Of Most Importance

Often as we get older these are some of the phrases we hear when it comes to getting married:

It is the most important decision of your life.

It is the most important day of your life.

It is the most important part of your life.

All these statements are true.
There is no denying the fact that the decision of who you will marry will define and direct the course of your life and for eternity more than any other decision that you will make.

The day that you enter the Temple and are sealed for Time and For All Eternity as President Packer put it is the most important day in your life, (see "Preparing to Enter the Holy Temple," page 15.) because it is the day that you got married, it is the day you started your own Eternal Family Unit.

Marriage becomes the most important part of your life. After God, your number one priority is your spouse.

At first glance, these phrases on what is expected about marriage can be daunting and overwhelming, but I promise you it is all worth it. I hope that this will be a short message of hope. I hope this message brings some understanding to why this great step in your life is of most importance and not to be taken lightly. I hope that as I talk about these things you will remember our conversation on the four pillars and how they are highly essential for your marriage.

Consider also as we talk, the analogy of a sure foundation to a marriage. When I was in the MTC one of my instructors used this example in relation to the family. He asked all of us about what our dream home would look like. Many of the missionaries talked about the interior of the house, myself included. Then there was one missionary who said, "I can't build anything in or outside of my house without having a secure foundation first." The dynamic changed in that class.To build a strong and beautiful home, there has to be a strong foundation. If your foundation isn't strong it (your home, marriage, family) won't survive.

The Most Important of Decisions

President M. Russell Ballard said, "If you marry the right person, at the right time, and in the right place you need not fear." (M. Russell Ballard, "The Greatest Generation of Young Adults." April 2015 General Conference.) When you think about what that means my young friends you get a closer look into the eternal perspective. These keys to getting married are assurances about your ultimate decision. The right person, at the right time, and in the right place. The right person you will find through sincere preparation. The right time will be dictated by the Lord. And the right place without a doubt is His Holy House. 

My friends, I know that this decision weighs heavily on your souls, but with all the power of my soul I testify that with the Lord on your side and as you seek righteously and do your part, you will find that person that you will build eternity with. There is no greater decision other than choosing Christ, that will help your reach Eternity with the Most High. One of my mission presidents said to me, "The engagement should not be a surprise to either of you, this is to be discussed between you and your potential spouse. What should be a surprise is how you propose." I believe that, and I would invite you to just take what you may from that counsel. This decision to be married is to be taken care of prayerfully and seriously. As you find each other, get to know one another, learn from one another, and make the necessary preparations to commit to one another and be loyal to one another, basic foundations will be practiced and nurtured as you head into marriage. Some of these foundations are learning to make decisions together, learning to plan together, and learning to problem solve together. These few examples are of your first transitions into marriage, and practices that will continue after your are married. 

I would encourage you to consider these examples as you plan for your wedding, (specifically for your sealing), and as you plan for marriage. Understand that yes your families are important and they can help you make the necessary preparations for your wedding, but this is your wedding, you are responsible to take charge. This should be your vision and executed with help from your respective family members. You are building a bond between you and your future spouse, this should not be hindered by anyone else. 

The Most Important Day of Your Life

Because of the sacredness of the Temple we do not speak of the sacred covenants and sacred ceremonies performed therein. I encourage you to study the scriptures and discourses from living Prophets and Apostles on the subject. Preparation for this sacred occasion should be your primary concern, not your reception. At the reception it is an opportunity to spend time with families and well-wishers. It is to be a fun time, and a memorable time in your life, but is should not be your primary focus. The most important part of that day is when you two become an Eternal Family Unit. This sacred occasion is beyond anything you can ever dream of. The reason this becomes the most important day of your life, it is because it is the day you and your spouse have covenanted to shape and build eternity together. It is the most important day because you come together, and from then on it is about the two of of you becoming one. It isn't about the one or the other. Together you will face life's struggles and trials. Together you will shape the future. Together you will partake of the blessings and joys that come only through the bonds of marriage the Lord has established. Together you will become one. Together you will raise a family. Together is how you will make it to your Eternal Home. This is the day you come together, to become one. Remember also, that this is accomplished with the Lord, and a successful marriage is accomplished with the Lord. It is not easy, but it is worth it. It is wonderful.

It is The Most Important Part of Your Life

The Wedding is the sacred event that begins your marriage. Marriage is the great school of Eternity, for it prepares you for Eternity ahead. In marriage there will be adjustments as significant of how to organize your home, your bathroom, and to have a clean house. Great adjustments such as having and raising children will come to your life. A spouse's job and work will be part of an adjustment. Finances become an important adjustment. This is an important one become it no longer becomes "your money" or "my money", it becomes "our money." How to create boundaries with your families and friends becomes a major adjustment. Mutual decision making also becomes part of your marriage adjustments. 

