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In the highest level, where God lives, what will the basic family unit look like?

Will it be one man with one wife?

Please support your view (if possible) with Church doctrine or references.

Thanks.

My initial thought would be that it is impossible for it to be one model.
If it was one man + one woman then all those polygamous wives would be left single and unable to dwell with God. If it was one man + more than one woman, then the monogamous Saints would be left out or, if allowed entrance, feel inferior or pressured to add wives.

Also, let's say half of Brigham Youngs wives weren't valiant enough to reach the top level. Does God split the family up consigning the less valiant to a husband less eternity or do they get palmed off onto a less valiant man?

My references:
D&C 132 which makes it clear you have to live polygamy to be worthy to enter the CK.
The Proclamation on the Family which makes it clear you have to live monogamy to be worthy to enter the CK.

Obviously the family unit is defined for our time here on this earth. However, I am unfamiliar with any actual and defined version(s) of family as would be experienced in the time after we depart this life.

To be fair, I am unaware of any Doctrine that specifies such precise details of the conditions while the existing in the CK....seems to be more concerned, appropriately, with life here and now.

subgenius wrote:Obviously the family unit is defined for our time here on this earth. However, I am unfamiliar with any actual and defined version(s) of family as would be experienced in the time after we depart this life.

To be fair, I am unaware of any Doctrine that specifies such precise details of the conditions while the existing in the CK....seems to be more concerned, appropriately, with life here and now.

Well D&C 132 specifies the doctrine of multiple wives as a requirement for entry into the CK at least that's what it meant originally. Now it just means to be sealed to one woman. So we can deduce from the multiple interpretations of this scripture that there will be at least two variants of family in the CK.

And as for the family unit described in the Proclamation being only applicable to life on earth...

WE, THE FIRST PRESIDENCY and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children. (The Family: A Proclamation To The World)

The proclamation addresses our relationship to God and the importance of marriage and family relationships in this life and in eternity.(Mormon.org)

Drifting wrote: If it was one man + more than one woman, then the monogamous Saints would be left out or, if allowed entrance, feel inferior or pressured to add wives.

Possibly the doctrine was revealed by Joseph that one with a higher priesthood could take the wife of one with a lesser or no priesthood (Doctrine of My Priesthoods Bigger than Yours). Thus the monogamous men in the Celestial Kingdom could pick and choose till they had an adequate supply necessary under the Celestial bylaws.

Also, let's say half of Brigham Young's wives weren't valiant enough to reach the top level. Does God split the family up consigning the less valiant to a husband less eternity or do they get palmed off onto a less valiant man?

My guess is that these inferior women would receive a get out of hell free card to as part of the numbers thing.

My references:
D&C 132 which makes it clear you have to live polygamy to be worthy to enter the CK.
The Proclamation on the Family which makes it clear you have to live monogamy to be worthy to enter the CK.

Perhaps the later policy was meant to be understood on a temporal basis while polygamy is long lasting. Or it may have completely dissolved the polygamous marriages leaving the past deceased polygamists with a dilemma as to which one to keep.

Drifting wrote:My references:
D&C 132 which makes it clear you have to live polygamy to be worthy to enter the CK.

FAIL. D&C 132 makes it clear that those who remain separately and singly will be without exaltation but will be saved as angels (verse 17). It makes it clear that he who marries A WIFE (verse 19) will be exalted.

Zelder wrote:

Drifting wrote:My references:
D&C 132 which makes it clear you have to live polygamy to be worthy to enter the CK.

FAIL. D&C 132 makes it clear that those who remain separately and singly will be without exaltation but will be saved as angels (verse 17). It makes it clear that he who marries A WIFE (verse 19) will be exalted.

So will there be single people in the top level of the CK as well as monogamous and polygamous families?

Drifting wrote:


So will there be single people in the top level of the CK as well as monogamous and polygamous families?

I don't know what heaven is like. Section 132 does not mandate plural marriage it simply allows it, the new and everlasting covenant is marriage which includes monogamy.

Technically speaking, it takes only one man and one woman to be exalted and to be able to have spirit children. However, the prophet Brigham Young stated; "...it is the word of the Lord, and I wish to say to you, and all the world, that if you desire with all your hearts to obtain the blessings which Abraham obtained, you will be polygamists at least in your faith, or you will become short of enjoying the salvation and the glory which Abraham has obtained."

