Reasoning with Mormons out of the scriptures (Acts 17:2) (Home)
Table of Contents:
Introduction 3. Adam
6. The Priesthood 9. The Gospel
12. Eternal Life
1. His Image 4. God
7. Apostasy
10. Baptism Summary
2. Creation 5. Trinity
8. Prophets
11. Marriage
Scripture Reference
11. Marriage
The unmarried please the Lord ( LDS Teachings | Bible | Catholic Teachings | Early Church Writings)
Reason with a Mormon by asking - Why does the LDS church teach that marriage is a commandment when the Bible reveals that some are called to marry and some are not?
LDS Gospel Principles Chapter 36 "... each of us has been commanded to marry and have children ...."
1Cor.7 ([7] For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that [8] I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. [20] Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. [32] But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: [33] But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. [34] There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. )
Matt.19 ([10] His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. [11] But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. [12] For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.)
Modern day Mormon revelation is contrary to what the Bible reveals. Marriage is not a commandment, both Jesus and the apostle Paul taught being unmarried for the kingdom and being married. God's commandment is that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another (1John 3:23,24). Those who give heed to the commandments of men turn from the truth (Titus 1:14). Jesus taught those who can receive being unmarried for the kingdom to receive it (Matt 19:4-12). The Apostle Paul associated being unmarried with a calling and a gift (1Cor 7:6-40). For those who are called to be man and wife like Adam and Eve God can bless them to multiply (Gen 1:21-28; Gen 2:18-25). Two shall be one flesh, this cause a man and a wife (Eph 5:31). The Lord did not command each of us to marry, but taught that those who can receive being unmarried for the kingdom of heaven to receive it.
In the Old Testament it was wives (1Kings 11:3,4), in the New Testament under the New Covenant it is wife (1Cor 7:2). The apostle Paul does not endorse plural wives but says “avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband” (1Cor 7:2). In the beginning it was not wives, it was wife (Gen 2:24,25; Eph 5:31).
What shall I do to inherit eternal life? (LDS Teachings | Bible | Catholic Teachings |Early Church Writings)
Reason with a Mormon by asking - Why does the LDS church teach eternal life depends on eternal marriage, when the Bible reveals eternal life depends on loving God and our neighbor?
LDS Gospel Principles Chapter 47 "... a plan for our progression ... We could become like him, an exalted being. ... Exaltation is eternal life, the kind of life God lives. He lives in great glory. He is perfect. He possesses all knowledge and all wisdom. He is the Father of spirit children. He is a creator. We can become like our Heavenly Father. This is exaltation If we prove faithful to the Lord, we will live in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom of heaven. We will become exalted, just like our Heavenly Father. Exaltation is the greatest gift that Heavenly Father can give his children. .. requirements for exaltation ... must be married for time and eternity ..."
Luke.10 ([25] And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? [27] And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. [28] And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.)
Eternal life does not depend on an eternal marriage like Mormonism teaches, Jesus tells us to eternal life depends on loving God and our neighbor (Luke 10:25-28). Marriage is not eternal, the wife is bound by the law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord (1Cor 7:39). For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven (Matt 22:30). In the resurrection from the dead, we neither marry, nor are given in marriage, neither can we die any more (Luke 20:33-36). At the beginning God made them male and female, the two shall be on flesh, God joins together (Matt 19:4-6). In the resurrection, the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife (the church) has made herself ready (Eph 5:25-32; Rev 19:7; Rev 21:2). Our goal is not an eternal marriage in a Mormon Temple like Mormonism teaches, our goal is an eternal marriage to the bridegroom who is Christ.
The unmarried please the Lord .
Gospel Principles Chapter 36 "... each of us has been commanded to marry and have children ...."
Gospel Principles Chapter 38 "Our exaltation depends on marriage. ... Heavenly Father has given us the law of eternal marriage so we can become like him. We must live this law to be able to have spirit children. ... We will become gods."
