The Church made an exciting new announcement today about temple sealings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Effective immediately, “a civil marriage between a man and a woman will no longer necessitate waiting a year for that couple to be married (or sealed) in a temple. The change means Latter-day Saint couples can look forward to a temple marriage as soon as their circumstances permit.”
This new policy will undoubtedly bless many lives so that weddings can be more inclusive for family members who may not be members of the Church. I’m sure we will also see a lot of changes in Latter-day Saint wedding culture as it becomes more common to hold a civil wedding separate from a temple sealing. There may be some negative consequences for such a change as well. However, I for one, look forward to the exciting changes the future may hold in Mormon weddings.
Some of you may be wondering why this change happened, or why couples had to wait a year to get sealed in the temple if they chose to get married civilly. After all, there are countries outside of the U.S. that require a civil marriage, and so Latter-day Saint couples in those countries are allowed to get sealed in the temple as soon as their circumstances permit.
The earliest document I could find commenting on this issue was the Handbook of Instruction from 1940.
The first time the Church requires couples to wait a year after a civil wedding to be sealed in the temple is in 1956.
Below is a brief history of the wedding waiting period policy, from 1940 to 1989. If anyone knows of a document or policy before 1956, or after 1989 (I don’t have access to the current Handbook 1), let me know!
Also, be sure to check out Devery Anderson’s book The Development of LDS Temple Worship, which is where I collected all this information. It’s an invaluable source book.
1940
Handbook of Instructions, Number 16 (Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1940), 123-25, 129-33.
Sealings After Civil Marriages—Permission may be granted to couples who have been married by civil law to have their marriages solemnized in the Temple, at such time as local authorities feel assured of their personal purity and worthiness and of the genuineness of their desire for the blessings of the House of the Lord. Couples who have associated together illicitly should not be recommended to the Temple until they have satisfied their bishops that they have thoroughly repented, and have shown their repentance by living righteously for a prolonged period of time. Mere sorrow is not repentance. It is urged that the desirability of Temple marriages be continually emphasized. Marriages in the Temple following civil ceremonies are sealings only, and should not be reported as Temple marriages. A Temple marriage is one in which the parties enter into the marriage relationship for the first time.
Devery S. Anderson. The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History. Signature Books. Kindle Edition, location 6123.
1944
Handbook of Instructions, No. 17 (Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1944), 76-83, 89-90.
Sealings After Civil Marriages: Permission may be granted to couples who have been married by civil law to have their marriages solemnized in the temple, at such time as local authorities feel assured of their personal purity and worthiness and of the genuineness of their desire for the blessings of the House of the Lord.
Marriages in the temple following civil ceremonies are sealings only, and should not be reported as temple marriages. A temple marriage is one in which the parties enter into the marriage relationship for the first time.
Devery S. Anderson. The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History. Signature Books. Kindle Edition, location 6665.
1956
Helps and Suggestions for Ward Bishoprics (Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1956), 17-23
Where couples have been married by civil law, permission to have their marriages solemnized in the temple may be granted one year or more after the civil ceremony, provided that local authorities feel assured of their personal purity and worthiness and of the genuineness of their desire for the blessings of the house of the Lord. No exceptions to this one-year rule waiting period are to be made except by permission of the First Presidency. … Any request to have a temple marriage annulled must come before the President of the Church for action.
Devery S. Anderson. The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History. Signature Books. Kindle Edition, location 7184.
1960
General Handbook of Instructions, Number 18 (Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints, 1960), 65-70, 74-75.
Sealings after Civil Marriages: Permission may be granted to couples who have been married by civil law to have their marriages solemnized in the temple at such time as the stake president and bishop feel assured of their personal purity and worthiness and of their genuine desire for the blessings of the House of the Lord.
Where parents are not eligible to enter the temple, and yet insist on witnessing the wedding ceremony of their son or daughter, bishops must apply to the First Presidency for permission if it is desired to hold a civil ceremony first, to be followed shortly afterward by the sealing in the temple. Special permission of the First Presidency in each instance of this kind is required.
Where couples deliberately refuse temple marriages for reasons of their own, and afterward desire a sealing, they should be asked to wait for at least a year in which to demonstrate their sincerity and worthiness to receive this blessing.