Do you remember the counsel from President Ballard, "If you marry the right person, at the right time, and in the right place you need not fear"? You need not fear your life together. With the Lord, everything will work out as long as we listen to Him and do our part. 

I wish to share more with you, and go deeper into these subjects. I hope that as you have pondered these words, that the Spirit has taught you, and some clarity has come to your hearts. I know that Marriage is the most important part of life. It is a time of growing and learning to become like our Heavenly Father. It is of most importance and of most worth. Remember this wisdom, "Choose your love; love your choice." (Thomas S. Monson, "Priesthood Power". April 2011 General Conference). And to that person be absolutely faithful and loyal.

Preparing for Marriage includes God, it does not exclude Him

My Friends, I will admit that this is the subject that has been the hardest to write to you. Not because of the content, but because of the tumults of opinions that come from talking about Preparing for Marriage. Everyone will have their own opinions, and I want you to be aware of that. I will also admit and acknowledge that there are some opinions that are more precise and accurate when it comes to preparing for marriage. I will encourage you that if you are in that position where you are not ready to admit that there are some opinions that are more precise and accurate, I would invite you to put yourselves in a place where you can do that. Now I am not saying that those opinions should out weigh what you feel, but I am saying that you take the good from those opinions and apply them to your own. Of course always follow what God says, and know that it is from God. That being said, you will come to know in a summary, my opinion on this sacred matter. Preparing for an Eternal Marriage and Building and Eternal Marriage are two very important and passionate subjects of mine, and as I have said people have their own way of looking about this, I will share with you in summary what is my way of looking at this.

Some basic terms to look at. When I was in High-School the term dating had a new meaning. People concluded that it meant that two people, were now together, in an official or unofficial relationship. Now I can understand to a slight degree why this term could be used in that way, but I have learned that this isn't what it means. Dating means that you go participate in a wide variety of activities with a wide variety of people. In English: There is no such thing in the true definition of dating that deals with exclusivity. (We'll come back to that in a moment.)

 But before that I want to be very clear about something. Today Marriage, the word or title is looked at as the end of a book. Marriage is not the end of anything, it is actually the beginning. Yes there are precursors to getting Married, but being married isn't the end of the fairy tale, or the end goal. To put it into perspective, this is the map with some detail of following the path into marriage. 

Dating: A wide variety of activities with a wide variety of people.

Courtship: When two people make a decision to get to know one another which leads to being exclusive.

Engagement: When two people have decided to a commitment of getting Married.

And of course this ladder ends with getting Married. But marriage is not the end or the "happily ever after." Marriage is the beginning, and where you build your happily ever after for Eternity. Marriage is between a man and a woman who make sacred covenants and are married For Time and For All Eternity. (More on what marriage is will be talked about latter in a different discussion.)

This is the way which it has been presented to me, I do not disagree with it. I do want to say however that I am astonished that people try to think of this as a slide where they are trying to skip steps, or skip straight to marriage. My Friends, we do not skip steps just so we can get married.

If I may, I would like to show you how I see this map, and a few things about being exclusive.

Dating: This step in my mind does not change. It is a perfect opportunity to meet new people, and participate in activities with those whom you meet and learn about yourself, and learn about what you are attracted to in others. Now I will not tell you how many people you need to date in order to begin pursuing a relationship in the direction of being married, that is between you and the Lord.

Here is a good place to interject and share with you why this is important. I have entitled this discussion "Preparing for Marriage includes God, it does not exclude Him." I know for myself, that when we include the Lord in our plans He helps us make the right choices, and the best choices. Everything you do in preparation to getting married which includes dating, should include the Lord. If you are interested on going on a date, talk with the Lord. Let Him know what your plan is and who you will be interacting with on this date. Ask Him to help you, be with you, and guide you. Ask Him to help you notice qualities in this person that you are on a date with that you will notice as things you are attracted to. The Lord will impress you and inspire you, He will also protect you. When God is included in your preparation you will feel closer to Him. You will learn to listen to His voice and heed His counsel.

We will get to this in a few sentences but this goes hand in hand when I mentioned being exclusive with someone. President Hinckley said this and I am paraphrasing, "You should not be exclusive with anyone until (or unless) you are at a point in your life where you are ready to pursue marriage." This is essential when it comes to involving God in you preparation. He knows best. He knows you. We cannot counsel the Lord. We cannot make Him do what we want Him to do, we need to listen and follow His command, for He knows us best. I understand this is controversial for some, but we need to remember that He knows who we are, and through Him we can make the right decisions.

