Mary Magdalene the Wife of Jesus Christ?

Now this topic seems to be the core of some LDS people, like me, in bringing up the teachings about marriage as eternal, and that Christ, of course, was never against, but also had once practiced it. Does the scriptures really teach that? If so, then who? Alright, let’s really paint the scene here and drag it out a little, because honestly, Mary Magdalene's story also deserves to be told. Then here's the real question. Did Mary and Christ were once a couple? Buckle up and let's dive into the scene and see what we can get in scriptural study.

First things first - the rumor has been working overtime for centuries, cooking up the idea that Mary Magdalene was Jesus’s wife, and for you to know, this is not just a Latter-day Saints idea. And to me as my opinion goes, and sorry to disappoint the fans of this historical love story, but The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints doesn’t buy into that story, and nothing in the scriptures backs it up. It’s one of those tales that keeps popping up, probably because people love a good plot twist, but if you’re looking for actual evidence? Nothing of it, and let me explain it clearly to you.

Christ was Married?

There was speculation, of course, and there's nothing we can do about it. But to answer it straight according to scriptural context. No. I haven't seen in any instances in the Bible where it is said that Christ ever married in the standard scriptures that we use today. But of course Latter-day Saints are open to any revelations or declarations about whatever the Church stands about Christ's marital status. And that's the beauty of continuous revelation. We don't know as of this moment, and the church didn't hold any ground about Christ living privately. We do all know the writings that were left for us to understand his divinity and ministry that God the Father of all sent him to atone for us from our sin. If he has a will doing things the Father asks him to do, it's not actually a concern for our salvation. But, yes, as a Latter-day Saint, I may be biased about it. Christ's teachings were about the salvation of man and taught a unified family-oriented church doctrine that I believe in modern revelations as taught in the scriptures. So, yes, Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained and is important and is still part of God's plan, but to say Christ was married, the safest answer to that is, we don't know yet. There are, however, some speculations running in some other denominations, and I want my fellow LDS to be fair and neutral and thoroughly study that. We'll talk about it later on.

So, What about Mary?

Now, if you check out through the New Testament, you’ll see Mary Magdalene appeared at some of the biggest moments in Jesus’s life, and we're about to see that part later on. She’s not some background extra—she’s from both front and center. She’s there at the crucifixion (while a lot of Christ's Apostles lay low, by the way), and she’s literally the first person to see Christ after He rises from the dead. But, here’s the catch: not once does the Bible say she was married to Jesus. Not a hint, not a rumor, not even a cryptic footnote. So, where’d the idea even come from? Well, people like me and some others like a little mystery, and some later writings—not the ones you’ll find in the standard Bible, mind you—have painted Mary as everything from Jesus’s closest confidante to his secret spouse. The Latter-day Saints don’t give these stories much weight. Leaders usually say it’s best not to get lost in the weeds of speculation when the scriptures don’t spell something out. Honestly, it makes sense—why invent heresy where there’s none?

Instead, LDS teachings just focused on Mary’s role. She’s known to be a faithful follower, someone who didn’t just dip a toe in the water but dove headfirst into Jesus’s ministry. Luke 8:1-3 even points out she and other women supported Jesus and his disciples out of their own resources, or we should say that directly in our days as using their own money to help Christ with his Apostles minister to the people. Alright, some scriptural examples of missionary commitment there, isn't it? That’s commitment—she wasn’t just showing up for the potluck dinners, she was funding the whole show.

Let’s talk about that famous moment at the tomb, where many of the assumptions ever made were directed to it. Jesus had just made the most historic comeback in scripture. And who’s the first person to see him? Yep, no other than Mary Magdalene. He tells her to go and spread the word to the disciples. Imagine the weight of that moment: the first messenger of the resurrection was a woman in a time when women weren’t exactly given the microphone. That says a lot, doesn’t it? To some, this was a way that Christ gave a commission to Mary as Christ closest disciple, and to some could be a doctrine that Mary was a chosen woman aside from his Apostles. Or could it be because she was Jesus' wife? We don't have any other sources of evidence about this, as Mary's call, her life status, and so on. But we do know that Mary was one of Christ's beloved women in the scriptures. Again, it's safe to say this as things that only outline Mary's Loyalty and her Devotion to Christ, but nothing much about it as we go along to the storyline of the scriptures.

Scholars have been arguing about Mary’s identity for ages. Some have tried to mix her up with other women in the Bible (there’s a whole “penitent prostitute” legend that’s been unfairly slapped on her, but that’s just a spread gossip based on bad research—nothing in the gospels supports it). Others, digging into Gnostic texts, see her as a spiritual leader, maybe even a rival to Peter. But, those were just simply rumors or just retold historic tales compared to the main story.

Mary Magdalene shows us a symbol of unwavering faith, courage, and loyalty, as I can see it and nothing more. Her story isn’t about her secret marriages or maybe some untold scandals, as you see fit in the scripture. It’s about showing up, standing firm when others run or hide, and being the first to witness the most important event in Christian history. To me, if that’s not legendary, I don’t know what else is.

Bottom line

The Latter-day Saints Church believes in revelations, and I do believe that some of Christ's important words will be revealed through his servants. If we continue talking more about doctrines not even familiar in Scriptural context seems to me senseless and wouldn't even be necessary once salvation. My object is to simply help everyone understand Scripture as to what was ever told and to avoid gullible stories that can't be supported by Scripture and Modern-day Revelations. If someone asks me if Christ was married? Well, it's possible, since it wasn't forbidden in his teachings, and He teaches the important thing about the Kingdom of God. And could that be Mary as his wife? Will, I don't know if Christ was married. She could be, or maybe some other woman there who was worthy to be with him. And that's my supposed direct answer to the questions. The doctrine of marriage is still a continuous declaration, but it doesn't fit into the story of Christ's personal life, where none could even give a clear point on it.

Thank you and have a nice day.