Mormon rules explained as MAFS UK groom speaks out on leaving religion

Viewers of last night's instalment of Married At First Sight UK were left blindsided when a brand new groom revealed he'd previously been a member of the Mormon community.

Following the revelation, Channel 4 fans have been frantically Googling the ins and outs of the controversial group, as well as the harsh restrictions that members commonly face.

The couple had an instant attraction (Channel 4)

As a late arrival to the reality hit, Leeds-born father-of-four Stephen Nolson tied the knot with new MAFS bride Hannah Norburn during Monday's (7 October) episode.

Ahead of their wedding, however, Stephen revealed in a confessional that he'd previously been a member of the Church of Latter-Day Saints.

He went on to explain that he'd married his ex-wife at the young age of 18, with the pair both having been Mormon at the time.

And speaking to Metro prior to his appearance about what he hopes to get from the much-loved romance experiment, Stephen admitted: "I was young. I’d like to understand who I am as a partner now I’m 33, and what I can bring to a relationship now that’s maybe different to back then.

"I hope to learn about myself on a deeper level."

The publication confirmed, however, that Stephen had split from his long-term ex when he was 25, and was no longer a part of the community.

Following the news, viewers have been left hoping the he'll continue to divulge interesting aspects of his past life, with many wanting to know more about the largely strict religion.

The Mormon religion has some pretty strict rules (Douglas Sacha/Getty)

For now, we can at least fill you in on some of the Mormon community's most severe restrictions.

With a little help from blogger Jim Harmer, who is a remaining member of the Latter-Day group, we've garnered a surprisingly long list - though he insisted that the community don't live by a 'bizarre list of do and do nots'.

"Our religion [is] a foundation of belief in Christ and how we can be the best people we can become," he previously wrote. "We do not believe that God has a 'gotcha list' of obscure commandments that must be followed or the individual will be sent to hell.

"On the contrary, our focus is simply on becoming the best people we can in accordance with God’s commandments."

Despite his guidance, Jim then did proceed to list some activities which are prohibited in the Mormon church.

Don'ts:

• Do not have sex before or outside of marriage - Jim explained that the community believe that family is essential to God's plan, 'so we don't do anything that could jeopardise that'.

MAFS viewers are hoping to learn more about Stephen's life (Channel 4)

• Do not take drugs or consume alcohol - He explained that these have the ability to 'influence us to make poor decisions'.
• Do not smoke or consume caffeine - In the same way, cigarettes, coffee and tea are not permitted, as Mormons 'believe life is a gift from God and we do our best to keep our bodies healthy and clean'.
• Do not be dishonest - Mormons must follow Christ's commandment about not bearing 'false witness'.
• Do not watch pornography - he adds that this can be 'belittling to women' and 'tempts the viewer to commit sin'.
• Do not swear - language must reportedly be kept clean and respectful and the Lord's name should never be taken 'in vain'.
• Do not commit abortion - This is strongly prohibited by Mormons, who abide loyally by the Biblical teaching, 'Thou shalt not kill'.

Do's:

• Do donate 10 percent of your income to charity and the building up of the kingdom of God - these 'tithes are only spent for good', Jim said.
• Dedicate Sundays to Jesus - the Bible says, 'Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy', and this is a rule that many Mormons stick by.

And while we can't confirm that Stephen strictly did abide by these beliefs, we're hoping to learn a bit more about him in the coming weeks.