By Jerald and Sandra Tanner
One of the most important tenants of the LDS Church is the necessity of temple ordinances. They teach that marriage in one of their temples is a requirement for Eternal Life. Past President Spencer W. Kimball said:
“Only through celestial [temple] marriage can one find the strait way, the narrow path. Eternal life cannot be had in any other way.”
President Spencer W. Kimball,
Deseret News, November 12, 1977
Yet there is no mention of temple marriage in either the Bible or the Book of Mormon. The Jewish temple ceremonies are clearly explained in the Old Testament (Exodus, chapters 26-30) and have no relationship to the LDS temple ceremony.
In the New Testament the only eternal marriage is the spiritual marriage of the believer to Christ (see 2 Corinthians 11:2 and Romans 7:4). This is a spiritual union, not an actual marriage. Christ never mentions that a temple marriage is necessary for eternal life. In fact, he taught just the opposite.
34Jesus answered and said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage
35“But those who are counted worthy to obtain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;
36nor can they die any more, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.”
(Luke 20:34-36, NKJV)
Originally appeared in:
Jerald and Sandra Tanner, “Temple Marriage,” Salt Lake City Messenger, no. 94, August 1998, 14.