With such pressure to get married, it’s easy to forget why we focus on marriage in the first place.
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“Why aren’t you married?” “Have you found a husband yet?” Ever since I became an adult, questions like these seem to keep springing up around me. And it has become a little off-putting. To be honest, I’m hesitant to get married. I often ponder marriage and my future in general, and I know I’m not alone in this.
Recently an Ensign article titled “Teaching the Doctrine of the Family,” by Sister Julie B. Beck, caught my attention. Sister Beck emphasizes the need to understand the role of families in the plan of salvation: “When we speak of qualifying for the blessings of eternal life, we mean qualifying for the blessings of eternal families. This was Christ’s doctrine.” Families are essential because they enable God’s children to experience mortality. With families come opportunities for learning and growing, both for children and parents. That’s the whole purpose of life.
I already knew that marriage is more than an individual endeavor, but I now realize that it’s also more than just a partnership. It’s a “faith-based work” with a responsibility to raise, teach, and nurture. In some ways this is an intimidating responsibility, yet Sister Beck counsels us to “think in terms of precision not perfection.” We can teach by example, even if we’re not perfect.
Even though I’m not married, this article has given me a deeper appreciation for the role of families. While I don’t have children, there are children in my life who I can teach and be an example to. As for all those questions people ask me, I’m not certain what my future will hold, but I can at least be certain of the direction that I’m going in.
Read Sister Julie B. Beck’s full talk, “Teaching the Doctrine of the Family,” to learn more about the importance of understanding eternal families.
Source: Ensign
—Emma Snow, Mormon Insights
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Find more insights
Read or watch Elder D. Todd Christofferson‘s talk “Why Marriage, Why Family,” which discusses the value of eternal marriage.
Learn more about the role of the family unit by checking out President Henry B. Eyring’s talk “Eternal Families.”
Find out more about the purpose of marriage by reading “Marriage Is Essential to His Eternal Plan,” by Elder David A. Bednar.