The State of Marriages

As I read the marriage report by the National Marriage Project I was struck by the magnitude of how deeply a person’s decision to marry impacts our community and society as a whole. I have to admit that until recently I was one of those people who viewed marriage as an individual commitment to a solitary relationship. I neglected to see the far-reaching ramifications of the choice to marry, or as in many cases, not to marry. Through the information I read this week I was further enlightened and my understanding of marriage deepened. I was raised as a Latter-day Saint and cannot remember a time in my life when I did not know that marriage was important. My grandparents and parents were good examples to me of being committed to one another and valuing their marriages. I knew divorce was not something the Church looked upon lightly and that when entering into a marriage, one should not do so without serious and sincere contemplation and prayer. I think I have been blessed to be somewhat naïve on this subject because my personal life has been so untouched by divorce.

Another trend that is disturbing is the number of couples who choose to live together without marrying. One of the quotes from the reading from the National Marriage Project that was particularly striking was, “Disappearance of marriage in middle America is tracking with the disappearance of the middle class.” I had not thought much about how much marriages impact our financial health as a nation. Couples who do not marry often do not stay together long enough to develop a substantial financial reserve and do not contribute to the finances of the nation in the same way a married couple does. When I realized there is a direct relationship between our country’s financial health and the number of marriages, I was saddened for our economy in the future. The marriage and economic trends are not headed in the right direction if we are to create a bright future for our society.

I have been thankful to have learned many valuable lessons about marriage from my own experiences and from the examples of those around me. Some lessons about marriage are learned only be encountering them in your own life. Knowing the importance of marriage in God’s plan of happiness has given me the determination to make my own marriage the very best that I can. All that is good and holy begins with marriage and I find it devastating that so many people in the world today see marriage as a hindrance, an obstacle, and a handicap that impedes them and their individual goals and personal growth. Marriage should be seen as the beginning of a partnership that allows both parties to flourish and develop. Marriage is designed by God to provide the means for bringing children into the world and being reared in families. Marriage is also supposed to be comprised of two people who love one another and will work together as partners in this life, and the life to come.
I know I have been blessed immensely by my own marriage. I have been stretched, challenged, and pushed more by my husband and my marriage than by any other relationship I have experienced. I consider myself blessed to have a husband who is willing to accept me and all my flaws and love me in spite of them. We are committed to working together as a team to accomplish our goals and achieve our dreams and I would not choose to live my life any other way.

 My Grandparents have been married for 66 years.
They have been a great example to me of  how to
build a a happy marriage with selfless love, sacrifice,
and unwavering commitment to one another.

My parents and siblings. My parents had been married 39 years 

when my dad passed away.

This is my terrific family! My husband and I have been married for 

21 years.