Marriage

In his talk, “Covenant Marriage,” Elder Bruce C. Hafen stated, “When troubles come, the parties to a  contractual  marriage seek happiness by walking away. They marry to obtain benefits and will stay only as long as they’re receiving what they bargained for.” This is the popular attitude toward marriage we see in the world today, sometimes even among members of the LDS church. The world teaches us to put ourselves first and to put our own happiness at the center of our focus. This message comes through popular culture and media, in movies and in television, that teach a casual commitment to one’s spouse. Marriage is hard. It requires hard work, sacrifice, and humility. Elder Hafen continued, “But when troubles come to a  covenant  marriage, the husband and wife work them through. They marry to give and to grow, bound by covenants to each other, to the community, and to God.  Contract  companions each give 50 percent;  covenant  companions e...

What is Obergefell v. Hodges? The Supreme Court case in Obergefell v. Hodges asked 2 questions: 1. The constitutionality of same-sex marriage (the "marriage" question). 2. The constitutionality of bans on recognizing same-sex marriages (the "recognition" question). The conclusions of the case state: 1. "the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of the person, and under the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment couples of the same-sex may not be deprived of that right and that liberty. The Court now holds that same-sex couples may exercise the fundamental right to marry." 2. "there is no lawful basis for a state to refuse to recognize a lawful same-sex marriage performed in another State on the ground of its same-sex character." We don't have to agree with the court's verdict, but we do have to deal with the reality of the effect this will have on those who di...

Marriage trends are changing. The average age of first marriage has increased and growing numbers of couples are choosing to live together before marriage or even instead of marrying at all. Increasing numbers of children are born to unmarried mothers. And, divorce rates are around 40 to 50 percent for first marriages. Along with the rising divorce rate, divorce has become more and more acceptable in today’s society. The purpose of marriage has changed to mean more about the individual and less about children and families. What does this mean for families and society today? Paul R. Amato (2005) compared children in a household with both biological parents with children in a household with one biological parent. In his studies and research, he was able to answer several questions about the differences between these two groups of children. Amato points out that children with both biological parents married to each other are less likely to experience various cognitive, emotional,...