Families can be together forever!

• Throughout history, the Lord has commanded His people to build temples.
• Temples are literally houses of the Lord.
• They are holy places of worship where individuals make sacred promises with God.

Oakland LDS temple: where we were married for not only time, but for eternity.

"…And he blew the house down".

In a talk by Elder Hafen, he spoke of three wolf which can bring down a marriage. Number one is everyday adversity which can make or break us. Number two is our own imperfections, which we may build up or tear down our relationship by how we treat each other. He tells us that “the third wolf is the excessive individualism that has spawned today’s contractual attitudes”. This seems to be the most dangerous “wolf” for society as a whole. Living for self rather than for the family allows distance to seep into a marriage. When feelings of “me first” becomes the attitude, then the next step is wanting out of the marriage for more freedom. Also it prevents some from even committing to marriage at all.

What can we learn from the Pope?

 In April Conference Elder Perry reported of his participation in a colloquium on marriage and family at the Vatican in Rome, Italy. He shared this:

“Pope Francis opened the first session of the assembly with this statement: “We now live in a culture of the temporary, in which more and more people are simply giving up on marriage as a public commitment. This revolution in manners and morals has often flown the flag of freedom, but in fact it has brought spiritual and material devastation to countless human beings, especially the poorest and most vulnerable. … It is always they who suffer the most in this crisis.”
In referring to those of the rising generation, he said it is important that they “do not give themselves over to the poisonous [mentality] of the temporary, but rather be revolutionaries with the courage to seek true and lasting love, going against the common pattern”; this must be done.”

There is a special love that develops over years of marriage. Not only is it comfortable knowing the needs and likes of a mate, but deep respect for each other gives peace and joy each day being together. Sitting close either reading or watching a movie just feels good. If you fell in love in the beginning, don't you want that love to go on forever?                                                                                                                 

Are you better off by being married?

As New York Times columnist David Brooks said: “People are not better off when they are given maximum personal freedom to do what they want. They’re better off when they are enshrouded in commitments that transcend personal choice—commitments to family, God, craft and country.”

I believe we can develop in many ways when we stick together as a family. We can learn from each other as we weave memories through great and tough times. The family is the vehicle in which we can travel to be together forever.