Hmmmmm

In light of recent events surrounding the issue of same sex marriage, I would like to make a prediction/suggestion for the Church.

Without admitting defeat or compromise on the issue, I think the Church needs to make a big distinction between civil marriage performed by Bishops and the Temple sealing ceremony. The Church should discontinue allowing Bishops to perform any marriages. In many areas of the World the Temple sealing is completely separate from the Civil ceremony. We need to make it so here in the U.S. as well.

Here is why: before long a same sex couple is going to ask to be “married” by a Bishop. When he refuses, the Church will be sued and eventually found to be discriminating against same sex couples. Unless the Temple sealing is “divorced” from civil “marriage” our rights of Temple worship and ordinances will be in jeopardy. If the move is made by the Church proactively beforehand to distinguish between the two, then I think all our Temple rites will remain protected for some time still. Otherwise, we will lose our tax exempt status (maybe for the best anyway) and may lose some control over how we choose to worship in the Temple. In such case, U.S. Saints may for a time have to travel to foreign Temples to be sealed.

We need to stop calling it a Temple wedding or marriage and call it what it is, a Temple sealing.

Update: 13 Feb reports of rumors that the Church will do away with the one year wait period between civil marriage  and Temple Sealing. This is being seen as a removal of the "penalty." I rather see it as preparing for the above.