MEGAN - In the LDS Church is it a sin if you never want to get married?
JOEL - That depends on what you call a "sin". There are sins of commission where one breaks a commandment
that requires repentence and forgiveness from God. And there are sins of omission, which are things that we should do but for some reason do not
do(eg. not praying, not reading scriptures, etc.). As James said:
"Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (James 4:17)
In our Church if one wants to achieve the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom of heaven after they die, it is
required that they be married to someone in a temple for time and eternity. If not they can still obtain the
Celestial kingdom where God dwells, but that will be the end of their increase. In our Doctrine and Covenants
scriptures we are told:
"In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;
And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage];
And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.
He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase." (D&C 131:1-4)
So I guess as far as our Church doctrine is concerned, you could say that not wanting to get married would be a sin of omission, that would prevent one from obtaining the highest glory possible.
This is of course different from wanting to get married but for some reason never getting the opportunity to marry. God will not withhold the blessings of eternal life if something beyond a member's control keeps them from getting married in the temple. They will be given the opportunity if not in this life then in the next. But not wanting to marry(either civilly or in the temple) by itself is not the kind of sin that would send one to hell.
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