Month: April 2016

In another class I took at BYU-Idaho, I was assigned to read an article entitled, “How We Lost the Plot” by Elder Bruce C. Hafen. In this article he addresses several of the whys marriage has declined as a valuable entity of our society. I remember saying in my mind, “Yes! that’s it”! as Elder Hafen outlined some of the causes. Issues like no-fault divorces and individual rights movements were discussed.  Elder Hafen was addressing an LDS audience, with like-minded beliefs in marriage values. His purpose was clear. He did not mince words.

On a blog, such as this, one attempts to be cautious not to rock the boat of social media in an effort to keep contention to a minimum. The topics I am assigned to address are not popular ones. In the years since Elder Hafen’s article, traditional marriage has declined even further in attitudes and doubt about the value of marriage.  It is my mission and purpose here on this blog to discuss why marriage is important. I will discuss issues that are not always popular. Most importantly, my purpose is to share my beliefs and my witness of the importance of marriage. I will also be writing from my LDS point of view. My views and opinions will align with the doctrines and teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It is my position that marriage is an ordinance established by God for the union of a man and a woman. Period!  While we may think we can adjust laws and long established values to suit our current societal trends, there will be a cost for doing so.

More than 30 years ago, a prophet of the Lord make the following statement:

” 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.”

– Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign, Nov. 1980, 4.

It is my belief that we live now in the time President Kimball then foretold. Evil swirls around us. Families and marriages are being destroyed and re-defined in countless ways. It is my hope and prayer to stand as a voice of warning, issuing a call to arms, if you will, to defend marriage and the family as God has ordained.

A Deseret News version of “How We Lost the Plot” can be accessed here.

Marriage: A socially acknowledged union or legal contract between two people, establishing certain rights and obligations between them and for children,in-laws and society in general. 

I will be taking my blog on another exploration of my thoughts, ideas, graphics, and articles as I explore the topic of marriage. According to the definition above, marriage is a union or legal contract by definition. In our current society, marriage has taken on many diverse ideas and positions. For me, I stand on the doctrine that, “Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children” (Hinckley, October 1995)

It is my position that marriage, as outlined above (between a man and a woman) matters, not just to me, but to people every where. Strong societies depend on the continuation of strong marriage laws and values.

To start off this discussion, I’d like to share a link to an address by LDS Apostle, Elder L. Tom Perry, given in April 2015. His message, like mine, is that marriage matters everywhere in the world.

“Why Marriage and Family Matter — Everywhere in the World”