What is marriage?

Last updated on: June 24, 2015 at 8:52 am by Dan Peterson

What is marriage? 2015-06-24T08:52:57-06:00 Dan Peterson

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It’s true: Brides and grooms in ancient Rome and in pharaonic Egypt didn’t dress this way.

In response to something that I posted last night, some critics have eagerly pointed out to me that I, as a Latter-day Saint, am in a poor position to advocate “traditional marriage.”

After all, didn’t we Mormons once practice “plural marriage”?

Others have argued that “traditional marriage” is a relatively recent institution. Which, I suppose, may be true — depending upon how one defines “traditional.”

But I didn’t mention “traditional marriage.” That’s not terminology that I tend to use. In fact, I can’t say for sure that I’ve ever used it.

In order to save time, let me state here that, for my purposes in this discussion, and however momentous such considerations may well be in other contexts, it doesn’t matter whether the marriage is an arranged one, or a polygamous one, or between first cousins, or is solemnized by a priest or a rabbi or a justice of the peace or a paid functionary (dressed as Elvis) at a Las Vegas wedding emporium. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a sacramental union in a church or a temple or a synagogue, or a contractual agreement witnessed by an imam. It makes no difference whether it involves a bride and a groom in kimonos rather than white gown and tuxedo. It doesn’t even matter whether the marriage is (as Mormons believe temple marriages to be) “for time and all eternity,” or is (as most non-LDS weddings have it) “till death do us part,” or (as sanctioned by Twelver Shi‘ism) is a temporary mut‘ah union. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the product of dynastic negotiations or romantic love.

Marriage has always and everywhere — until the headlong (and to my mind foolish) experiment of the past decade or two — been the socially recognized union of biologically/sexually complementary partners.

And that’s what I’m talking about.

There. That should clarify things for some of my respondents.

Those who simply want to attack my church, denigrate my religious beliefs, and/or personally insult me will continue with their . . . umm, arguments. And, in this context, I’ll continue to ignore them (or, in extreme cases of obscenity and/or aggressive personal hostility, to delete their comments and to ban them).

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