Out of the Classroom and Into Your Marriage

“Just who do we think we are?” – this chilling question asked by Chief Justice Roberts, should give us pause when we consider what he was referring to. On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court ruled in a 5 to 4 decision that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry if they so choose. For some, this decision may seem unimportant, or even desirable. However, unlike how pulling on a stray thread satisfies the urge to bring a polished image back to one’s garment, the Obergefell v. Hodges case of 2015 is just the beginning tug that may eventually unravel our social order, the strength of our constitution, and the sanctity of family units. When one considers marriage between one man and one woman, the sacred institution practiced around the world, in all cultures, for over millennia; which gives society it’s origin and binding influence, it is hardly surprising that this audacious move by Justices Kennedy, Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan, caused shock acros...

President Spencer W. Kimball declared, “Many of the social restraints which in the past have helped to reinforce and to shore up the family are dissolving and disappearing. The time will come when only those who believe deeply and actively in the family will be able to preserve their families in the midst of the gathering evil around us” (Ensign, 1980). This quote gives me much to ponder on. What family-supporting social restraints are dissolving? And, how can one believe deeply and actively in the family in defense of this gathering evil he talks about? No doubt, there are many ideas and theories that will try to answer these questions. Thankfully, the information presented this week in class clearly outlined trends to beware of as well as safeguards we can take to preserve our homes and protect our children. To begin, some social restraints that are dissolving and disappearing are social disapproval of cohabitation, bearing children out of wedlock, and the ease of divorce. The...