7 Things Mormons Believe about Marriage and Family

1. Everyone Is a Spiritual Child of the Heavenly Father

To understand an LDS member’s views about marriage and family, we must first start with their view of God. Official Mormon doctrine teaches that God the Father was originally a man who achieved godhood. They deny that God is spirit and that He instead has a flesh and bone body (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22).

Also, Mormons deny that God is eternal because they believe that the Heavenly Father was once a man, and any man can become a god by obediently following the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Since they teach that God has a physical body, they believe that He has a heavenly wife (or, more likely, wives) with which He fathered all spirits.

These spirit children are waiting for bodies so they can enter a time of testing to progress toward godhood. According to LDS teaching, everyone who is alive today or was alive in history was originally one of these spirit children.

All Mormons agree that humans are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). They believe this is why we have bodies – because God was once a man and had a body.

Biblical response: God was not a man before becoming a “god.” There is no other god besides the Lord, for there was no one before Him (Isaiah 43:10-11). He is the eternal Lord, who is spirit (John 4:24).

Jesus added humanity to His divinity in the incarnation and now forever has a resurrected, glorified body (Philippians 2:6-11). However, the Father and the Holy Spirit are spirits, not flesh and bone.

Also, God did not have sexual relations with a wife or wives to produce spirit children. Instead, He created humans with bodies and souls on the sixth day of creation (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7).

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2. The Purpose of Marriage Is Procreation

Based on their view of God and the origin of man, Mormons believe that the purpose of marriage is to produce a lot of children. They think numerous spirits are waiting for bodies, and it is their job to procreate and provide as many bodies as possible.

As N. Eldon Tanner wrote in the section of Celestial Marriages and Eternal Families for the April 1980 General Conference of the LDS church, “When parents understand the purpose of their existence, that they are literally the spiritual offspring of their Father in Heaven and that they have a responsibility to provide mortal bodies for others, then they rejoice in the miracle of birth as they realize they are copartners with God in the creation of each child who comes into that home.”

A natural extension of this belief is that families should be large to provide bodies for the spirit children of the Heavenly Father. This accounts for the numerous amounts of children in LDS households.

To support their views, they use a mixture of Bible verses and passages from The Pearl of Great Price, such as Moses 1:39. A central verse from Scripture they use is Genesis 1:28, when God tells Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. They believe this instruction still applies to people today.

Biblical response: Although the Lord did tell Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply, procreation is not the sole purpose of marriage. Neither is marriage about providing bodies for spirits. Instead, biblical marriage is a gift and blessing from God, whether it brings about children or not.

The act of producing, giving birth, and raising children should occur in the context of a family with a husband and wife who are faithful to God. However, marriage also has the important purpose of giving a picture of Jesus’ love for the church (Ephesians 5:25).

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3. Celestial Marriages Lasts for Eternity

When a man and woman in the LDS church have a celestial or temple marriage, they are sealed together. Mormons believe celestial marriages extend beyond life, not ending with death.

The union is eternal. LDS members support this view with various Bible verses, including Genesis 2:22-24, Matthew 19:6, and 1 Corinthians 11:11.

Not only are the husband and wife sealed to each other, but so are any children born to the couple or adopted by them. They are sealed forever so that they will have an eternal family. Their joy of being together will supposedly last beyond death and into eternity.

To have a celestial marriage and experience sealing, Mormons must be married in a temple under the authority of the priesthood. They must also be sealed by the Holy Spirit and follow the commands of the LDS church. According to their Doctrine and Covenants, those who do not follow these protocols will not have an eternal marriage (132:18).

Biblical response: This belief goes against what is taught in the Bible. Jesus said, “At the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30). In eternity, no one will be physically married to another person.

Spouses are only bound in the marriage covenant until death or if one of them is unfaithful. Only one form of marriage will exist in eternity: that of the church’s marriage to Jesus.

All members of the church will be collectively the bride of Christ — a metaphor for our union with our Savior (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 19:7).

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4. Celestial Marriage Is Necessary for “Exaltation”

Another belief of the church of the Latter-day Saints is that people can be exalted and achieve godhood, which is the highest form of eternal life.

This process is known as exaltation and is accomplished by obeying the rules of the Mormon church. One such rule is that a person must be sealed in a celestial marriage to experience exaltation.

Neither man nor woman can reach the highest level in the afterlife as a single person. Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, wrote that “no man can be saved and exalted in the kingdom of God without the woman, and no woman can reach the perfection and exaltation in the kingdom of God alone” (Gospel Doctrine, 272, quoted in Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual).

Marriage, then is far more than just a personal choice in Mormonism, but something that affects a person’s salvation and eternal condition.

