Eternal marriage. Is it possible for non-mormons?

Post by **_SatanWasSetUp** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:02 pm

I often hear people of various non-mormon religions talk about deceased spouses and loved ones saying things like "I will see them again in heaven" or "He/she's waiting for me in heaven now." etc. Could it be that Mormons aren't the only religion that believes in eternal families, it's just that most religions don't have an official ceremony for it? It's implied that if there is a heaven, and good people go to heaven when they die, you will be able to live with your family, and anyone else you want to hang out with, in heaven if you were all good. This seems to be a relatively universal theme in most of the religious afterlife beliefs that I'm aware of. So if there is an ordinance required to "seal" families together in the afterlife, what mechanism is in place to prevent those who are not sealed from being with one another? For example, imagine there is a nice non-mormon family, like the Cunninghams on Happy Days. Let's pretend Howard and Marion die. Since they were non-mormon they cannot go to the Celestial Kingdom, but we all know they were good people, loving parents, good Milwaukee citizens, and they were always nice to the missionaries that came to their door. They end up in the Terrestrial Kingdom (or whatever the middle one is). They see each other. They run to one another to embrace. Is there some sort of heavenly police force that would keep them seperated since they weren't sealed and therefore cannot be together forever? A police force doesn't sound very heavenly to me. If not, and they are allowed to spend eternity in the middle kingdom (which would be incredibly amazingly heavenly to them) then they are together forever right? And when Richie and Joanie die, they can meet up in the TK with Howard and Marion and live with them forever. Heck, Fonzie, Potsie and the whole gang could meet up. Arnold could open his restaurant in the TK and the Happy Days theme would roll on forever. So what's the difference between that and a traditional protestant heaven?

Now, I've also heard the theory that when these non-mormons die they'll be in spirit prison where they'll be taught by missionaries until they accept the gospel (prison indeed), and there will not be any non-mormons assigned to the lower kingdoms.

Post by **_The Nehor** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:05 pm

They can hang out together all they want.

Post by **_SatanWasSetUp** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:37 pm

The Nehor wrote:They can hang out together all they want.

So there are no rules keeping them separated. So what does are sealings for? Forgive my ignorance, it's been a while since I've given much thought to this stuff.

Post by **_The Nehor** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:39 pm

SatanWasSetUp wrote:
The Nehor wrote:They can hang out together all they want.

So there are no rules keeping them separated. So what does are sealings for? Forgive my ignorance, it's been a while since I've given much thought to this stuff.

I know in the case of spouses it allows procreation to happen.

How it effects parent/child relationships I have no idea. I know there's something but since I know almost nothing about life in the various kingdoms I'm guessing that if I was told it still wouldn't make sense.

Post by **_bcspace** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:43 pm

Now, I've also heard the theory that when these non-mormons die they'll be in spirit prison where they'll be taught by missionaries until they accept the gospel (prison indeed), and there will not be any non-mormons assigned to the lower kingdoms.

Accepting the gospel in the spirit world is the same as joining the LDS Church (it is the same Church). Therefore, only LDS can be eternally married.

My reading of D&C 76 shows that only LDS will be resurrected to a Celestial and Terrestial glories.

Post by **_Hally McIlrath** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:57 pm

I thought if you went off to create your own worlds, you weren't going to be with your families anyway. They'd be off creating their own worlds.

Post by **_The Nehor** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:19 pm

Hally McIlrath wrote:I thought if you went off to create your own worlds, you weren't going to be with your families anyway. They'd be off creating their own worlds.

For omniscient, omnipotent beings distance isn't that big a deal. If I'm off in the Pegasus galaxy and my brother is in Andromeda we can communicate as if we were in the same room or be in the same room at will.

Post by **_Hally McIlrath** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:26 pm

The Nehor wrote:For omniscient, omnipotent beings distance isn't that big a deal. If I'm off in the Pegasus galaxy and my brother is in Andromeda we can communicate as if we were in the same room or be in the same room at will.

People won't be able to communicate between levels of heaven, though?

Post by **_The Nehor** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:08 pm

Hally McIlrath wrote:
The Nehor wrote:For omniscient, omnipotent beings distance isn't that big a deal. If I'm off in the Pegasus galaxy and my brother is in Andromeda we can communicate as if we were in the same room or be in the same room at will.

People won't be able to communicate between levels of heaven, though?

Why not? I suspect they can. I don't think they'd have a lot to talk about though.

Post by **_SatanWasSetUp** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:11 pm

So "eternal marriage" and "eternal family" are misnomers. Everyone, including non-mormons, can be with their family forever, but only Mormons get to procreate. Therefore, it's really eternal procreation.