Civil divorce does not automatically cancel a temple sealing. LDS sealing cancellation is a separate Church process. Before a new sealing after divorce, a woman’s previous sealing must be canceled; a man divorced from his most recently sealed spouse needs a sealing clearance. Clearance allows a new sealing without canceling the previous one. General Handbook, 38.4.1
Latter-day Saints regard temple marriage as a sacred covenant intended to endure eternally, and Church teachings encourage couples to make every reasonable effort to preserve their marriage. This article is not about whether someone should divorce; it explains what Church policy provides when a civil divorce has already occurred.
After a divorce, the practical question may be where to begin. You may also be wondering about your children, a future marriage, or whether you can make a request without planning to marry again. This guide separates those questions so you can find the part that applies to you.
Does Divorce Automatically Cancel a Temple Sealing?
No. The distinction matters because a divorce decree and a Church application answer different questions. One concerns your legal marriage; the other concerns a religious ordinance.
You may have searched for “Mormon temple divorce.” The Church uses the term cancellation of sealing. Using that term when you speak with your bishop helps identify the request you want to discuss.
A civil marriage and a temple sealing can also take place separately. Church guidance recognizes that a couple may marry civilly before being sealed. For a related question, see our guide to whether Latter-day Saints can marry non-members. General Handbook, 38.4.1.1
While the sealing remains in place, a member who keeps temple covenants retains the promised personal blessings, even if the former spouse broke those covenants or left the marriage. The Handbook also teaches that God will not force anyone to remain in a sealed relationship eternally against their will. General Handbook, 38.4.1.9–38.4.1.10
What Does a Sealing Cancellation Change?
Once a cancellation is granted, the covenants and blessings related to that sealing are no longer in force. It is distinct from resigning Church membership. General Handbook, 38.4.1.10–38.4.1.11
If your immediate concern is attending the temple, ask about your recommend separately. The Handbook provides for leaders to interview members after divorce to offer spiritual support and confirm continued worthiness. A question about a new sealing should not be treated as a blanket answer about temple attendance. General Handbook, 26.5.4
Sealing Cancellation vs. Sealing Clearance
Start with your circumstances rather than assuming that every divorced member needs the same application.
| Your situation | Procedure to discuss | What to understand |
|---|---|---|
| Divorced woman, previously sealed, preparing to be sealed to another man | Cancellation | Her previous sealing must be canceled before the new one. |
| Man divorced from his most recently sealed spouse, preparing for another sealing | Clearance | Required even if the previous sealing was canceled; clearance does not itself cancel a sealing. |
| Divorced member seeking cancellation without plans to remarry | Cancellation | Both women and men may apply. A new marriage is not a prerequisite for requesting cancellation. |
| Divorced man planning only a civil marriage | No sealing clearance for the civil marriage itself | Clearance concerns a new temple sealing. Temple recommend eligibility is a separate question. |
The distinctions above follow General Handbook, 38.4.1.2 and 38.4.1.5.
For example, suppose a divorced man is preparing for a civil wedding and hopes to be sealed later. It helps to describe both plans when speaking with his bishop. “We are getting married” does not explain whether he is asking about a civil ceremony, a temple sealing, or both.
Keep questions about his temple recommend separate, too. Recommend eligibility is addressed through the Church’s recommend requirements and interviews. General Handbook, 26.3–26.5
How to Request an LDS Sealing Cancellation
Begin by arranging a conversation with your bishop about your previous sealing. Explain what you want to understand or request, and ask what information you should prepare. The same local application process, through your bishop and stake president, is used for sealing clearance. General Handbook, 38.4.1.5
Start with Your Bishop
Ask to discuss your previous sealing and your present circumstances. If you are unsure which application applies, make that your first question.
You might say: “I would like to understand my options concerning my previous sealing. Can we discuss the process and what I should prepare?” This is simply a suggested way to begin the conversation, not required wording.
Confirm the Requirements for Your Application
Your divorce must be final; legally required child and spousal support must be current. General Handbook, 38.4.1.5
Ask which records or information your leaders need to verify your circumstances. If something is unclear, identify the specific question rather than relying on another person’s experience. A short written list can help you remember what you wanted to ask during an emotional conversation.
Have Your Request Prepared and Reviewed
You cannot independently start a public online application. The bishop or branch president initiates it. You may then receive an email invitation to complete your portion online; written letters are another option. Church application instructions
Before completing anything, ask which method your bishop is using and what he needs from you. Follow the instructions attached to your own application. An unofficial form found through a search engine is not a substitute for that process.
Meet with Your Stake President
The stake president interviews you and considers the request. He forwards an application to the First Presidency only if he can recommend approval, explaining his support. General Handbook, 6.2.3
If the different leadership roles are unfamiliar, our explanation of wards and stakes provides background.
Use this meeting to clarify anything you still do not understand. Before you leave, it can be helpful to ask whether anything further is needed from you and whom to contact with later questions.
