Week 2: Divorce

One of my favorite quotes pertaining to marriage states, “a perfect marriage is just two imperfect people who refuse to give up on each other.” I love how this quote shows that marriage takes hard work and a lot of dedication. It’s not something to be taken lightly. I grew up in a small tight knit community where most everyone knew each other. I didn’t experience a lot of the problems that can happen in marriage since it wasn’t occuring around me. As I have grown up, I have noticed more people who are getting married at a much later age as well as unstable families. I’ve observed infidelity in marriages which have resulted in heartache and divorce. Growing up in a stable, two-parent family and not having to question if my parents love each other or not, it’s confusing for me to understand why people get divorced and have deep issues in family life. It makes me question how many people could still be in a happy and loving relationship if they would have put in more effort. However I also understand that there are marriages that simply do not work. 

I love the quote by President Kimball that says “only those who believe deeply and actively in the family will be able to preserve their families in the midst of the gathering evil around us.” I think a lot of the evils that plague family life have to do with temptation and being prideful. There are a lot of people who think they are strong enough to withstand the temptations of the adversary, but when the time comes that they need Christ the most, things begin to fall apart. We see in the scriptures that pride has caused complete and utter destruction for people and nations who don’t think they need to rely on the Lord. The same things can happen in marriage and family life when we don’t stick to reading the scriptures and praying as a daily habit. Satan will wait no matter how long it takes and that’s why we must be vigilant in doing the things that will keep us close to Christ. The thing I will encourage most in my family in the midst of evil is developing a relationship with Christ. I will emphasize how important it is to understand that the only person that can save us is Christ. 

I think a very important aspect of marriage and divorce is understanding how it affects the children. Studies have shown that children who experience divorce are prone to more problems academically, emotionally and behaviourally. The biggest thing I want to emphasize when it comes to divorce is the true remedy of repentance and not divorce. If more people would understand the true power and blessing of the atonement, more marriages would be fixed and not broken.