Marriage: The Key to Happiness

Marriage can be a beautiful thing when both partners are "in it to win it." The way my dad looks at my mother is indescribable. My mom was diagnosed with kidney cancer this week and my dad wept. He loves her so much and she loves him. My mom does everything for my dad. They both work well together and do their best to make their marriage work. They not only make it work, but they make the journey enjoyable. However, it wasn't always this way, and even now sometimes there are moments of disagreement. They use to fight all of the time with their words. It was terrible and we the kids of the family were so worried. I even remember praying that they'd get a divorce so that we didn't have to hear them argue anymore. There were some definite issues that caused these problems.

 

1. They didn't put their relationship first above everything else

 

2. They weren't living the gospel to its fullest

 

3. Satan wants us to be miserable like unto himself

 

These three reasons are literally the cause of my parents arguments. One day, I came home from youth night at church and was surprised when my mom and dad were no where to be found. It was silent. I walked upstairs only to see them both kneeling down together in humble prayer. That day everything changed. I mean everything. My dad tried to change his behavior by doing all of the little things, like opening my moms door and making her breakfast in bed occasionally and my mother did the same for my dad. The gospel changes lives and if we all live the gospel to its fullest, our marriages will be healthier and happier.

Fear for the Future

As I read and watched the assignments given to us, I realized how frightened I am for the future. While I was watching the interview with Ryan Anderson, I was angry. I almost couldn't handle it. Those people weren't even letting him speak. I thought it was extremely rude how they belittled a child of our Father in heaven. Ryan Anderson was very respectful as he spoke to the live audience. I don't understand why people don't get it. This world becomes more and more twisted everyday. People are beginning to trust in man rather than God. That is a scary thought. The last days are tough to live in, but I know that if we put our trust in our Heavenly Father, everything will be okay. We should constantly pray and ponder about the issues at hand. The Lord loves all of  His children. We should treat everyone with love and respect, but we should stand up for what we believe in. I know some people that have an attraction towards their same gender, but they don't act upon it because they know that it is morally wrong. I know that our Father in heaven has a plan for us. 

Everything important begins with the family

I am very grateful for the opportunity I have to write my thoughts about the importance of family and the effect that divorce can have on a family. In preparation to write this blog post, I have prayerfully read and analyzed certain talks given by latter-day prophets and apostles. I have also pondered some of my own experiences in my life that revolve around the matter. 

 

Some statistics have shown that the divorce rate has gone up and the marriage rate has gone down. Meaning more and more people are giving up on their marriages and more and more people don't even consider the thought of being married. Elder Oaks in May of 2007 gave a very interesting talk called "Divorce." He stated that many people call their first marriages their 'starter marriages.' How sad is it that some people get married with the idea that if it doesn't work out, they can just simply get a divorce. Now, I know that in some situations divorce can be acceptable. My own father was married once before and I even have a sister from his first marriage. Although the reasons for my father to get a divorce may have been valid, I have seen the affect divorce has had on my sister. It has not been easy and many problems have risen due to the issue of the divorce. These issues have not only affected my father and sister, but myself, my other siblings, and my mother. ABC News had a news story called "Divorce School for Kids." At this school, children are eased into the fact that their parents will be getting a divorce. Many of the children express the sadness that comes from a broken family. I truly believe that a family will be able to avoid the heartbreak of divorce when they strengthen their marriage through faithful prayer and scripture study. As they seek heavenly help, Satan will not have power to destroy them. Marriage is a joyous thing. I look forward to the day when I can marry my knight in shining armor in The House of the Lord and we can be sealed for time and all eternity. Eternity is a very long time, but I look forward to spending my eternal existence with the love of my life. I can't wait to fall more and more in love with him everyday. When we go into marriage with an eternal perspective, we will want to make sure it is right the first time, and then continue to work towards our goal of eternal life with our Father in heaven and our children.

 

References

 

Oaks, D.H. (May 2007). Divorce. Ensign.

ABC News, 20/20, Divorce school for kids