The Parents of Mortality

Adam and Eve

God's first commandment to Adam and Eve had to do with their potential of being parents. 

Becoming parents is as close as we can get to be like God in this life and fallen state.

As husband and wife, we have been commanded to procreate, "multiply and replenish the Earth".

Equality

What does equality in a marriage truly mean?

Equality is not identity, one does not need to be identical, exactly like, the other to have equality. The Lord did not create such a variety and colorful personalities for us to only value those so similar to each other. We have been commanded to presume the equality of our spouse as we approach the marriage altar. We cannot have a true love for our spouse if we do not see them as our helpmeet, as our equal. Through procreation and parenthood, our vision of our spouse's equality should deepen. We must be their help meet.

18 ¶ And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be ^aalone; I will make him ^ban help meet for him.

Genesis 2:18 

Success In Your Relationship

The ABCs

A. Awareness of or Acquaintance 

with another person

B. The Buildup of the relationship

C. Continuation following Commitment 

to a longterm relationship (which may 

result in marriage for many couples)

D. Deterioration or Decline in the 

interdependence of the couple

E. Ending of the relationship

Not every relationship goes through all five of these phases, any relationship can end at any time during any of the phases. This may be the typical course of a relationship in a flowchart, but our DECISIONS DETERMINE OUR DESTINY and we must prepare for success in marriage and relationships.

The Covenant Marriage Relationship

Elder David A. Bednar (2006)

"Successful covenant marriages are founded on the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and tied to our discipleship." Bednar describes how being focused on Christ in a covenant marriage relationship will influence marital progress. The closer you and your spouse grow to the Savior, the closer you become to one another.

22 Thou shalt ^alove thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt ^bcleave unto her and none else. (D&C 42:22)

 In preparing to marry: we must understand that we must give ourselves completely to our spouse and that any divergence is considered a sin. This may seem harsh, yet it is heavily stressed and so clearly put because of its major importance. We have been commanded to love our spouse with all our heart, we show fidelity to them by loving them in the same ways we love God, with all our heart, might, mind, and strength.

Dating Culture and its Impact on Marriage

Dating Culture and its Impact on Marriage

Today's definition of "dating" has drastically changed. In the culture of our time, we have begun to think that we are in fact dating someone when in reality all we are doing is "hanging out" and "hooking up". To understand why this change is negative and how it will impact you in the future, we must first learn what the difference between the two is.

What Classifies as a Date

If you have ever been asked to describe your perfect first date, chances are you won't say "sitting on the couch, watching a movie and not talking or getting to know them". Who would want a first date like that?! If you answered "uh well I do" then maybe you need a little more understanding on why that's so bad.

It is feasible why so many people get what dating is so confused, for the sake of our argument we are going to assign the word "date" to a fixed definition.

date¹

/dāt/

Learn to pronounce

noun

1. 1.

   a planned activity dedicated to getting to know another individual

   "would you like to go on a date to get some ice cream with me?"

   
   

1. Dates should have only two intentions, to spend time with and get to know an individual better. Too often our generation asks someone out with the intention of "hooking up". This habit and pattern of dating are what leads to unpreparedness for marriage and a misguided approach on the subject.
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The Wrong View on Marriage

This generation has grown up in a society saturated in divorce. This has come to cause us to have pessimism about our chances of having a happy marriage. Everyone hopes for a happy and loving companion, we have high aspirations for what we want, yet very low expectations that we will actually achieve it. This has led to a common habit or view on marriage, that we are only ready to get married when we have decided we are finished being single. A recent study showed that young adults have said that they wish to "fully experience the single life" and feel it is an important prerequisite to marriage (Carroll, Badger, Willoughby, Nelson, Madsen, & Barry, 2009). This take on marriage has created casual dating habits: dating for fun rather than the intent of creating a meaningful relationship, cohabitation (or living together), not dating seriously until "marriage ready" (i.e. being financially stable, done being single, being personally independent, and self-reliant. 

This is a wrong view on marriage. Studies have shown that people who establish a strong sense of personal independence have a harder time connecting with a spouse. The financial goals that emerging adults desire to accomplish before marriage are milestones in a marriage that will bring the couple closer together and establish a stronger unity between the two.

In the future of this blog, we will discuss bad marriage preparation habits and how it affects the foundation of the relationship. We will also introduce healthy patterns and preparation skills to develop a healthy, happy, and successful marriage. 

Thank you all for reading my first ever blog post! I hope you stay tuned to learn some new things you may not have known about dating, marriage, or relationships in general. If you have any topics or questions feel free to mention them on this site.

Thanks again!

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