I have always looked forward to being married, and it
definitely is something to look forward to. I have been married for just under
two months and I feel that it has already been such a huge blessing in my life.
Starting at a young age, I looked forward to being married and having a family
of my own. I am so blessed to have a husband that makes that dream a reality!
I feel that I owe a great deal of my excitement for marriage
to my own parents. My mom and dad have always been a great example of how to
work hard for a successful marriage. To this day, I feel that they often act
like newlyweds. This June, they will have been married for 24 years. They have
shown me that being married and having a lifetime companion is the most
rewarding and challenging thing in this life.
I also feel that I owe a lot of my thoughts and ideas on
marriage to my religion. Being LDS has taught me that marriage is eternal and
that having a family can be the most joyous and rewarding experience in this
life. In the church, we are taught that through sacred covenants in the temple
we can be sealed to our families for not only this life but also after our life
on this Earth. We are taught that being a part of a family is a sacred duty and
that our roles as mothers, fathers, husbands and wives are extremely important.
This week I have done a great deal of research on marriage
and the family. I have read many great articles and thoughts of others on
marriage. I've read a great deal of challenging stories about broken promises
in families and pain caused by family members. I know that I am very blessed to
have the parents that I do and I am even more blessed to have the husband that
I do. I know that for some, family is a source of pain or resentment. I know
people who refuse to forgive or move on from the anguish that they endured due
to others choices in their families. I have friends who have suffered from
divorce, abuse, death, and illness. I know that every one of us has experienced
or known someone who has experienced the pains of this life.
I know that as we try to move on from these challenges we
need to forgive. We must learn to forgive those whom have damaged
relationships. The only way to experience true joy in the family is to be
forgive and learn to love. This may take time. This may be extremely painful,
but in order for us to feel the blessings of having a family we will have to
work hard at it. Happiness in marriage and in our families, does not come naturally.
It requires daily work and effort.
There is a great deal of negative outlooks on marriage in
the world we live in. The Marriage Psychological Association states that,
"about 40 to 50 percent of married couples in the United States divorce.
The divorce rate for subsequent marriages is even higher." This is not a
good statistic. With a statistic like that there is no wonder why people are
cohabiting with their significant others or simply not interested in marriage.
Divorce is painful and is not something that people generally are not looking
forward to. I know that many people my age think that one way to avoid divorce
is to avoid getting married at all.
I can see why people are afraid to get married or are not
interested it such a huge commitment, but what I want to do is testify of the
happiness of marriage. I recently watched a video by Elder Henry B. Eyring.
This is a short clip of an address he gave at a conference about same sex
marriage.
I stand with Elder Eyring and testify that marriage is a
great blessing in our lives today. I have seen the blessings of marriage in my
own life. I have seen it in my own family members and in my own marriage. I
know that there will always be challenges to come. I also know that as I defend
marriage and stand for what I believe in I will feel joy and happiness in my
life. I know that having a family can bring and indescribable joy to our lives.
I also know marriage to be between man and woman. I know that children need the
teachings of both mothers and fathers in their lives. I know that we live in a
world where there are a million opinions being thrown at us and I hope to stand
as a defender of marriage and the joy it stands for.
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