Gospel Principles Chapter 47 "... a plan for our progression ... We could become like him, an exalted being. ... Exaltation is eternal life, the kind of life God lives. ... We can become like our Heavenly Father. This is exaltation. ... Our Heavenly Father is perfect. ... requirements for exaltation ... must be married for time and eternity ..."
Gospel Principles Chapter 46 "Those who inherit the highest degree of the celestial kingdom, who become gods, must also have been married for eternity in the temple. All who inherit the celestial kingdom will live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ forever."
Gospel Principles Chapter 38 "Adam and Eve were married by God before there was any death in the world. They had an eternal marriage. ... the restoration of the gospel, eternal marriage has been restored to earth."
D&C 132 "Laws governing the plurality of wives are set forth."
Official Declaration 1 "Inasmuch as laws have been enacted by Congress forbidding plural marriages ... I now publicly declare that my advice to the Latter-day Saints is to refrain from contracting any marriage forbidden by the law of the land."
What shall I do to inherit eternal life? .
Gospel Principles Chapter 47 "... a plan for our progression ... We could become like him, an exalted being. ... Exaltation is eternal life, the kind of life God lives. He lives in great glory. He is perfect. He possesses all knowledge and all wisdom. He is the Father of spirit children. He is a creator. We can become like our Heavenly Father. This is exaltation If we prove faithful to the Lord, we will live in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom of heaven. We will become exalted, just like our Heavenly Father. Exaltation is the greatest gift that Heavenly Father can give his children. .. requirements for exaltation ... must be married for time and eternity ..."
Gospel Principles Chapter 38 "Our exaltation depends on marriage. ... Heavenly Father has given us the law of eternal marriage so we can become like him. We must live this law to be able to have spirit children. ... We will become gods."
Gospel Principles Chapter 38 "An eternal marriage should be the goal of every Latter-day Saint. ... Only members of the Church who live righteously are permitted to enter the temple. ... We must first meet certain requirements. ... We must be interviewed by the branch president or bishop. If he finds us worthy, he will give us a temple recommend. ... We are asked questions like the following in interviews for a temple recommend: ... Do you sustain the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the Prophet, Seer, and Revelator? . . . Are you a full-tithe payer? . . . Do you keep the Word of Wisdom?"
Gospel Principles Chapter 36 "Families can be together forever. To enjoy this blessing we must be married in the temple. When people are married outside the temple, the marriage ends when one of the partners dies. When we are married in the temple by the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood, we are married for time and eternity. Death cannot separate us. If we obey the commandments of the Lord, our families will be together forever as husband, wife, and children."
Gospel Principles Chapter 38 "If we are married by any authority other than by the priesthood in a temple, the marriage is for this life only. After death, the marriage partners have no claim on each other or on their children."
Gospel Principles Chapter 36 "If we obey the commandments of the Lord, our families will be together forever as husband, wife, and children."
Gospel Principles Chapter 38 "An eternal marriage must be performed by one who holds the sealing power. ... Not only must an eternal marriage be performed by the proper priesthood authority, but it must also be done in one of the holy temples of our Lord. ... If we are married by any authority other than by the priesthood in a temple, the marriage is for this life only. After death, the marriage partners have no claim on each other or on their children. An eternal marriage gives us the opportunity to continue as families after this life."
Gospel Principles Chapter 38 "... eternal marriage ... must also be done in one of the holy temples of our Lord. The temple is the only place this holy ordinance can be performed. ... Only members of the Church who live righteously are permitted to enter the temple ... Before we can go to the temple, we must be active, worthy members of the Church ... We must be interviewed ... We are asked questions like ... Do you have a firm testimony of the restored gospel? ... Do you sustain the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the Prophet, Seer, and Revelator? ... Are you a full-tithe payer? ... Do you keep the Word of Wisdom?"
