A few years ago I met a Catholic guy. He was going through an intense bunch of marriage counseling with his wife. She apparently caught him sinning (I didn’t get the details), and he confessed he had always had same-sex thoughts/feelings/issues, even before he got married. He said he hoped having a wife would make it all better, but it didn’t. He was relieved his lifetime of lying about who he is, was over. But he was terrified about what admitting this meant to the future of his marriage.Horton: I read an article yesterday stating that he had kept the secret from his family for all of his marriage, just as I expected.
(Had I thought of this forum, I would have asked him if the evil Mormons brainwashed him into finding a Catholic girl to marry. Actually, no I wouldn’t have, that would have been unhelpful and a bit stupid.)
For an accurate portrayal of this topic please read the book Joseph Smith’s Polygamy: Toward A Better Understanding.Do you want the LDS version or the true version? I’ll give you the true version. Joseph Smith had a problem with marriage fidelity. He had affairs behind his wife’s back. But he knew this couldn’t fly for long, him being the prophet and all, so he had a “revelation” that God was instituting plural/eternal (celestial) marriage. This revelation later became known as Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants, which is canon scripture in Mormonism. Joseph kept this revelation secret for some time and started marrying other women, a lot of other women…somewhere around 50 before he died, including women already married to other men and at least one 14 year-old, probably more.
Joseph tried to keep this secret from his first wife, Emma, because he knew she would most definitely not approve. She did eventually find out and was furious. She confronted him about it and demanded that he stop. So instead of doing the right thing, Joseph doubled down and had another revelation from God that Emma must accept his additional wives or face destruction. Well, apparently Emma didn’t like the sound of that, so she reluctantly capitulated. This wasn’t the only time Joseph used a threatening “revelation” to get someone to bend to his will. He did the same thing to some of the other women he wanted to marry.
To answer your first question, D&C Sect 132 is the reason eternal marriage is necessary to reach the celestial kingdom. It’s all nonsense of course, but in Mormondom it’s taken very seriously, although not fully–but that’s another topic.
As to your second question, no, in Mormondom it’s not enough for a woman to stay single and live for Jesus. The only way to the celestial kingdom is to marry in the temple. Mormons claim that if you don’t you will have the chance to do so in the afterlife, but if a single LDS woman told her family or friends that she wanted to stay single and live for Jesus, they would look at her like she’s crazy.
In the beginning, polygamy was kept to the inner circles of Mormon leadership. But when Brigham Young took over and moved the religion to Utah, he went full-on polygamy and took it to a whole other level. Being so far away from the authority of the U.S. government allowed him to do whatever he wanted, but even that did not last.
How do Catholics who choose to remain single keep the never-revoked commandment to multiply and replenish the Earth?Catholics believe marriage is a sacrament. However, we also believe that it is a choice, not an obligation and certainly not required for heaven.
I don’t see how Matthew 19:4-6 is a commandment to get married. It’s about not getting divorced.
I already responded to the claim that Jesus taught there will be no marriage in Heaven. He only said no new marriages will be performed in Heaven. Why does Catholic teaching go against what Jesus taught? Are there other verses that haven’t yet been mentioned in this thread to which Catholics appeal on this matter ? Thanks in advance.We believe there is no marriage in heaven because Jesus told us so.
Why does LDS teaching go against what Jesus taught?
If the Catholic Church is in the wrong for not requiring that we all should get married and multiply, then so is Jesus. He himself proposed celibacy for the Kingdom.How do Catholics who choose to remain single keep the never-revoked commandment to multiply and replenish the Earth?
Did Jesus teach that everyone should get married? NoWhy does Catholic teaching go against what Jesus taught?
Since the very first of those who chose to remain unmarried & celibate for the kingdom were those who walked with Jesus, I would assume they heard it from him directly.How do Catholics who choose to remain single keep the never-revoked commandment to multiply and replenish the Earth?
Catholics do not go against the teaching of Jesus on this. Jesus does teach that there are some who should not marry and obviously, through sacred tradition, we know that unmarried celibate life is perfectly acceptable way of life.Why does Catholic teaching go against what Jesus taught?
a 2004 publication quoted LDS Family Services statistics which showed that about half of the approximately 400 gay Mormon men they had seen as clients for over a year during the past 30 years were married, though only half of those were able to stay married.
Genesis 9:1 God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them: Be fertile and multiply and fill the earth.As far as the command (not commandment) to multiply and replenish the earth, where does it say ALL people should do this?
A fair point. I believe there is no credible evidence that Jesus was married and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not claim to know that He was. They’re very well may be special circumstances where someone is unable to marry in this life. Jesus’ mission may very well have been so important that marriage would have interfered during his short life. However this discussion started based on the problem Elizabeth Smart’s mother possibly could encounter by losing her spouse in this life. The answer is that if she remains faithful and is unable to marry in this life she will have the opportunity in the next. Such would be the case with anybody who has a special assignment in this life to further God’s work, including Christ. I hope this helps…If the Catholic Church is in the wrong for not requiring that we all should get married and multiply, then so is Jesus. He himself proposed celibacy for the Kingdom.
He himself never got married and had children.
October 6, 1854, Orson Hyde of the Quorum of the Twelve discussed the Savior’s wedding recounted in the Bible:A fair point. I believe there is no credible evidence that Jesus was married and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not claim to know that He was.