It is true that some, including us today, do not have the opportunity to practice this. However, we need to be polygamists at least in our faith. Why do I say that? We had better prepare ourselves; for the time will come when all worthy will be resurrected and join with those who are still alive on the earth when Isaiah's prophesy will be fulfilled. What is that prophesy? "And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, we will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name,. to take away our reproach." Isaiah 4:1

This verse is spoken of in the Journal of Discourses, and it is the last verse in the third chapter of Isaiah in the JST, which implies that it will be at a time just prior to the millennium, and, as the prophets have stated, this practice will continue throughout the millennium. Of course, it will be expected that men and women will practice this. Therefore, if someone is jealous or has some other character defect which will interfere with the compliance of this, then how can they expect to enter the celestial kingdom where Abraham and his wives are? Also, it is difficult for me to imagine someone avoiding all this and still making it to the celestial kingdom with only one wife, although I admit that it could be possible. However, I doubt it! How could a polygamist in his faith, when polygamy is practiced all during the millennium as well as temple work and sealings, only end up with one wife in exaltation?

Zelder wrote:

Drifting wrote:


So will there be single people in the top level of the CK as well as monogamous and polygamous families?

I don't know what heaven is like. Section 132 does not mandate plural marriage it simply allows it, the new and everlasting covenant is marriage which includes monogamy.

How come you can/will be excommunicated for something that current valid scripture allows?

When D&C 132 was written, the new and everlasting covenant was polygamy.

Drifting wrote:In the highest level, where God lives, what will the basic family unit look like?

Will it be one man with one wife?

Please support your view (if possible) with Church doctrine or references.

Thanks.

My initial thought would be that it is impossible for it to be one model.
If it was one man + one woman then all those polygamous wives would be left single and unable to dwell with God. If it was one man + more than one woman, then the monogamous Saints would be left out or, if allowed entrance, feel inferior or pressured to add wives.

Also, let's say half of Brigham Youngs wives weren't valiant enough to reach the top level. Does God split the family up consigning the less valiant to a husband less eternity or do they get palmed off onto a less valiant man?

My references:
D&C 132 which makes it clear you have to live polygamy to be worthy to enter the CK.
The Proclamation on the Family which makes it clear you have to live monogamy to be worthy to enter the CK.

I'm not going to quote scripture, the headaches this question stirs up are more than enough to deal with, without adding "scripspeak" to the mixture.

I remember conversations at family reunions when most of the adults there were parents with small children. The idea of having the family together, for ever, in the celestial kingdom was a picturesque, romantic, warming thought. Now that most of our kids are grown-ups with families of their own and the family links to relatives, virtually around the world, number in the hundreds, and the next generation will be in the thousands, I see only chaos.

We have relatives who will not talk to each other. Some have threatened violence if the other person(s) even show up at the same event. We have one uncle who left his wife, of their six children, for a teenage frilly, and later, after a lengthy divorce, re-married his new wife in the temple. (We don't know all the details) His kids can't stand their new "mother", mostly because they have kids almost as old as her.

There is a first wife, sealed in the temple, divorced, re-married in the temple, now inactive, but half of her children are super active but only spend time with their father who was ex-communicated.

One family has relatives, all active members, but don't live according to the words of wisdom but lie about their realities. They have recommends, at least do temple work, but never come clean...so to speak.

One wife left her husband, for an ex-missionary, who she seduced, but kept her recommend while her ex-husband was threatened with dis-fellowship because he had found a new woman.

My first wife passed away, But I knew her well. There is absolutely NO WAY she will accept wife number two. My present wife won't tolerate that my kids even mention their mother in her company. I have two wives that I love but who would never be content with "sharing" me.

One family has gone through the tragedy of a suicide of a son who lost his way.

So how does one build a house in the celestial kingdom that has rooms for incomplete families, with adult children, with problems of their own, with families of their own, with endless lines of adult people who make adult decisions that lead them in a scattergun pattern of paths?

No, it was easier when we had small children. Small kids who just wanted to please their parents, who had daily thoughts based on daily dreams. How we could fit these adults into a house of concord is chaos, nothing short.