Mormons and Divorce - Part One: What Do Mormons Believe about Divorce?

by Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger

13 Sep 2008 10:30 PM

In response to a comment made on one of my other blogs, I'm starting a short series entitled, "Mormons and Divorce." I'm hoping to answer the questions posed by the commenter as well as others had by our readership here at Families.com.

One often-asked question is, "What do Mormons believe about divorce?" Some hold the mistaken idea that if you're Mormon, you can't get a divorce, and if you do, you'll be condemned. That's not the case.

We believe that marriage is the most important relationship you will ever have, second only to your relationship with God. We believe that choosing our spouse is something we need to undertake with a lot of thought, reasoning, and prayer, in addition to the feelings of love and attraction that also go into the selection. We also believe that when we take our chosen loved one to the temple and are married there under proper authority, we can be together forever as a couple.

The goal, then, is for both the man and the woman to enter into the marriage ready to commit, understanding the serious nature of their choice, and ready to do whatever it takes to keep their relationship strong. You are choosing someone to spend eternity with, and that is not a decision to be made lightly.

Once married, the goal is to stay married. The Church's main focus is on creating families and keeping them strong. Husbands and wives are encouraged to work out their differences with love and respect, always keeping their relationship with Christ at the center of their focus.

Divorce is not desirable. I think that's a statement that we can all identify with, regardless of our religious beliefs-divorce is always sad, always a shock, always causes grief. The leadership of the Church would have us do whatever we can to avoid going through this painful process and to keep our marriages alive.

While this is the goal, divorce does happen. When circumstances arise that make divorce desired or necessary, it is very possible for Mormons to get a divorce. They can have their marriages cancelled as to the laws of the state, and they can have their temple sealing cancelled as well. Over the course of the next week, we'll be discussing this in greater detail-under what circumstances do Mormons divorce, how do they go about it, and what they can do to avoid it. It's my hope that you'll join us as we take a closer look at this topic that isn't often addressed in the LDS community.

Related Blogs:

But They Were Married in the Temple

What to Tell Children About Divorce

Marriage Fights

(picture courtesy of Morguefile.)

Learn more about Tristi Pinkston

I've been a blogger for Families.com since August of 2006.

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