Questions about Mormans

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I've recently been following some people on SM who are Mormans (following because loosely connected with my job) and am a bit fascinated by them.

The main question I have is about being 'sealed' in a temple. What does this even mean?
Can a woman whose husband died be 'sealed' if it didn't happen when they married?
The couple were married quickly and quietly and planned a large wedding later but the husband died before it took place. However, the widow got 'sealed' to her deceased DH.

If a widow is 'sealed' does this mean she can't remarry?

Being "sealed" in Mormonism means that your marriage/familial relatiinships will last throughout eternity.

Thanks - so the widow can't remarry?

Yes, they can remarry.

Oh right, thanks.

They seem very emotionally strong and united. Very family oriented, which was heartening to see.
I don't know if that's a faith thing in particular, or just a trait of their nationality in general.

I was impressed by their 'togetherness' at a hugely stressful and sad time. I wonder once the media interest has subsided if they'll be ok.

I have fallen down the hole of the phenomenon known as the 'Mormon blogger' many a time.

I think a lot of the lifestyle Is to do with the religion:
I understand they need to be married to get into the highest level of heaven. They are encouraged to get married young and it isn't uncommon for them to get married 18-21.
They aren't supposed to drink alcohol or have caffeine. The bloggers I follow seem obsessed with sweet treats, which I assume makes up for it.
I read their religion encourages perfection (people should strive to be perfect like Christ), so that's why the families look perfectly groomed all the time.
The religion has gender based roles and responsibilities. The men are expected to provide for their families so the bloggers I follow have men who are in the professions (I guess they would need to earn well to support a large family). The women (who may well work, albeit around the husband) are supposed to focus on motherhood as their 'role'. They aren't supposed to wear trousers when they go to Church.

Just my observations.

I was raised Mormon.

'Sealing' is a marriage ceremony performed in a Mormon temple, with very specific words and ceremonial aspects (clothing and a specific handshake). Mormons believe that a marriage performed in this way will continue after death, while other marriages dissolve after death, so the sealing ceremony can be performed as a top-up to a legal marriage.

Mormons also believe that they can perform ordinances 'by proxy' for people who have died; this includes marriage, baptism, and others. A proxy ceremony is performed the same as a living ceremony, with another person standing in for the deceased. This is what will have happened--the woman will have gone through the sealing ceremony with another man standing in for her late husband.

And as an addendum, a man can be sealed to multiple wives, but a woman can only be sealed to one man. So she could remarry but not in a Mormon temple, unless she applies to the church hierarchy to have the first sealing cancelled (only heard of this after divorce, not sure they allow cancellation if one party is deceased).

This is really interesting, can I ask for any recommendations for bloggers to read? I feel like jumping down a black hole today!

I have some distant relatives in Utah who came to the UK about 30 years ago and were very determined to find out about our side of the family to add to the family tree they were creating.

Subsequently I worked with a man who was married to a Mormon woman. He spent hours most evenings transcribing census records to add to a database the Mormons were creating that would allow them to carry out these "ordinances" Silent mentions. I believe that this database may have formed the basis for one or more of the big genealogical websites.

I follow several Mormon bloggers and find them all so fascinating. I never would become a Mormon but I admit it sometimes seems so perfect and wholesome. I know it is mostly all a facade, like most of social media is. I also know that Utah has highest rate of antidepressant use in the US so I imagine the lifestyle can be quite difficult, particularly for women. However I do love their emphasis on family and some of their values.

@Lola001 I am not the OP but one of my favourite mormon bloggers is Rachel Parcell.

Lola- check out these blogs

Two of the biggest ones;
Rachel Purcell (Pink Peonies)
Amber Fillerup Clark (Barefoot Blonde)

One of my faves is a smaller blog, but very 'perfect' (married childhood sweetheart at 22, blonde and perky, breezes through life)
Willivia (Olivia Gochnour)

This one was New York based, so not within the Utah bubble, but is Mormon;
Naomi Davis (love taza/rockstar diaries)

If anyone has a look at these blogs, please report back, I need some company down this hole......

I like this article about the phenomena of Mormon bloggers

www.allure.com/story/why-so-many-beauty-bloggers-are-mormon

I love probably fetishise Mormonism, but when I’m getting too drawn in I remind myself that Mormon women have high use of Prozac and cosmetic breast work 😞

Yeah, if by very strong and united you mean borderline cult.