That’s what I kept thinking while I was reading this article about a Catholic mom who was devastated at not being able to attend her son’s LDS temple wedding (hat tip Life Beyond x-Mormonism).
The couple got married in the Mesa Arizona temple! At least one or two of the twelve temples in Mexico must have been within a reasonable drive for them. And — as pointed out in the article — if they were married in Mexico, they’d be required to have an outside-the-temple wedding first (which, naturally, the mom could attend). Considering that the mom was on the verge of a breakdown over this, they probably could have arranged it.
(Those mixed-faith families who live a little further from an appropriate border have to settle for praying for the Temple Wedding Petition.)
Props to the LDS son, though, for correctly pointing out that Jesus said that you should put your faith before your family. I sympathize with religious folks who are so sure that Jesus taught that family love comes first, but they’re not reading their Bibles very carefully…
12 temples in Mexico!!?! I should be surprised, but I’m not.
In an unrelated note, I know lots of people who have traveled to Mexico (and other parts of Central and South American) to build sewers and other service projects. I wonder what some of the money that was spent building the temples could have done for the poverty in that country.
I agree that the LDS church can spend their money how they choose, I am just interested whenever I hear about different religions and their service projects. And then about the new temples with imported (from Africa) ebony wood and expensive chandeliers. If I had a say (and I don’t), I would suspect a tent would work just as well – with the money going towards helping people who are alive right now. (Wasn’t there some sort of tent in the OT??) This is just my opinion. I may have a similar opinion about other churches (like the Catholic church).
I was a bit surprised as well, but that’s what came up when I did a google search on LDS temples in Mexico. I wonder how many of them are micro-temples, though…
Now that my father is dead, I am ashamed that I excluded him from my wedding.
It is especially galling when you realize that temple marriages are secret so that Joseph Smith could keep his sordid little affairs secret.
But in the end, I only have myself to blame. If I had been more concerned about my neighbors instead of some institutional taboo, I would have made the right choice.
That’s why I ought to be ashamed.