LDS Ensign, Jan 1972 "The Endowment - ... is necessary for the progression and exaltation of the living and of the dead. If you are desirous of going to the temple to be married, you must first receive your own endowment. ... Before you can enter the temple ... must receive what is called a recommend ... interview will be conducted ... Have a testimony of the gospel. ... Accept and follow the teachings and programs of the Church ... Before a person can be married (or sealed as husband and wife) in the temple, he or she receives the ordinances of the endowment. ... The Temple Endowment, as administered in modern temples, comprises instruction relating to ... the Garden of Eden ... the great apostasy, the restoration of the Gospel ...The ordinances of the temple are so sacred that they are not open to the view of the public. They are available only to those who qualify through righteous living. ... sacred nature is such that discussion in detail outside the temple is inappropriate."
Bible verses from King James
The unmarried please the Lord .
Matt.19 ([4] And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, [5] And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? [6] Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. [7] They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? [8] He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. [9] And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. [10] His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. [11] But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. [12] For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.)
1Cor.7 ([6] But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment. [7] For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that [8] I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. [9] But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. [10] And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: [17] But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches. [20] Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. [32] But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: [33] But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. [34] There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. [39] The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. [40] But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.)
Gen.2 ([18] And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. [24] Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. [25] And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.)
1Cor.11 ([11] Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.)
1Cor 11 Footnotes in the NAB [11-12] These parenthetical remarks relativize the argument from Genesis 2-3. In the Lord: in the Christian economy the relation between the sexes is characterized by a mutual dependence, which is not further specified. And even in the natural order conditions have changed: the mode of origin described in Genesis 2 has been reversed (1 Cor 11:12a). But the ultimately significant fact is the origin that all things have in common (1 Cor 11:12b).
1Cor.7 ([22] For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. [39] The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.)
Gen.1 ([21] And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.[22] And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. [27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. [28] And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.)
1John.3 (23] And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. [24] And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.)
Tit.1 ([14] Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. [15] Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. [16] They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate)
1Kgs.11 ([3] And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. [4] For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.)
1Cor.7 ([2] Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.)
Eph.5 ([31] For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.)
What shall I do to inherit eternal life? .
Luke.10 ([25] And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? [27] And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. [28] And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.)
1Cor.7 ([39] The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord)
Matt.22 ([30] For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.)
Luke.20 ([33] Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife. [34] And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:[35] But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: [36] Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. )
Matt.19 ([4] And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, [5] And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? [6] Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.)
Mark.10 ([2] And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. [4] And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. [5] And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. [6] But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. [7] For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; [8] And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. [9] What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. [11] And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.)
Eph.5 ([22] Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. [23] For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. [24] Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. [25] Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; [26] That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, [27] That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. [28] So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. [29] For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: [30] For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. [31] For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. [32] This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.)
Rev.19 ([7] Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready
Rev.21 ([1] And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. [2] And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. [7] He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. [8] But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. [11] Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; [23] And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. [27] And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.)
Catholic Church Teachings
The unmarried please the Lord .
Both the sacrament of Matrimony and virginity for the Kingdom of God come from the Lord himself. From the very beginning of the Church there have been men and women who have renounced the great good of marriage to follow the Lamb wherever he goes, to be intent on the things of the Lord, to seek to please him, and to go out to meet the Bridegroom who is coming. Christ himself has invited certain persons to follow him in this way of life, of which he remains the model: "For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it."
Virginity for the sake of the kingdom of heaven is an unfolding of baptismal grace, a powerful sign of the supremacy of the bond with Christ and of the ardent expectation of his return, a sign which also recalls that marriage is a reality of this present age which is passing away. Some profess virginity or consecrated celibacy which enables them to give themselves to God alone with an undivided heart in a remarkable manner. Others, married people, are called to live conjugal chastity. We do not praise any one of them to the exclusion of the others. . . . This is what makes for the richness of the discipline of the Church. All the ordained ministers of the Latin Church, with the exception of permanent deacons, are normally chosen from among men of faith who live a celibate life and who intend to remain celibate "for the sake of the kingdom of heaven." Called to consecrate themselves with undivided heart to the Lord and to "the affairs of the Lord," they give themselves entirely to God and to men.
