Legal Definitions - sequential marriage

Sequential marriage is the act of marrying a second person while still legally married to the first. This is also known as bigamy.

It is important to note that bigamy is different from adultery. Bigamy is a criminal offense if it is committed knowingly. In 1878, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the government could ban Mormon polygamy.

There is also a second sense of sequential marriage, which refers to the act of marrying a widow or widower, or a divorced person. This is not an offense, but it can be a bar to entering holy orders.

For example, if John is married to Jane and then marries Sarah without divorcing Jane first, he is committing sequential marriage or bigamy. This is illegal and can result in criminal charges.

Another example is if Mary is a widow and marries Tom, who is also a widower. This is also sequential marriage, but it is not illegal or considered bigamy.