Introduction

Many LDS couples experience much tension with their relationship when one undergoes a faith crisis. When one spouse stops believing, divorce is often the result, even when both individuals are committed to their spouse and marriage. LDS leaders appear to have been made aware of this, yet virtually no direct statements have been made on this issue, despite verses from the New Testament speaking explicitly on the topic.

LDS Leaders have been made aware of the divorce crisis

At roughly 1:19:00, Scott Duke read a letter he sent to President Uchtdorf:

Dear President Uctdorf:

…If there were only one thing I could ask of you … the one thing I would ask is this: Please, please, please would you counsel the members to not divorce their otherwise good, devoted, loving spouse due to his or her loss of belief in the Church. Ideally this would come from a member of the First Presidency in General Conference. Please give this thoughtful consideration.

He then read Elder Uchtdorf’s reply which completely avoided the primary topic of his letter:

Dear Brother Duke:

Thank you for your recent letter in which you shared your thoughts and feelings. … I am grateful for the service you have provided to so many as a Church member and full-time missionary …. God has been aware of you and is mindful of your struggles. I invite you to come and join with us. There are contributions only you can make. …

With kindest regards,

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

At roughly 1:22:00:

I had two meetings with … apostle Jeffery R. Holland. and In the second meeting I told him about the way that the faith crisis issue was tearing families apart. I specifically asked him if the Church could come out with a statement basically saying that losing one’s faith should not be grounds for divorce if the marriage is healthy and good in all the other ways.

Dehlin reported Hollands response: “Maybe when the Church is more mature maybe we’ll be able to say things like that, but right now we are not in a position to say things like that.”

The Church has never quoted 1 Corinthians 7:13

1 Corinthians 7:13 explains that a believing spouse should not leave a non-believing spouse simply because they do not believe. That verse has never been quoted by a general authority in the history of the Church and it is not quoted in any lesson manual or Church resource outside the New Testament itself.

Justification

Leaving a non-believing spouse seems perfectly justified under a totalistic mindset. In addition, members are taught to flee and shun those who openly share their disbelief.

[Originally posted here]