My mother wanted be baptized at age 31 in 1974.The mishies would not baptize here for living with my father unmarried.

What do mishies do now about these situations?

I don't know about now, but I bet they will require the couple to marry before baptism.

Same thing. They are living in sin according to TSCC

James, you got a number of responses when you asked the same question on Monday.

http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1611524

marriage, and they meet the requirements for it?

(i.e, legally free to marry, consider themselves married, use the same last name, own or rent property together as spouses, stuff like that.)

In states that recognize common-law marriage, it is JUST AS VALID as a ceremonial marriage, and in fact, you must obtain a formal divorce to end it. I've run into a lot of people who didn't know that.

Back in about 1977, my stepmonster was exed for living with my dad unmarried. He even left my mom to move in with her, so he was still married for part of that time.

Later, she got him to take the lessons and he was baptized in 1978. She had to go through the repentance process (which probably involved converting my dad) and then they waited a year so he could re-baptize her. They did their first temple trip shortly thereafter.