenants. The second anointing is only given to a select group and not widely known. It was instituted by Joseph Smith in the 1840s with contributions by Brigham Young and his successors. The ceremony is held in Latter Day Saint temples, which are for Mormons only. A small building called the Endowment House was used to administer the endowment ordinance during the construction of the Salt Lake Temple. The LDS Church and several other Mormon denominations practice the endowment. The LDS Church has simplified its ceremony.

Do Mormons have to sleep in their garments?

Members who have been baptized and have taken the temple oath can wear special clothes. They are usually removed for bathing, sex, and some sports and exercise. Temple clothes are white shorts and short-sleeved tops. They are worn under clothes and under bras. The church says the garments remind members of their connection to God and their promises to follow church rules.

Why do Mormons marry more than one wife?

Morality and temptation. An early church leader said that polygamy is the main form of marriage and the most moral form of marriage. Polygamy was sometimes explained as a way to prevent men from falling into sexual temptation, while monogamy was immoral and increased the likelihood of sexual temptation. Some people who practiced polygamy said it was a religious practice taught in the Bible. Top leaders used the examples of God the Father and Jesus Christ to defend polygamy. These teachings were widely accepted among Latter-day Saints by the late 1850s. In 1853, Jedediah M. Grant said that Christ and his disciples were persecuted because of their polygamy.Two months later, Apostle Orson Pratt said in a church periodical that God the Father had multiple wives, and that after her death, Mary (Jesus’ mother) may have become another wife of God. He also said that Christ had multiple wives—Mary of Bethany, Martha, and Mary Magdalene—as evidence for polygamy. In the next two years, the apostle Orson Hyde said Jesus practiced polygamy in two general conference addresses. He repeated this in an 1857 address.

What happens when you get sealed in the Mormon temple?

If you are sealed to your family and remain faithful to your covenants, your family relationships will continue after death. You can also receive the sealing ordinance on behalf of your ancestors. By doing so, you can unite entire generations of your family for eternity.

Mormon wedding reception
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What happens to Mormons when they get married?

In the LDS Church, marriage between a man and a woman is considered sacred. Marriage is thought to be a covenant between the man, the woman, and God. The church teaches that a man and woman can enter into a marriage that lasts forever in the afterlife. This is done in a temple by priesthood authority. From 1852 to 1890, the LDS Church allowed polygamous marriages. These marriages continued into the 1940s and 1950s. Today, the church opposes polygamy and excommunicates members who participate in it. The LDS Church also opposes same-sex marriage.

Teachings about marriage in general A spouse is the only person Latter-day Saints are commanded to love with all their heart. A revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants states: You must love your wife with all your heart and only her. Church leaders say this applies to wives loving their husbands.


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What Happens In A Mormon Temple Marriage Ceremony
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Christina Kohler

As an enthusiastic wedding planner, my goal is to furnish couples with indelible recollections of their momentous occasion. After more than ten years of experience in the field, I ensure that each wedding I coordinate is unique and characterized by my meticulous attention to detail, creativity, and a personal touch. I delight in materializing aspirations, guaranteeing that every occasion is as singular and enchanted as the love narrative it commemorates. Together, we can transform your wedding day into an unforgettable occasion that you will always remember fondly.

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  • My brother converted to Mormonism & was married in the temple many years ago. My parents went and had to wait in the “waiting room” with anyone else who wasn’t “worthy” of going into the temple. I had an 18 month old at the time, and I refused to go and sit and wait. It was very difficult to accept for my parents that they couldn’t watch their only son get married & I wasn’t happy about it either, but I didn’t harp on it. After just over 20 years, my brother left the LDS. His marriage lasted less than a year longer than that. 😢