TERRI - What happens when a couple is granted a temple divorce? Are the kids then sealed to either parent?

JOEL - Normally the couple would seek the guidance from their Bishop or Stake President to help them solve their differences. No Bishop or Stake President would ever suggest that a couple get a divorce. That decision is solely up to the couple. Depending on the reasons for seeking the divorce, one or both of the spouses may need Church discipline if they have committed serious transgressions in connection with the divorce.

Before a Temple sealing between a couple is canceled, the couple must first go through the civil divorce procedings. After that, the man and woman may apply for a cancellation of their temple sealing. To do this, the bishop and stake president submit an Application to the First Presidency form to seek this cancellation. Only the First Presidency can grant a cancelation. Actually, the cancellation of sealing does not even need to happen, unless one or both of the couple want to marry someone else in the temple. Getting a divorce and/or cancellation of sealing does not mean a person has no chance of obtaining the Celestial Kingdom as long as they remain worthy. However, they will of course eventually have to be sealed to someone in order to obtain the highest level of that Kingdom.

In the eternal perspective of things the cancellation of the parents' sealing has no effect on the blessings and privledges that the children enjoy relative to their being sealed to the parents. Regardless of the situation, the sealing status of the innocent children is not affected. In the Celestial Kingdom, we are all one big family anyway. God will sort things out for the good of everyone. Also, later on in life, (or during the millenium if a child dies before getting married) the children will probably be sealed to their own spouse to begin their own eternal family.

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