Marriage in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), marriage between a man and a woman is considered to be "ordained of God".[1] Marriage is thought to consist of a covenant between the man, the woman, and God. The church teaches that in addition to civil marriage, which ends at death, a man and woman can enter into a celestial marriage, performed in a temple by priesthood authority, whereby the marriage and parent–child relationships resulting from the marriage will last forever in the afterlife.[2]
From 1852 until 1890, the LDS Church openly authorized polygamous marriages between one man and multiple wives, though polygamous families continued cohabitating into the 1940s and 1950s.[3][4] Today, the church is opposed to such marriages and excommunicates members who participate in them or publicly teach that they are sanctioned by God. The LDS Church also opposes the legalization of same-sex marriage.[5]