Doctrine of Marriage

DOCTRINE OF MARRIAGE

            I absolutely love learning about the gospel perspective on marriage. And I loved the readings for this week because they were all talks from apostles. Because I loved them so much, most of my post this week will be quotes from the different talks. The first quote that I loved comes from the talk Marriage is Essential to His Eternal Plan by Elder David A. Bednar. He said, “After the earth was created, Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden. Importantly, however, God said it was “not good that the man should be alone” and Eve became Adam’s companion and helpmeet. The unique combination of spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional capacities of both males and females were needed to implement the plan of happiness.” That is so powerful because it shows that we need both men and women. The combination of those two is what makes up a marriage. I also liked what Elder Bruce C. Hafen had to say about Adam and Eve in his talk titled Covenant Marriage. He said, “Christ’s life is the story of giving the Atonement. The life of Adam and Eve is the story of receiving the Atonement, which empowered them to overcome their separation from God and all opposition until they were eternally “at one,” with the Lord, and with each other.” This was actually mind blowing because I hadn’t really thought about it in that way! But then I realized that we learn that principle and doctrine in the temple. I love going to the temple because it is where I feel the closest to heaven. In the talk What I Hope You Would Teach Your Children about the Temple, President Ezra Taft Benson said, “Now let me say something else to all who can worthily go to the House of the Lord. When you attend the temple and perform the ordinances that pertain to the House of the Lord, certain blessings will come to you: you will receive the spirit of Elijah, which will turn your hearts to your spouse, to your children, and to your forebears; you will love your family with a deeper love than you have loved before; your hearts will be turned to your fathers and theirs to you; you will be endowed with power from on high as the Lord has promised; you will receive the key of the knowledge of God, you will learn how you can be like Him, even the power of godliness will be manifest to you; and you will be doing a great service to those who have passed to the other side of the veil in order that they might be “judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”’ These blessings are real and they are available to us. My final quote comes from President Joseph Fielding Smith in his talk titled The Fullness of the Priesthood. He said, “With all my heart I say to those who are keeping the commandments, who are serving faithfully in the Church, and who are working for the good and betterment of mankind generally, with all my heart I say: The Lord bless you; and you may rest assured that if you continue in the paths of truth and righteousness, he will welcome you into his eternal kingdom and give you an inheritance with the prophets and saints of all ages.” It is my hope and prayer that we will do everything we can to be good husbands and wives or to prepare to become such. We can do this by keeping the commandments, and doing those other things that we need to such as attending the temple.