Eternal Marriage, Are You Serious?
"I don't even know if I could stand my spouse for the rest of my life, definitely not for eternity!"
"I'll just be happy with someone who treats me right."
Most people think of marriage as a contract between two people for the rest of their lives or til death do they part. Two people in love totally commit themselves to each other until their dying breath. While this is a romantic sentiment, God has planned for marriage to last well beyond death, in fact, for eternity. Now some people may be saying, "Marriage is hard. I am having a hard time just getting through the week without fighting, let alone thinking about eternity. That does not sound very appealing." This is a valid struggle in this life and without a clear understanding of the Lord's plan for marriage, it is understandable that we think of all this work for naught. Without the knowledge of the gospel and the covenant that I have made with my husband and my family, all the struggles may just be too much and the risk of another marriage breaking up could have been a real possibility.
When my husband and I were first married there were a lot of ups and downs. We could have easily just decided to quit and go on with our lives but we knew we made something more than an agreement to stay together, we covenanted to love one another and work things out. How could we go back on our word to God?
Through the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we learn about this covenant between husband, wife, and Jesus Christ as we work toward a righteous relationship that will last for eternity. Elder David A. Bednar visually shared a representation of this covenant as a triangle, with husband and wife at two corners and Christ at the top.
He said,"the Lord Jesus Christ is the focal point in a covenant marriage relationship. Please notice how the Savior is positioned at the apex of this triangle, with a woman at the base of one corner and a man at the base of the other corner. Now consider what happens in the relationship between the man and the woman as they individually and steadily “come unto Christ” and strive to be “perfected in Him” (Moro. 10:32). Because of and through the Redeemer, the man and the woman come closer together." Having an eternal perspective changes the way we treat our marriage. We follow the example of our Savior to forgive freely, to allow room to grow. After all, as we forgive others we are forgiven ourselves (see Luke 6:37). As we strive to treat our spouse with the love and respect that we want to be treated with, we allow the opportunity for both of us to learn and grow as individuals and as a couple. Any marriage can be blessed by following the principle of drawing closer to the Savior. By so doing we will have a better relationship with everyone that matters in our lives and cherish the idea that our bonds can last forever, well beyond the grave.
"I'll just be happy with someone who treats me right."
Most people think of marriage as a contract between two people for the rest of their lives or til death do they part. Two people in love totally commit themselves to each other until their dying breath. While this is a romantic sentiment, God has planned for marriage to last well beyond death, in fact, for eternity. Now some people may be saying, "Marriage is hard. I am having a hard time just getting through the week without fighting, let alone thinking about eternity. That does not sound very appealing." This is a valid struggle in this life and without a clear understanding of the Lord's plan for marriage, it is understandable that we think of all this work for naught. Without the knowledge of the gospel and the covenant that I have made with my husband and my family, all the struggles may just be too much and the risk of another marriage breaking up could have been a real possibility.
When my husband and I were first married there were a lot of ups and downs. We could have easily just decided to quit and go on with our lives but we knew we made something more than an agreement to stay together, we covenanted to love one another and work things out. How could we go back on our word to God?
Through the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we learn about this covenant between husband, wife, and Jesus Christ as we work toward a righteous relationship that will last for eternity. Elder David A. Bednar visually shared a representation of this covenant as a triangle, with husband and wife at two corners and Christ at the top.
He said,"the Lord Jesus Christ is the focal point in a covenant marriage relationship. Please notice how the Savior is positioned at the apex of this triangle, with a woman at the base of one corner and a man at the base of the other corner. Now consider what happens in the relationship between the man and the woman as they individually and steadily “come unto Christ” and strive to be “perfected in Him” (Moro. 10:32). Because of and through the Redeemer, the man and the woman come closer together." Having an eternal perspective changes the way we treat our marriage. We follow the example of our Savior to forgive freely, to allow room to grow. After all, as we forgive others we are forgiven ourselves (see Luke 6:37). As we strive to treat our spouse with the love and respect that we want to be treated with, we allow the opportunity for both of us to learn and grow as individuals and as a couple. Any marriage can be blessed by following the principle of drawing closer to the Savior. By so doing we will have a better relationship with everyone that matters in our lives and cherish the idea that our bonds can last forever, well beyond the grave.
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