Biblical response: From a Christian viewpoint, the belief that celestial marriage is required for salvation is unbiblical. People are not saved to become gods. There is only one true God: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Besides Him, there is no other (Isaiah 45:5). He has given marriage as a gift, but it is not necessary for salvation. People are saved by grace through faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection (Romans 10:9-11; Ephesians 2:8-9). Christ is the Way to the Father, not a person’s husband or wife (John 14:6).

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5. Men Can Have Multiple Wives in Eternity

In the LDS church, celestial marriage is vital for women’s salvation because Mormons believe that their husbands will be the ones to call them up out of the grave and accept them as their goddess wives in the celestial kingdom. 

A woman belongs to her first husband for all eternity if they enter a celestial marriage, even if she remarries after he dies. 

Historically, some Mormon men entered marriage sealings with multiple women in the practice of plural marriage. Joseph Smith is known to have done this since he had many wives and sealings with other women. 

Today, the LDS church teaches that polygamy has ceased for saints. However, if a man’s wife dies and he remarries another woman in a celestial marriage, then he believes he can call both after he dies. Thus, he could have multiple wives for eternity as a “god.”

All of this is dependent on whether the wife is found acceptable by the man. In the Doctrine and Covenants 132 of the LDS church, Emma Smith (the wife of Joseph Smith) was commanded to obey her husband and not object to his marriage to other women.

If she did object or failed to obey Joseph, she was threatened with being destroyed (see 132:51-54). LDS women today must also obey and be found worthy.

Woven into the historic fabric of Mormonism is that men can have multiple wives, both on earth and in eternity. A woman’s eternal condition depends greatly on her husband.

Biblical response: Marriage is only between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:22-24; Mark 10:8). Polygamy is unbiblical. Every time it is depicted in the Bible, there are problems and discord (Genesis 29:30-35; 30:1-24; 1 Samuel 1:1-8; 1 Kings 11:4).

This includes eternal marriage and having multiple wives. Marriage as an institution ends at death and will not exist in heaven or the eternal kingdom (Mark 12:24-25).

Also, a woman’s worth and salvation are not found in her husband. Jesus is the One who saves a person (Acts 4:12). All believers, including women, will be called forth from the grave at the resurrection by Jesus Christ, not by a spouse (John 5:27-29; 1 Thessalonians 4:16).

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6. Members Should Do Genealogy Work

The Mormon church has invested an enormous amount of time, effort, and money into genealogy work. Unlike others, who trace genealogies out of curiosity about their ancestors, Mormons view it as a form of ministry to the dead.

As they research past family members, they learn more about members of their “eternal family” and are then able to perform ordinances for deceased ancestors. This is why genealogy work is on their list of acceptable activities on the Sabbath (Sunday).

For example, the LDS church believes that the dead can place faith in the gospel message and experience salvation (Doctrine and Covenants 127-128).

They also believe that the dead can be baptized, which is a requirement for salvation according to LDS teaching. All of this, of course, is done by proxy for deceased individuals through current members, though they believe that the dead can either accept or reject these ordinances.

Biblical response: People cannot place faith in Jesus after death. Scripture teaches that people die once and then face judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Individuals must receive the gift of salvation during their lives. If someone dies rejecting Jesus, his or her eternal fate is decided and sealed (John 3:18).

Furthermore, completing works, including ordinances, is not required for salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). Baptism is an outward declaration that a person has placed faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection. It is not a requirement for salvation.

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7. Families Should Spend Designated Time Together

Since Mormons believe that their families are eternal and that raising families is their primary purpose in life, they make family time a priority.

The LDS church has made two specific days designated times for these gatherings: Sunday (which they refer to as the Sabbath) and Monday evening. If needed, though, families can substitute a different day for Monday evening.

During these times, families are supposed to come together to bond as a family and learn LDS doctrine. Sunday includes going to temple meetings together as well as engaging in other approved activities suitable for the Sabbath.

Similarly, Monday evenings should be set aside solely for family activities and spiritual growth in the Mormon faith. They might share a meal or snack, play games, and read from an LDS magazine together.

Biblical response: Although Christians would agree that family is important and that parents are responsible for the spiritual upbringing of their children, Mormonism is a cult that causes problems for children and families.

As Roger Patterson stated in his chapter on Mormonism in World Religions and Cults Volume 1: Counterfeits of Christianity, the effects of legalism in the LDS church and high expectations on Mormon children “can lead to depression, seeking to please others, and rebellion within the family” (Master Books, 2015, p. 269).

What LDS families need is not to be pressured into being controlled, but knowledge of the true gospel. When people know Jesus, they experience lasting freedom, peace, and love that cannot be found in anyone or anything else.

As nice and friendly as Mormon families may be, the teachings of Mormonism are far from biblical Christianity. Not only do their beliefs and established doctrines keep individual members in spiritual bondage, but the cult affects entire families.

The LDS church is so focused on eternal marriage and families that it ignores that life is about placing faith in and knowing the only true, eternal Lord: Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Salvation and eternal life are found in Him alone.

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