[First Presidency letter to John W. Taylor] As you are aware, until within a few years ago, the custom prevailed in Canada, Arizona and Mexico for our young people residing in those countries to marry for time only on account of the inconvenience and expense attending a journey to a temple, and that in order to save this great expense, and to encourage marriages among our young people, President [Wilford] Woodruff and President [Lorenzo] Snow, each in his time, authorized some of the Apostles, and perhaps others, to perform sealings for time and eternity in behalf of young couples of those places, and that this authority has been exercised quite freely to the present time. The Council of First Presidency and Apostles have now deemed it expedient and wise to withdraw this authority form those brethren, leaving it solely in the hands of him who holds the keys thereof, and a resolution to this effect has been unanimously passed by the Council. We write you, in connection with all the other members of the Council not present when this action was taken, that you may be informed of the same, and with the request that you will, on receipt of this letter, strictly govern yourself accordingly. We may say also in this connection that there is no objection whatever to your performing the common marriage ceremony in behalf of any who may desire you to serve them in this respect; but in doing so all such couples should be given to understand that their marriage is simply a legal marriage for time only, performed under the laws of the land, and they should be urged to look forward to the time when the way shall be opened for them to come to a temple to be properly sealed and to have their children also sealed to them. [Note: A copy of this letter was sent also to George Teasdale on October 26, 1904.]
[Source: Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, and Anthon H. Lund, Letter to John W. Taylor, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1910-1951, Privately Published, Salt Lake City, Utah 2010]
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