Teaching our Children about Eternal Marriage!

“We have been counseled strongly by the First Presidency to devote our best efforts to the strengthening of marriage and the home. Such instruction has never been more needed in the world than it is today, as the sanctity of marriage is attacked and the importance of the home is undermined.”

I just finished a sociology class where we learned statistics on marriage. I was shocked at how little marriage was important to the upcoming generation. The study then went on to explain how the outcome of those who cohabitate were not very good. The chance of divorce raises and the chance of children born out of wedlock also rises. These two things go directly against what the First Presidency is counseling us.

“As men and women, as husbands and wives, and as Church leaders, one of our paramount responsibilities is to help young men and women learn about and prepare for righteous marriage through our personal example.”

We are in charge of making sure that we teach our children and those young men and woman that we might have steward over the importance of marriage. Not only do we need to teach them the importance of marriage but also how to achieve that.

Elder Bruce C. Hafen said in his conference talk “Covenant Marriage”, “Contract companions each give 50 percent; covenant companions each give 100 percent.”

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This is a good place to start with what we need to teach our children. In a contract each person is to give 50% but a temple marriage is a covenant. This is a promise that we have made with God and our spouse and requires all of those involved to give 100%. This is the only way to be successful.

Elder Hafen then goes on to explain that there are three “wolves” that are attacking marriage.

1.        Adversity

Adversity is an easy one for Satan to use. When there are problems put in the way of married couples the way that they handle them will depend on how effective this wolf would be. Communicating with each other effectively and on a daily basis with the help of prayer is a way to stop the effects of adversity.

2.        Personal Imperfections

If one focuses on their own personal imperfections and do their best to over come them, then they can become strengths. However on the flip side if a spouse is focusing on the personal imperfections of their spouse it will allow the wolf in. Which will cause strife.

3. Excessive Individualism

Once an individual becomes married they can no longer just think about themselves. They need to put God first and their spouse second and themselves third. This does not mean that they need to loose themselves as an individual but they need to put others first.

The natures of male and female spirits complete and perfect each other, and therefore men and women are intended to progress together toward exaltation.