Lesson Outcome
The purpose of
this lesson is to help you better understand why marriage is such an important
part of mortal life.
Introduction
Our modern day
prophets and apostles have taught that marriage is sacred, holy, and vital to
our eternal salvation, but do we actually truly understand why? I didn’t, not
for a while; not until I took a deeper look at the purpose of this life and the
eternal destiny of each and every child of God. Only by looking at marriage
from an eternal perspective was I able to truly understand why it’s so
important.
Scripture Teachings
What is the purpose
of mortal life?
The following
scriptures list some reasons for our being sent here to earth:
Abraham 3:24-25
“24 And
there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto
those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will
take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;
25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they
will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall
command them;”
Alma 12:24
“24 And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has
been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a
space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became
a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare
for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the
resurrection of the dead.”
Alma 42:4
“4 And thus we see, that there was a time granted unto man to
repent, yea, a probationary time, a time to repent and serve
God.”
What do we get from these passages?
What are we supposed to do
while we’re here on earth?
Be proven; be tested
to see if we will obey commandments
Time to prepare to
meet God; time to prepare for that endless state (eternity)
A probationary time;
time to repent and serve God
How do we prepare to
meet God? How do we prepare for eternity?
The following
scriptures tell us what we must do:
D&C
14:7
“14 And, if you keep my
commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life,
which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.
Matthew
5:48
“48 Be ye therefore perfect, even
as you’re Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
How do we become perfect like Heavenly Father?
Learn about His
godly attributes and strive to emulate them
Keep the
commandments and endure to the end
Become like Him – an
eternal being worthy of His kingdom
What are the Godly
Attributes we should emulate?
Let’s look at the
following scriptures:
2 Peter 1:5-8
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith
virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience;
and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness;
and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be
barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
D&C 4:5-6
“5 And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye
single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.
6 Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience,
brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility,
diligence.”
What are our Heavenly Parents like? Who are they? What is most
important to Them?
The following quote helps clarify just what is most important to
our Heavenly Parents:
“The title father is sacred and
eternal. It is significant that of all the titles of respect and honor and
admiration that are given to Deity, He has asked us to address Him as Father.” (The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,
2002)
Our Heavenly Parents
are, first and foremost, Husband and Wife and Father and Mother –
these responsibilities are most important. Our Heavenly Parents are an Eternal Family. It follows, then, that
to become as They are, we, too, must become husband and wife, father and mother, and part of an eternal
family.
Think about it. If
being Husband and Wife and Father and Mother are
most important to Them, then shouldn’t
those responsibilities also be most important to us? How can we become like Them if we do not become husbands and
wives and fathers and mothers? How can we become as They are if we are not part
of an eternal family?
Teachings of the Living Prophets and Apostles
In 1995 a proclamation on the family
was issued by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this
proclamation it says, “Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God
and […] is essential to His eternal plan.” (First Presidency & Council of the Twelve
Apostles, 1995)
Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles once said, “Pure love is an incomparable, potent power
for good. Righteous love is the foundation of a successful marriage. It is the
primary cause of contented, well-developed children.” (Scott, 2011)
Elder David A. Bednar, also of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has taught, “Righteous marriage is a commandment
and an essential step in the process of creating a loving family relationship
that can be perpetuated beyond the grave.” (Bednar, 2006)
In that same address, Elder Bednar
outlined two doctrinal reasons to help us understand the significance of eternal
marriage. The first reason he gives is, “The natures of male and female spirits
complete and perfect each other, and therefore men and women are intended to
progress together toward exaltation.” He explains that because men and women
have different temperaments and capacities, they each bring “unique
perspectives and experiences” to the marriage. He also says, “The man and the
woman contribute differently but equally to a oneness and a unity that can be
achieved in no other way.”
The second reason given is, “By
divine design, both a man and a woman are needed to bring children into mortality
and to provide the best setting for the rearing and nurturing of children.” He
explains that the only “authorized channel through which premortal spirits” can
enter mortality is in marriage between husband and wife. He goes on to explain,
“A home with a loving and loyal husband and wife is the supreme setting in
which children can be reared in love and righteousness and in which the
spiritual and physical needs of children can be met.” He also explains that the
same characteristics that contribute to a oneness in marriage are also vital in
“the rearing, nurturing, and teaching of children.” (Bednar, 2006)
Conclusion
What would life be
like without the family unit? No husbands and wives to bring precious children
into the world. No mothers and fathers to raise and train those children to
follow Christ. No eternal families worthy of God’s Kingdom.
As children of our
Heavenly Father it is our destiny to
become like Him. We can be all that He is, and have all that He has. We each can
become eternal beings and we each can be a part of our Heavenly Father’s eternal
family.
I testify to you
of the importance of the family in the Plan of Salvation. Each and every one of
us is a precious child of loving Heavenly Parents, and I know that They wish
with all their hearts that each of us will choose to live our lives so that we
may one day return home to them.
Additional
Resources
References
Bednar, D. A. (2006, June). Marriage is Essential to
His Eternal Plan. Ensign. Retrieved from
http://www.lds.org/liahona/2006/06/marriage-is-essential-to-his-eternal-plan?lang=eng&query=Marriage+Essential+His+Eternal+Plan
First
Presidency & Council of the Twelve Apostles. (1995, November). The Family:
A Proclamation to the World. Ensign. Retrieved from
http://www.lds.org/ensign/1995/11/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world?lang=eng
Scott, R.
G. (2011, April). The Eternal Blessings of Marriage. Ensign. Retrieved
from
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/the-eternal-blessings-of-marriage?lang=eng&media=video
The Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles. (2002, June). Father, Consider Your Ways. Ensign.
Retrieved from http://www.lds.org/ensign/2002/06/father-consider-your-ways
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