If an unmarried couple, worthy of temple marriage, yet living at a considerable distance from a temple, desires to travel unaccompanied from their homes to the temple, it may be thought advisable that they have a civil marriage before leaving home, though only a few days may intervene between the civil ceremony and the sealing in the temple.
Devery S. Anderson. The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History. Signature Books. Kindle Edition, location 7454.
1966
David O. McKay, Hugh B. Brown, N. Eldon Tanner, and Joseph Fielding Smith, circular letter, July 6, 1966
From time to time we receive requests from couples who desire to be married by civil ceremony before traveling from their home to the temple to have the sealing solemnized. For your guidance we are pleased to tell you that the ruling is that where couples are married by civil ceremony they should normally not be recommended to the temple until after a year or very near that period of time has elapsed since the civil ceremony was solemnized. Occasionally we receive requests for exceptions to this ruling, the reason given being that the parents of one or both of the contracting parties are non-members and are desirous of witnessing the civil ceremony. In such cases we have, as a general rule, granted permission. It should be understood, however, that this permission must be obtained in each instance from the First Presidency before authorization may be given.
Where parents of the couple to be married are members ofthe Church but not active or qualified to receive temple recommends, we have not felt to grant exceptions to the general rule that the marriage should be performed in the temple in the first instance.
Devery S. Anderson. The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History. Signature Books. Kindle Edition, location 8295.
1970
Priesthood Bulletin, Sept. 1970, 3-4
Frequently couples whose parents, one or more, are not members of the Church desire to be married by civil ceremony before going to the temple so that the nonmember parent may witness the marriage. It is contrary to policy to grant such requests.
In lieu thereof, if the parties concerned desire to do so, they may arrange through the bishop of the bride or groom for the holding of a meeting in a cultural hall or some room other than the chapel subsequent or prior to the temple marriage which the nonmember parents and other friends may be invited to attend. This meeting might include a musical number, such as a vocal selection, and prayer; and the bishop of the ward or some other qualified person might explain to those present the principle of eternal marriage. There would, however, be no exchanging of vows nor marriage ceremony of any kind as a part of this arrangement. Under no circumstance may a civil marriage ceremony follow a temple marriage. This would be mockery and something that cannot be condoned.
Devery S. Anderson. The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History. Signature Books. Kindle Edition, location 8800.
1971
Attached to Joseph Fielding Smith, Harold B. Lee, and N. Eldon Tanner, circular letter, February 12, 1971
If you have been civilly married for less than one year, or if your baptismal date is less than one year from your anticipated first visit to the temple, you must bring a letter of permission from the First Presidency granting permission for your sealing and/or your early endowment.
Devery S. Anderson. The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History. Signature Books. Kindle Edition, location 9077.
1971
Attached to Joseph Fielding Smith, Harold B. Lee, and N. Eldon Tanner, circular letter, Feb. 12, 1971.
Unless otherwise authorized, there is a one-year waiting period after baptisms and civil marriages before sealings can take place. However, if the reason for not being married in the temple was that one of the parties had not been a member for a year then, with the approval of the First Presidency, the sealing can take place any time after the year expires from the date of baptism. Any exceptions must be approved by the First Presidency. Please bring the letter of approval with you where exceptions are involved.
Devery S. Anderson. The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History. Signature Books. Kindle Edition, location 9142.
1972
Priesthood Bulletin, June 1972, 2
[In] the General Handbook of Instructions, [the section titled] “Sealings after Civil Marriages,” says in part that “where a couple are married by a civil ceremony, they should not be recommended to the temple until after a year has elapsed since the civil ceremony was solemnized.” This statement has raised the question whether it is in order to recommend worthy couples to attend the temple even though they have to wait for their sealing.
- If a person has been endowed before a civil marriage and is in every respect worthily qualified to go to the temple, it is proper to issue a temple recommend within the year following the civil marriage, but not a recommend for his own sealing to a spouse until a year has elapsed from the time of his civil marriage.
- If a person has not been endowed prior to his civil marriage, then no temple recommend may be issued until a year has expired after the civil marriage.