Receive the Decision Before Planning a New Sealing
Submission does not guarantee approval. Wait for the approval letter before scheduling another temple sealing. Church application instructions
Approval also does not replace the preparation for the new ordinance. Couples still need the appropriate temple recommends and must meet the requirements for their sealing. General Handbook, 27.3.2.1
Can You Request a Cancellation Without Remarrying?
Yes. Members of either gender may apply without plans for another sealing. General Handbook, 38.4.1.5
For example, suppose a divorced woman wants to discuss her previous sealing but has no plans to date or remarry. She can explain that directly when asking about her options. There is no need to frame her question around a hypothetical future husband.
It may help to write down what you want to understand before that conversation: the meaning of cancellation, its implications for your circumstances, or the application itself. Those are useful questions even when you have not decided what you want to do.
How Long Does a Sealing Cancellation Take?
The public Handbook gives no fixed processing time. General Handbook, 38.4.1.5
For an update, ask your leaders about the stage of your request. Has anything been requested from you? Is it still being prepared locally? Has it been forwarded? These questions are more useful than trying to calculate your own deadline from someone else’s story.
Agree on whom to contact for a follow-up. If your plans change while you wait, tell your leaders and ask whether anything in the application needs updating.
For couples who have already married civilly, the Church removed the general one-year wait between a civil wedding and temple sealing in 2019. That change does not establish a processing deadline for cancellation or clearance. First Presidency announcement
What About Letters and Your Former Spouse?
These questions deserve specific answers, especially if communication with your former spouse is difficult.
Do You Need to Write a Sealing Cancellation Letter?
It depends on how your portion is completed. The Church’s instructions allow an online submission or a letter; your current spouse may also participate where applicable. If letters are used, the bishop supplies instructions about their contents. Church application instructions
Before drafting, ask for those instructions. As a writing suggestion, follow the requested topics in order, check dates and details, and ask about anything you do not understand. You do not need an elaborate religious introduction or someone else’s wording to explain your own circumstances clearly.
Does Your Former Spouse Need to Respond or Consent?
When a former spouse’s letter is required, the bishop requests it. The applicant should not be asked to contact the former spouse. Correspondence is confidential, and decisions belong to the First Presidency. Church application instructions
Requesting someone’s account and requiring their consent are different matters. The public instructions do not explain every situation involving a missing reply or an objection. Ask your bishop how those circumstances will be handled in your case. Avoid assuming either that an objection settles the outcome or that a response can simply be disregarded.
What Happens to Children When a Sealing Is Canceled?
The answer depends on the child’s circumstances. Separate questions about children already born in the covenant or sealed to parents from questions about children born after cancellation.
Children Already Born in the Covenant or Sealed to Parents
The Church’s explanation for children of divorce says that children born in the covenant, or subsequently sealed to their parents, remain sealed to both parents even if the parents’ sealing to each other is canceled. It also connects confidence in future family relationships with keeping covenants. Church explanation for children of divorce
That can help when a child asks whether a parent’s decision means losing a place in the family. Let the child ask their own questions rather than assuming they are worried about the same things you are. If you need help explaining the subject, ask your bishop to discuss it with you in language appropriate to the child’s age.
Children Born After a Cancellation
A child born after the mother’s sealing to her former husband has been canceled is not born in the covenant unless she was sealed to another man before the child’s birth. If she was sealed again before the birth, the child is born in the covenant of that new sealing. General Handbook, 38.4.1.10 and 38.4.2.8
Children who were not born in the covenant may receive the blessings of an eternal family through sealing to parents, subject to the applicable requirements. General Handbook, 27.4
Questions about precisely how future family relationships will work extend beyond application procedures. President Dallin H. Oaks addressed such uncertainty in “Trust in the Lord,” encouraging trust in God while cautioning against treating speculation as doctrine. October 2019 general conference
Questions to Ask Your Bishop Before You Apply
Use these as conversation prompts, not an official checklist:
- Which application fits my circumstances?
- What information should I prepare?
- Will I complete my portion online or in a letter?
- Will information be requested from my former spouse, and how will that be handled?
- What should I understand about my children’s circumstances?
- Is anything else needed from me before the request can move forward?
- Whom should I contact about its progress?
- What must be completed before another temple sealing can be scheduled?
You can bring your questions in writing and take notes on the answers. If you leave uncertain about something, ask for clarification before taking the next step. Understanding what is being requested of you matters more than knowing all the terminology in advance.
Sources and review
This guide was checked against the linked General Handbook sections and the Church’s application instructions on September 10, 2026. The application help page carries an August 9, 2022 update date; the current Handbook remains the reference for current policy. The older conference address and magazine answer provide supporting explanation, not a separate application procedure.
Jesus in Focus is an independent website and is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The examples and conversation prompts are editorial suggestions. Discuss your individual circumstances with your bishop.