Will it all "just work out"?

[_Scottie]

One of the most common phrases I hear used by LDS is that "it will all work out in the end".

First, how do we know it will "all work out"? What if it doesn't "all work out"?

Second, why isn't there more of an outcry for further light and knowledge of these sticky issues (like sealings/divorces)?

Third, if God has the ability to make it "all work out", then why make us jump through the hoops in the first place?? Why can't He make it "all work out" automatically without us having to do anything??

A couple of examples I thought of. A young couple is newly married. They find out great news! A baby is on the way! Tragedy strikes and the husband is killed before the baby is born. Mother remarries a fine LDS man and he raises the child as his own. Does that adoptive father lose rights to the child in the afterlife? Answer: "It will all work out".

Second, in the late 1800's, a good man was baptised a member of the LDS church. Not quite understanding the proper authority, he baptizes his family without first gaining the proper priesthood. This is never caught and the sons go on to baptize their families, who baptize their families. Nowhere in any of this has proper priesthood power been passed along. None of the baptisms should be valid. Does the entire posterity lose their entrance to Heaven? Answer: "It will all work out".

So, again I ask, if God has the ability to allow both fathers access to the child, completely bypassing the traditional sealing methods, or allowing the posterity to retain the priesthood which was not properly ordained, why in the world are any of these ordinations necessary anyways??

[_Buffalo]

It's funny that when you're talking about worthiness and baptisms, it will "just work out." IE if you were baptized by an unworthy man, you don't need to be re-baptized. It will all work out. But, if so much as a hair of your head is out of the water, you need to be re-baptized. That makes no sense.

It's like they're saying that actual authority isn't important (an unworthy priesthood holder has no authority, remember), it's just the physical motions of ordinances that are important. That's not what they teach, but that's the implication of these practices.

[_truth dancer]

Hi Scottie,

A couple of examples I thought of. A young couple is newly married. They find out great news! A baby is on the way! Tragedy strikes and the husband is killed before the baby is born. Mother remarries a fine LDS man and he raises the child as his own. Does that adoptive father lose rights to the child in the afterlife? Answer: "It will all work out".

Well, let me share with you a situation of which I was personally aware.

A young woman married the love of her life, childhood sweethearts. A few months after being married in the temple, the husband is diagnosed with cancer and given only months to live.

Now, this young woman, obviously will never be able to be sealed to another man, and if she gets married outside the temple, the children will be sealed to the first husband. So what to do?

The leaders of her ward, and stake asked for advice from the brethren who counseled this young couple to get a sealing cancellation, which they approved.

While the young couple did not want to do this, they wanted to follow the prophet and so, while the young man was facing death, they undid their sealing.

It was one of the most heart wrenching situations you could ever imagine.

~td~

[_Scottie]

Well, let me share with you a situation of which I was personally aware.

A young woman married the love of her life, childhood sweethearts. A few months after being married in the temple, the husband is diagnosed with cancer and given only months to live.

Now, this young woman, obviously will never be able to be sealed to another man, and if she gets married outside the temple, the children will be sealed to the first husband. So what to do?

The leaders of her ward, and stake asked for advice from the brethren who counseled this young couple to get a sealing cancellation, which they approved.

While the young couple did not want to do this, they wanted to follow the prophet and so, while the young man was facing death, they undid their sealing.

It was one of the most heart wrenching situations you could ever imagine.

~td~

Does the mother live by the "it will all work out" hope?

[_truth dancer]

Hi Scottie,

I have not spoken with this woman for years but at the time I last interacted with her, she was remarried and had three children. I do not think she lived with any hope of being with her first husband at all. She believed he would be with someone else for the eternities.

Even though she had accepted her situation, it still haunted her.

~td~

[_Willy Law]

If you read Devery Anderson's book; Development of LDS Temple Worship, you will be amazed at how often these issues found their way to the desk of the prophet.
Seems they have given up on trying to answer these question. Judging from the solutions they came up with in the early church I think they have made the correct decision.

[_honorentheos]

Interesting topic, Scottie. I think there are equivalents to this in most corners of every human society, though.

The idea, "Everything happens for a reason" may be literally true in a Newtonian sense. But it's another question entirely if the results will help achieve a higher purpose - be that God's/Allah's will or Karma (as a couple of examples). It seems every culture has a way of expressing the need to believe that whatever happens, it's not for naught.

[_moksha]

That puts the question of binding items in Heaven into question when the Church is unable or unwilling to provide workable solutions. I know I am unhappy with the idea of my daughter being chained to some unbiological Daddy she has never met. However, the idea that it will all work out everytime because that in itself is the mechanism, is comforting.

[_zeezrom]

How sad, TD!

Is the idea of being married in the afterlife fairly unique to Mormons? In other words, do other religions avoid the afterlife train wreck by assuming life beyond will not have a marriage component?

[_cafe crema]

How sad, TD!

Is the idea of being married in the afterlife fairly unique to Mormons? In other words, do other religions avoid the afterlife train wreck by assuming life beyond will not have a marriage component?

From what I understand marriage is not necessary in others understanding, since it's two purposes, procreation and unifying individuals won't be needed in heaven. Since other don't believe those in heaven have children of any sort and being perfectly united with God will in turn make one perfectly united with your spouse, and everyone else. Though most believe you will still be you and you spouse and kids will still be them so you will still have the unique relationship you had with them, it will just be better than we can understand now.