With me when I began to date and to court my wife, I was at a point in my life where I was ready to be exclusive. I knew for myself in my conversations with the Lord and where I was in life, that this was the path I needed to be on. You may not understand what I mean, and we will probably discuss this in another lesson. But I just want you to know, you will know when you are ready to be exclusive with someone, and you will know that when you include God in your preparation for marriage.

After this dating period however long that may be you will find yourself beginning to be interested in just one person. I call this transition becoming steady with this individual. Some refer to it as steady dating. Becoming Exclusive and being steady can sometimes be interrelated, but the key difference is that exclusivity is in my opinion the transition into courtship.

Courtship: Now young men, and young women, when you enter into an official relationship and become "boyfriend and girlfriend" you will find that this is a time where your relationship is on trial, that is where it connects with Court. Your relationship is in a sense testing the waters to see if it will head to marriage or not. Please do not be discouraged in this stage. I understand that some relationships do not head in the direction of marriage, and that is alright. Somewhere in this stage you become exclusive. Here you should continue going out on dates. Dating in this stage is considered where you continue to participate in activities with one another. This is because it is still a stage where you are getting to know each other. It is also encouraged to go on double dates with your friends still. This stage is an excellent and adventurous time. It isn't easy, but it is a stage where you begin to learn and grow together. This is a discussion for a different time, but this is where you learn about and begin strengthening the Four Pillars. The Four Pillars are, The Spiritual, The Intellectual, The Emotional and the Physical. Now we don't have time to discuss these especially the last pillar, for some clarity. But in a nutshell these are pillars that help you get to know a person in those spheres. Some examples include how this person connects to the Gospel, how they work, how they communicate, and if they take care of themselves. This is an important stage where the Lord should be involved. The Lord wants to know how you are doing with this person you are courting. Young women He wants to know how you feel about this young man, how he treats you, and if he is magnifying his priesthood. Young men he wants to know how you feel about this young woman, and how you are treating her, and if she is helping you as well. Of course these are just examples.

Engagement: This is where a young man and a young woman make the commitment to enter the marriage covenant, but this does not mean they are getting married, they have just committed to each other that they want to be. This is also a very important stage which the Lord is highly involved because He is the one gives the green light. Young men, wait until you are engaged to set up the appointment to be Sealed in the Temple, this step should not be done, during courtship, even though the conversations about being married to each other has occurred and that is the official direction you and her are going towards. As one of my mission presidents explained, "Getting engaged should not be a surprise to you and her, how you propose should be the surprise." More to discuss on that.

Then of course and the most important of all steps of commitment is getting married and heading into marriage, which is the beginning.

My young friends I hope I have not bored you or have caused this to go longer than it needed to be.

As I said earlier, this is a summary of my beliefs, and not the complete picture but there is more to what I would want to share.

I hope this helps you head in the right direction, and I hope that when we talk about the Four Pillars, more understanding will come in preparing for marriage, and strengthening your marriage.

A Defense for Divine Identity

A Defense for Divine Identity

A condensed version of a talk that I will be writing called "A Defense for Divine Identity and a Connection with the Priesthood."

Once again it is a privilege to be with you today my friends. Today we tackle a subject that has become controversial. With that in mind I want to make it clear that today's subject is strictly going to be talked about in the Spiritual sense of things, and truth be told it is the way I see things. I hope that we can be focused and serious as we tackle this subject of great importance. 

There are three things I hope will not happen while we discuss this subject and when we are done discussing it.

1. I do not want anyone to leave here offended, misunderstood, and finding fault in others.

2. I do not want anyone to have contention in their hearts, and contention outside of this conversation.

3. I do not want anyone to think less of anyone in any respect.

However there are also three things I hope will happen while we discuss and after we discuss this subject.

1. That you will leave here with a better understanding of your Divine Identity.

2. That you will find something in these words that will help you in your journey of understanding the doctrine of Divine Identity.

And

3. Most importantly that the Holy Ghost will touch your hearts and teach you what you need to hear, or what you need to share with others. 

Now let us begin.

As it pertains to this subject, today we are not talking about dating or marriage, but there will be some specific elements which pertain to marriage. Turn with me to The Family A Proclamation To The World. A message from The First Presidency and Council Of The Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Follow along as I read to you the second paragraph:

"All Human Beings-male and female-are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose." (Emphasis Added.)

Before this world was, when we lived above in the Eternal Realm of the Heavens, gender was an important part of who we are. That is to say, that you young women, were women before you came unto this earth, and eternally will be such. That is to say, that you young men were men before you came unto this earth, and eternally will be such. You made sacred covenants with God the Father, and some of those covenants pertained to gender. 

Re-visit with me the last line, it says, "Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose." An essential characteristic of your individual eternal identity and purpose. Take the time to let that echo in your ears. 