Holy Scripture affirms that man and woman were created for one another. Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one
flesh. The Lord himself shows that this signifies an unbreakable union of their two lives by recalling what the plan of the Creator had been "in the beginning": "So they are no longer two, but one flesh." The married couple forms "the intimate partnership, it is rooted in the conjugal covenant, that is, in their irrevocable personal consent." Both give themselves definitively and totally to one another. They are no longer two; from now on they form one flesh. God has joined together.
In the Old Testament the polygamy of patriarchs and kings is not yet explicitly rejected. Polygamy directly negates the plan of God which was revealed from the beginning, because it is contrary to the equal personal dignity of men and women who in matrimony give themselves with a love that is total and therefore unique and exclusive. Polygamy is contrary to conjugal love which is undivided and exclusive. Polygamy is a grave offense against the dignity of marriage.
1620 Both the sacrament of Matrimony and virginity for the Kingdom of God come from the Lord himself. It is he who gives them meaning and grants them the grace which is indispensable for living them out in conformity with his will. Esteem of virginity for the sake of the kingdom and the Christian understanding of marriage are inseparable, and they reinforce each other: Whoever denigrates marriage also diminishes the glory of virginity. Whoever praises it makes virginity more admirable and resplendent. What appears good only in comparison with evil would not be truly good. The most excellent good is something even better than what is admitted to be good.
1618 Christ is the center of all Christian life. The bond with him takes precedence over all other bonds, familial or social. From the very beginning of the Church there have been men and women who have renounced the great good of marriage to follow the Lamb wherever he goes, to be intent on the things of the Lord, to seek to please him, and to go out to meet the Bridegroom who is coming. Christ himself has invited certain persons to follow him in this way of life, of which he remains the model: "For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it."
1619 Virginity for the sake of the kingdom of heaven is an unfolding of baptismal grace, a powerful sign of the supremacy of the bond with Christ and of the ardent expectation of his return, a sign which also recalls that marriage is a reality of this present age which is passing away.
2349 "People should cultivate [chastity] in the way that is suited to their state of life. Some profess virginity or consecrated celibacy which enables them to give themselves to God alone with an undivided heart in a remarkable manner. Others live in the way prescribed for all by the moral law, whether they are married or single." Married people are called to live conjugal chastity; others practice chastity in continence: There are three forms of the virtue of chastity: the first is that of spouses, the second that of widows, and the third that of virgins. We do not praise any one of them to the exclusion of the others. . . . This is what makes for the richness of the discipline of the Church.
1579 All the ordained ministers of the Latin Church, with the exception of permanent deacons, are normally chosen from among men of faith who live a celibate life and who intend to remain celibate "for the sake of the kingdom of heaven." Called to consecrate themselves with undivided heart to the Lord and to "the affairs of the Lord," they give themselves entirely to God and to men. Celibacy is a sign of this new life to the service of which the Church's minister is consecrated; accepted with a joyous heart celibacy radiantly proclaims the Reign of God.
1605 Holy Scripture affirms that man and woman were created for one another: "It is not good that the man should be alone." The woman, "flesh of his flesh," his equal, his nearest in all things, is given to him by God as a "helpmate"; she thus represents God from whom comes our help. "Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh." The Lord himself shows that this signifies an unbreakable union of their two lives by recalling what the plan of the Creator had been "in the beginning": "So they are no longer two, but one flesh."
2364 The married couple forms "the intimate partnership of life and love established by the Creator and governed by his laws; it is rooted in the conjugal covenant, that is, in their irrevocable personal consent." Both give themselves definitively and totally to one another. They are no longer two; from now on they form one flesh. The covenant they freely contracted imposes on the spouses the obligation to preserve it as unique and indissoluble. "What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder."
1610 Moral conscience concerning the unity and indissolubility of marriage developed under the pedagogy of the old law. In the Old Testament the polygamy of patriarchs and kings is not yet explicitly rejected. Nevertheless, the law given to Moses aims at protecting the wife from arbitrary domination by the husband, even though according to the Lord's words it still carries traces of man's "hardness of heart" which was the reason Moses permitted men to divorce their wives.
