Is the Mormon religion the most intolerant of people outside their faith?

Question

I have known a few mormons in my lifetime, and they seem to be ok folks. However this story is shocking, a parent not allowed at the wedding because she is not a mormon. Someones kid getting married and the church tells them the parent cant attend the wedding because she is not a mormon. What? I have been to a few weddings in my time as well and I have never heard of someones parent not being allowed to attend because of an issue with their faith. Was she allowed to attend her own wedding as she is not Mormon but the father is?

Answer 1

That is really sad! And that last comment was extremely funny. Anyway, most Mormons I have met in my time are really friendly and loving people. As far as their beliefs and lifestyles are concerned, they are a little absurd and out-there for my taste. This doesn't surprise me though.

Answer 2

It has nothing to do with intolerance of those outside of their faith. If someone is getting married in the temple of the Mormon faith they have to be a worthy member of the church. That means there are also members of the church that cannot enter. I would hope that a parent would be happy for their child if they got married in any manner, and especially if they believed something with all their heart, which gave them total happiness; I hope they would respect their childrens' choices. It's not like they are saying they can't come to the temple and hang out with all the rest of the family outside, that they don't want them at the reception, etc. The couple could even do a ring ceremony outside of the temple. There are many options, but we're talking about two adults making a choice. I'm Mormon, but didn't get married in the temple because I married an agnostic, but I've seen people that have and my wife was a bridesmaid for a Mormon girl. My wife just waited at the temple and joined the festivities after the temple part (which only lasts a short while).

Guess this may not have explained everything, but I think in life we all want to be happy, and parents want their children to be happy, and we need to recognize what does make them happy.

Answer 3

We have a "thing" about people in our temples. Only Mormon's are allowed in them after they have been dedicated, and even then not all Mormon's are. You have to have a recommend to get in and it's checked at the door. The reason the Mother was not allowed in to see her son get married is because she was not a member. The reason we are particular about who enters our temples is because what is taught there is considered sacred by us and we don't want it made fun of or not taken seriously.
The closest thing I can think of that comes close to the way we feel about the experiences had in the temple is like when some people who have had out of body experiences describe them, they can't find the right words to explain what happened and any words they do come up with are no where near accurate but the best they can do at the time. That's sort of the way it is for us.
We're not trying to be intolerant, or stuck up, or elitest, or anything else like that. We just want what is supposed to be a sacred experience, to continue to be a sacred experience for everyone who enters the temple, not just for the first few people. So we don't speak of the things that happen in the temple when we are outside of the temple, except in generalities. For example, I have no problem telling you (the world at large) that there are several different things that take place in the temple, from weddings to more individual ordinances. And that most often these ordinances are done for relatives who have passed away, but they must first be done for the person acting as proxy. I don't mind telling you that we all wear white, that we have a prayer roll in the temple, and that weddings are considered very sacred occurances and are usually held in a small room that normally seats about 20-30 people. So to be invited to the wedding is a great honor, and is usually not turned down. But much beyond that, and I'm not willing to talk about it. Others are. Others have, and still others have unfortunately discribed it in detail.

Answer 4

The reason that the parent can't attend the wedding (most likely, based on your own description of the event) is because the wedding was a temple marriage. To enter the temple, you must be a worthy member of the church and have a temple recommend. She would not have been allowed to be married in the temple either, but despite the fact that her husband was Mormon they would have had to be married "til death do you part" instead of the eternal marriage presented by the temple.

Not sure how this relates to the question you posted, but here's the answer.

Answer 5

If the couple was to be married in the temple, and the parent/parents are not GOOD standing Mormons they will not be allowed to attend the temple. The marriage in the temple is actually a sealing and it is quite different from the traditional wedding. If the couple was not getting married in the temple then anyone can attend.

Answer 6

They were probably married in the LDS temple. If this is the case, then it isn't the Mormons being intolerant, rather them being respectful to their "sacred" ground.

Being Mormon isn't the only requirement to enter the temple. One must:

1. Be baptized a member of the LDS church.
2. Be confirmed
3. Tithe
4. Not smoke
5. Not drink
6. Not partake of coffee or tea
7. Pray multiple times a day
8. Fast
9. Not swear
10. Attend church regularly

plus many more.

This religion reveres it's temple as the only spot on earth that offers direct communion between Earth and Heaven. Those who are not LDS must respect that as piety and not intolerance.

Answer 7

The reason they're not allowed at the wedding has nothing to do with intolerance. Those people are allowed at the reception, and actually at any wedding which is not in the temple. The reason they're not allowed at the wedding itself is because that is in the temple. And you have to understand that the temple is the most sacred place for us. It has nothing to do with intolerance or wanting to push people out. You have to understand what the temple means to us. To us, it is a sacred place. Many memebers of our church aren't allowed in. In fact, children under twelve can't go at all unless they're being sealed to their family, and rarely anyone who isn't married or hasn't been endowed (which usually happens when nineteen or older) can't go to the weddings. The reason is because we hold the temple and the wedding to be very sacred. In the temple, we are sealed not "til death do we part," but for time and all eternity. It must be performed by those who hold the proper keys and authority to seal on earth and in heaven. And only those who've received the majority of the temple ordinances can attend due to it's sacred nature. Now, that being said, nothing weird goes on or anything---I've heard some weird and fairly funny speculation on what goes on, and it's nothing odd or spectacular. In fact, it is usually a very short ceremony (the one I was at was a half hour, and most of that was because the officiator was giving advise to the couple) with nothing too fancy in it---simple and yet very sacred to us.
However, for any wedding outside of the temple, anyone is allowed to come. Those weddings we normally see as temporary ones (this lifetime) until the couple gets sealed in the temple. I've had several friends with parents who haven't been able to attend their actual wedding ceremony, but they did many other things such as having a ring ceremony and the like so they didn't feel left out.
Well, I hope I've helped to ease some of your concerns and helped you to understand a bit of what is going on. If you have any more questions, feel free to email me or anything. And I hope you understand at least that it is not to push anyone away or to exclude anyone.
Anyway, God bless.

Answer 8

The only reason this could happen is if they were married in a temple. If this is the case no one who is not Mormon is allowed. The reason I know this is because my husband is a Mormon, reformed, but still a Mormon. This happened at his parents wedding because they were married in the temple.

Answer 9

I heard that story.It was not just a Mormon Church,but the Temple.That's a whole different story.Just like you can go into a bank but you have to be an officer of the bank to go into the vault,so it is with the Temple rites.When you get married there that's supposed to insure your husband ,godhood and his own planet to rule and insures that you will be the mother of all the people born to that planet.You think I'm kidding? Look it up.I've been good friends with various Mormons for 30 years.Some tell me those secrets others do not.

Answer 10

I don't think it is just a Mormon thing. All groups (not just religions) have extremist that take things out of context and perpetrate it as the truth. Some people use any excuse in the world that is available to them to rebuke another person. Every lie has just enough truth in it to make it palatable, and those that are weak will say and do what ever they are told based on that.

Answer 11

Simple Answer:
Only worthy mormons may enter into the temple.
Mormons get married inside the temple.