Elizabeth Smart got married on Saturday in a Mormon temple on Oahu’s North Shore in Hawaii. Her groom is Matthew Gilmour of Aberdeen, Scotland.
They exchanged their marital vows at the Laie Hawaii Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in front of a small gathering of family members, followed by a private reception and luau.
The 24-year-old senior at Brigham Young University met Gilmour while doing Mormon missionary work in Paris and announced their engagement last month.
Family spokesman Chris Thomas released this statement: “She decided, about a week ago, the best way to avoid significant distraction was to change her wedding plans and get married in an unscheduled ceremony outside of Utah.”
“Her wedding further demonstrates it is possible to rise above challenging circumstances to lead a happy and productive life. Once Elizabeth returns from her honeymoon, she looks forward to continuing her child advocacy work.”
Smart was kidnapped at age 14 and held captive for nine months by destitute street preacher Brian David Mitchell. He was convicted in 2010 of Smart’s 2002 kidnapping and sexual assault. He is serving a life prison sentence.
Elizabeth’s father Ed Smart told The Salt Lake Tribune: “We’re just thrilled that she’s married, kind of a spur of the moment thing.”
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