Week 04: Doctrine of Eternal Marriage

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jeandelabr380158.html



Dear Couples of the Modern World,

If we were to tell you the phrase, “Till death do you part,” need not be the end of your marriage, would you believe us? Chances are many, if not most of you would reply, “That would take a miracle!” And, you would be right. Of course, we are not claiming that marriage for all time and eternity would come easy, or be the result of someone waiving a magic wand and chanting a spell. No, we would wager to say that unrealistic expectations are accountable for most failed marriages in our fast-food, instant gratification, get-rich-quick society. As our friend Jean de la Bruyere wisely observes, miracles spring from difficulties. And he should know, right? After all, he is not only a philosopher, but a French philosopher hailing from France, the land of love itself! But, what if we let you in on a secret that really should not remain a secret? Here it is… eternal marriage does not spring from France, rather, it is one of the most foundational doctrines of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You may be wondering where such ceremonies are held, for you have never seen such a thing. The answer is found exclusively in the beautiful temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Come talk with us and we will happily tell you more!


Truly,
         Your LDS Friends Around the World
https://mormonchurch.com/4996/global-faith-
leaders-meet-vatican-discuss-marriage



With so much focus on progressivism in our current age, it may be hard for some to accept that God’s standards and reasons for eternal marriage have remained constant from the first days when Adam and Eve walked in the Garden of Eden. Understanding that God, our Heavenly Father, is an unchangeable being, helps us further understand that He loves all His children the same from the first man and woman to the last man and woman on the Earth. Just because humans change from generation to generation, or from one country to the next, does not mean that God follows these same patterns.
The following quotes highlight the genius of God’s plan for the happiness of His children:

Elder Parley P. Pratt
“It was Joseph Smith who taught me how to prize the endearing relationships of father and mother, husband and wife; of brother and sister, son and daughter.
“It was from him that I learned that the wife of my bosom might be secured to me for time and all eternity; and that the refined sympathies and affections which endeared us to each other emanated from the fountain of divine eternal love. …
“I had loved before, but I knew not why. But now I loved—with a pureness—an intensity of elevated, exalted feeling, which would lift my soul from the transitory things of this grovelling sphere and expand it as the ocean. … In short, I could now love with the spirit and with the understanding also.
“Yet, at that time, my dearly beloved brother, Joseph Smith, had … merely lifted a corner of the veil and given me a single glance into eternity.” 

Elder David A. Bednar
Eternal marriage is not merely a temporary legal contract that can be terminated at any time for almost any reason. Rather, it is a sacred covenant with God that can be binding in time and throughout all eternity. Faithfulness and fidelity in marriage must not simply be attractive words spoken in sermons; rather, they should be principles evident in our own covenant marriage relationships.

Gospel Principles Manual (2011)
Many people in the world consider marriage to be only a social custom, a legal agreement between a man and a woman to live together. But to Latter-day Saints, marriage is much more. Our exaltation depends on marriage, along with other principles and ordinances, such as faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. We believe that marriage is the most sacred relationship that can exist between a man and a woman. This sacred relationship affects our happiness now and in the eternities.
Heavenly Father has given us the law of eternal marriage so we can become like Him. The Lord has said:
“In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;
“And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage];
“And if he does not, he cannot obtain it” (D&C 131:1–3).

Questions to ponder this week:
1. What will I sacrifice, even if it is difficult, to cultivate the miracle of eternal marriage in my own life?
2. How can I advocate the doctrine of eternal marriage in my own sphere of influence?
3. With marriages falling apart at astounding rates, how can successful eternal marriages bring healing and strength to our society?

References
https://mormonchurch.com/4996/global-faith-leaders-meet-vatican-discuss-marriage
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jeandelabr380158.html
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2006/06/marriage-is-essential-to-his-eternal-plan?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/manual/gospel-principles/chapter-38-eternal-marriage?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/the-power-of-the-priesthood?lang=eng

Popular posts from this blog

Week 07: Staying Emotionally Connected

Image
http://izquotes.com/quote/298129 When love is budding in its earliest stages, a couple may feel like the last thing they can do is resist each other. They may feel an almost palpable magnetism towards one other, and that while in each other’s presence, the sun shines a little warmer, troubles seem to fade, joy is found in the mundane, and life is bursting with meaning. If only this phase could last forever! However, as most of us know firsthand, just as the sun sets to let the dark sky rule the night, those intensely burning flames of new love gradually dim to a subtle warm glow. The lifelong challenge of married couples is to keep this glow alive by not allowing it to extinguish completely. With skyrocketing divorce rates, rampant infidelity, and general marital dissatisfaction, some may fear that “growing apart” will be an inevitable path they and their spouse will face. Although they were once intensely drawn toward each other, they may worry that in time this magnetism wil...
Read more

Week 13 Transitions in Marriage: In-Law Relations

Image
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/9b/1d/8e/9b1d8e75fdacf945c8899a3bcfe76833--mother-in-law-quotes-in-laws-quotes.jpg Sadly, in our society in-laws tend to get a bad rap. Everything from movies, television programs, newspaper cartoons, books, magazine articles, social media rants, and memes, surround us with degraded in-law images. Why is this so? I think, in part, when a new family forms from the marriage of a man and a woman, the automatic transfer of primary affections can cause some people to experience highly charged emotions. If in-laws are not careful, they could start overstepping their bounds, thereby interfering rather than supporting the new addition to their family unit. This week, we studied information from Marriage and Family therapist, James M. Harper, and associate director of the School of Family Life, Susanne Frost Olsen. Together, they outlined 4 key principles in-laws and newly married couples can follow to help rather than hinder the formation and permanency of th...
Read more

Week 05: Behaviors that Negatively Affect Marriage

Image
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/preparing.html Now, in a marriage blog, what kind of war are we talking about here? War with one’s spouse, or in-laws, or the next-door neighbors? No, to be sure, the only war worth preparing for is the war that will try to rip your marriage to shreds, wound all people connected to each spouse including – no, especially – the children. This war is the war on families; your family specifically. How precious is your marriage to you? To what lengths and under what pressure are you willing to prepare for and fight off this enemy of destruction? If you are sitting there a little nerve-wracked, looking like a deer in the headlights without any idea where to begin, take courage, we’ve got expert advice from Dr. John Gottman, the Commander in Chief of the Institution of Marriage Worldwide. In all honesty, that isn’t his official title no matter how much I think it should be. Nevertheless, he knows what he is talking about. After studying couple...
Read more