This instruction does not apply at those temples where the civil law requires that marriages be performed outside the temple, provided that the couple go to the temple for their sealing immediately following their civil marriage. Other exceptions may be granted only by the First Presidency.
Devery S. Anderson. The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History. Signature Books. Kindle Edition, location 9272.
1976
General Handbook of Instructions, Number 21 (Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1976), 53-66, 98-99.
A couple married by civil ceremony outside the temple are not to be issued recommends for the performance of ordinances other than baptisms and confirmations for the dead in the temple until after a year has elapsed since the civil ceremony was performed. This rule does not apply in the following situations:
- A person endowed before being married in a civil ceremony, who is worthy to go to the temple, may receive a temple recommend within the year following the civil marriage to do ordinance work for the dead. Also a worthy person holding a current recommend may continue to perform the ordinance work for which it was issued.
- Where civil law requires that marriages be performed outside the temple, provided the couple goes to the temple for their sealing within such reasonable time after their civil marriage as travel permits. This includes civil marriages in Japan and the temple districts of [the] London, Switzerland, and New Zealand temples.
- Due to the complicated procedure for validating marriages of Mexican citizens that are performed outside of Mexico, it is recommended that civil marriages take place in Mexico prior to sealings in the temple in those instances where the couple plans to reside in Mexico. … In such cases, worthy couples may come to the temple for their endowments and sealings without the usual one-year waiting period provided they do so within a reasonable time as set forth in 2 above.
- A couple married by civil ceremony, who were worthy but could not have a temple marriage because either or both had not been members of the Church for one year, may be issued recommends for their endowments and sealing as soon as they have been members for one year. They are not required to wait one year from their marriage date.
Devery S. Anderson. The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History. Signature Books. Kindle Edition, location 9529.
1978
Spencer W. Kimball, N. Eldon Tanner, and Marion G. Romney, circular letter, July 31, 1978, copy in Buerger Papers.
Where couples live in a foreign land and lack of the necessary funds at the time of their marriage to cover travel costs to the temple, or where a temple was not available on their continent at the time of their marriage[,] and at that time both parties were worthy to enter the temple[,] … [they] may come to the temple for their endowments and sealings without the usual one-year waiting period. While no minimum or maximum time is set between the civil ceremony and the temple sealing, it is recommended that such sealing be accomplished within such reasonable time after the civil marriage as the mode of travel permits. After a couple is legally married there is no requirement that they abstain from marital relations pending their sealing in the temple.
Devery S. Anderson. The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History. Signature Books. Kindle Edition, location 9805.
1983
General Handbook of Instructions (Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1983), 34-44, 12.
A couple married outside the temple may not receive a recommend to be sealed until at least one year after the civil marriage. The one-year waiting period does not apply in the following circumstances:
- The couple lives in a country in which the laws do not readily recognize a marriage performed out of the country.
- The couple travels with a Church-sponsored excursion to a temple in a different country than where they live.
- The temple in which a couple will be married is located in a country where the law requires that marriages be performed in a public place.3
- An unchaperoned couple’s travel to a temple would require one or more overnight stops on the way.
In the preceding circumstances, worthy couples should receive their temple endowments and be sealed as soon as the mode of travel permits, without the one-year waiting period. After a civil marriage, a man and woman need not abstain from marital relations before being sealed
Devery S. Anderson. The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History. Signature Books. Kindle Edition, location 10074.
1989
General Handbook of Instructions (Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1989), 6-1 to 6-7.
A couple married outside the temple may be sealed after one full year from the time of the civil marriage. The one-year waiting period does not apply, however, in the following cases:
- The temple in which the couple is married is in a country that requires a civil marriage and does not recognize a marriage in the temple.
- The couple lives in a country where there is no temple and the laws of the country do not recognize a marriage performed outside the country.
- An unchaperoned couple’s travel to a temple will require one or more overnight stops.
In these exceptional cases, couples should receive their endowments and be sealed as soon as possible after their civil marriage. Worthy members who have been married in a civil ceremony and who have been members of the Church for at least one year may receive their own endowments and participate in all other temple ordinances except their marriage sealing within the year following civil marriage.
Devery S. Anderson. The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History. Signature Books. Kindle Edition, location 10311.
Jasmin Gimenez 