You have been given unique, distinct, important characteristics as an individual, that are a part of your gender, and are a part of your mission for the Eternities. You are a son or daughter of God! Think about what that means. Have you ever given time to such a thought? We sing the hymn, I am a Child of God since we were this tall. Before this world was you young women, were women; and you young men, were men. This is the doctrine. This is essential in comprehending your divine duties for eternity, and eternity started way before this world became our home. 

Before we move on since we have this background information, I want to impress upon your mind this thought: the adversary, is trying to destroy the family. 

Do you know why? Some of you are nodding and some of you are shaking your heads. Here is what we know. 

1. The adversary wants you to destroy your body, and I would add that he wants you to be confused about your body (which is a form of destruction), because he will never have one.

2. The adversary wants to destroy marriages because he will never be married.

3. The adversary wants to destroy the family, because he will never have one, he will never have children. 

This is the reality. 

With these things in mind I would like to turn your attention to the seventh paragraph of The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Towards the end it reads, 

"By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children." We will come back to the sentence that follows later. Let's talk about what we have been shown our entire lives in this paragraph.

Mothers are by divine design (keep in mind our subject that we started off with) primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. And by divine design (keep in mind our subject that we started off with) Fathers are to preside, provide, and protect. The three P's as we sometimes call them. By nature we talk about what those responsibilities are, and how to carry them out. I personally feel that there should be a greater emphasis in the why of those responsibilities. Once we understand the why, we can have a clearer picture of what they are, and how they are to be carried out. In your hand out as a visual aid you will see how we generically view this subject, but when you flip the page and see the emphasis on the why, we can discover a different way to view this subject. 

(To be continued.)

With reverence I share with you that these things are of God. We are children of God. We are created in His image. A man and a woman, are uniquely created for their divine purposes. They are unique and different, but they are to work together to bring about the plan presented to us by Heavenly Father. 

 

"It's Just what we do" Cultures and Traditions

If I were to tell you that you shouldn't put carrots in your juice but a wet free leaf of cabbage is okay, but then just take it out quickly, you would look at me and be confused. That is a part of the House Rules we talked about last week, but it mixes well with our subject this week that deals with Culture and Traditions.

Let's take the time to answer a "basic" question, how does a family create culture? Is it part of life? Are you born with it? Are you born into it? Now, the fastest answer would be, it is carried down from generation to generation, or we would say you would have to go back from generation to generation until we find where it ultimately came from. So in this case we would say that you are born into this culture. I choose that one because that is how I would define it if we are deciding that it is something that is created back in time. Now, this doesn't mean that it is fixed. In some cultures, "this is the way it is," but sometimes we can be the factor in which something in our home changes.

A tradition, which is closely defined as "inherited patterns of belief or behavior", takes us deeper into the subject about culture. I believe that our traditions make up our culture.
My brother on a subject we were discussing said this in response to one of my answers, "It's just what we do, it is our culture." I remember that I disagreed with him. Sometimes we think that something is set in stone, but we forget that when you enter your new family unit, (once you get married and start your own family) things change.

Two people, come from their own social backgrounds. They come with their own traditions or culture, that are going to be integrated into their own family. Friends this does take some work, but trust me, you will have a lot of fun. You will get to know each other in a different way. You will be on the task to create new traditions and a culture that will define your family. Once this happens you will teach it to your children, and then once they are older they will have the same fun when they start their own family, and the same task continues and continues.

Now you may ask, how do we know which to keep? Which to move on from? What to create? What to strengthen? This is what I refer to as the fun part. You with your best friend, your spouse, get to do this together. You don't have to worry about figuring it out on your own. This will strengthen your marriage, and will strengthen your family. Being on the same page and working together will help you decide how to mold and shape the culture that will perpetuate in your family, which will lead into eternity. This isn't a task that happens overnight, or in five years. It takes time. You will find out which traditions to keep. You will find out which ones both of you will discard. You will come up with traditions that you will call your own. And as you do this together, you will be strengthened and in turn you will know which traditions that shape your culture will be strengthened.

If this worries you, my advice is to start thinking about it. Think about it in a positive way. Look at your own family. Take the time to define your culture. Ask yourself, what traditions make up your culture? Being here at college this is a great time to start analyzing these things to prepare you for the time when you will be perpetuating your own culture with your own future family. The same with those who are married. Take the time to look at where you have come from. Talk about the questions mentioned above, and trust me, you will figure it out. And you will be able to say, "it's just what we do." I encourage you to build, strengthen, and create positive traditions that will shape your family into a happy family. A family that is an example to the rest of the world. Not for fame or for glory, but to be the best you can be.