2387 The predicament of a man who, desiring to convert to the Gospel, is obliged to repudiate one or more wives with whom he has shared years of conjugal life, is understandable. However polygamy is not in accord with the moral law." [Conjugal] communion is radically contradicted by polygamy; this, in fact, directly negates the plan of God which was revealed from the beginning, because it is contrary to the equal personal dignity of men and women who in matrimony give themselves with a love that is total and therefore unique and exclusive." The Christian who has previously lived in polygamy has a grave duty in justice to honor the obligations contracted in regard to his former wives and his children.
1645 "The unity of marriage, distinctly recognized by our Lord, is made clear in the equal personal dignity which must be accorded to man and wife in mutual and unreserved affection." Polygamy is contrary to conjugal love which is undivided and exclusive.
2400 Adultery, divorce, polygamy, and free union are grave offenses against the dignity of marriage.
What shall I do to inherit eternal life? .
The Lord Jesus insisted on the original intention of the Creator who willed that marriage be indissoluble. Between the baptized, "a ratified and consummated marriage cannot be dissolved by any human power or for any reason other than death." The sacraments and institutions of the Church belong to this present age. A sacrament is a sign and instrument, that is, of communion with God and of unity among all men. Because men's communion with one another is rooted in that union with God, this unity is already begun, full realization of the unity yet to come. Sacraments are the signs and instruments by which the Holy Spirit spreads the grace of Christ the head throughout the Church which is his Body. Sacraments are "powers that comes forth" from the Body of Christ. They are "the masterworks of God" in the new and everlasting covenant.
The sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church. It gives spouses the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved his Church. Christian marriage in its turn becomes an efficacious sign, the sacrament of the covenant of Christ and the Church. Since it signifies and communicates grace, marriage between baptized persons is a true sacrament of the New Covenant. Its renewal "in the Lord" in the New Covenant of Christ and the Church. Spouses receive the Holy Spirit as the communion of love of Christ and the Church. The Holy Spirit is the seal of their covenant.
Christ is the source of this grace. Our Savior, the spouse of the Church, now encounters Christian spouses through the sacrament of Matrimony. The happiness of a marriage joined by the Church, strengthened by an offering, sealed by a blessing, announced by angels, and ratified by the Father? . . . How wonderful the bond between two believers, now one in hope, one in desire, one in discipline, one in the same service! They are both children of one Father and servants of the same Master, undivided in spirit and flesh, truly two in one flesh. Where the flesh is one, one also is the spirit.
The Sacrament of Matrimony enables man and woman to enter into Christ's fidelity for his Church. Young husbands should say to their wives: my most ardent dream is to spend it with you in such a way that we may be assured of not being separated in the life reserved for us. The consent by which the spouses mutually give and receive one another is sealed by God himself. From their covenant arises "an institution, confirmed by the divine law, . . . even in the eyes of society." The covenant between the spouses is integrated into God's covenant with man:
Authentic married love is caught up into divine love.
All those he has redeemed and made "holy and blameless before him in love", will be gathered together as the one People of God, the "Bride of the Lamb". Those who are united with Christ will form the community of the redeemed, "the holy city" of God, "the Bride, the wife of the Lamb". The theme of Christ as Bridegroom of the Church was prepared for by the prophets and announced by John the Baptist. The Lord referred to himself as the "bridegroom". The Apostle speaks of the whole Church and of each of the faithful, members of his Body, as a bride "betrothed" to Christ the Lord so as to become but one spirit with him. He has joined her with himself in an everlasting covenant and never stops caring for her as for his own body. This is the whole Christ, head and body, one formed from many. The two will become one flesh is applies to Christ and the Church. And the Lord himself says in the Gospel: "So they are no longer two, but one flesh". They are, in fact, two different persons, yet they are one in the conjugal union,... as head, he calls himself the bridegroom, as body, he calls himself "bride".