All About Mormons

Hi friend. What a challenging situation! I don't know if the church has any specific counsel regarding dating among cousins. Often times children that are born to cousins who have married have genetic problems. You may wish to talk to your doctor about the possible consequences of marriage between cousins.

In the United States, where I live, dating cousins is very discouraged. I don't know what the culture is like in your country, though. Maybe it's more acceptable where you live.

Regardless of whether or not you decide to date your cousin, I think it's great that he wants to be a member of the church. Many people who decide to join the church first learn about the restored gospel through their family members. You should encourage your cousin to talk with the missionaries, who can teach him more about the Gospel. One of the greatest things that one person can do for another is to share with them the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Good luck!

Different places have different rules for the relationship index of individuals who wish to marry. In many places, marrying a first cousin (which means one of your parents is a sibling to one of his parents) is forbidden, but second cousins (where one of your grandparents is siblings with one of his grandparents) are often allowed to marry. You would be wise to look up the rules concerning who is allowed to marry whom in your government so that you decide whether the relationship index between you is too close for your love to go any farther or not. Regardless of the legalities in your area, you should encourage him as he seeks baptism.