President Spencer W. Kimball stated, “…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.” This statement had a profound impact on me, as I have been asking myself, “What am I doing to preserve my family, including my marriage, in the midst of gathering evil?

The question seems daunting at times and one who is married must evaluate their own marriage and family life to determine what am I contributing, where is my focus, and how can I improve my current circumstances? There is no perfect marriage or perfect family, but I am a firm believer that where there is a will, there is a way. As pornography lurks at every corner, striving to make its way into every electronic device with a screen that can view it, seeping in to more and more homes, it threatens to destroy marriages and families alike. Financial struggles, death, health challenges, and selfishness, just to name a few, are at the heart of divorce. Divorce is becoming more prevalent than in past decades and will keep roaring its head unless society recognizes the importance of the family, and more importantly, the marriage is on preserving families.

Marriage is the ultimate sacrifice of one’s self and one’s needs for that of another human being. It stretches a person’s patience, provokes tolerance, invites humility, fosters communication, requires honesty and loyalty, and demands an unconditional love beyond all comprehension. It is an art of beauty when captured in the essence of its creation, between a husband and wife, and is ordained by God. Marriage is essentially as god-like as we can become, loving another conditionally and utilizing the powers of creation to fulfill one’s destiny. And in doing so, we must enlist the help of God in the process.

Our Heavenly Father loves all of his children and wants them to experience the eternal joy he has, which is why his eternal plan includes marriage for eternity. Families are meant to be eternal, to be bound with threads of generations of ancestors and descendants. We must safeguard our homes, our families, and marriages by including God where ever we can. We must read and study his words, both individually and together as a family. We must pray to him, invoking his blessings upon us and inviting his spirit to guide and direct us. We must listen to the messages from his holy servants, our prophets and apostles, who receive revelation directly from him specifically for us.

It is paramount that we include God, his son, Jesus Christ, and the holy spirit into our lives to protect and preserve our most sacred relationships. It is natural for mankind to drift towards the ways of the world and is easy to become distracted by the busyness of the world and new developments in technology. However, should we stray from the course of mortal bliss among families, and as married companions, we can course correct with the atonement of Jesus Christ. Christ’s atonement allows us to realign ourselves with God and become more like him, which increases our ability to find unity and harmony in marriage and family.

After 20 years of marriage and six children later, life is busy and keeps me running in every direction. It is easy to get distracted by the many things that demand my time and attention. Whether it is employment, taking care of children, housework, volunteer opportunities, or extra-curricular activities, there is always something that threatens to take precedence over making time for God in our lives first, and making time for our spouse second. There have been times in our marriage that were less blissful, rocky actually, and looking back, I recognize my priorities were not always correct and I was more focused on the world and less focused on God. Losing focus away from God allowed discord, differences, doubt, and discouragement to enter my marriage. However, when I became determined to prioritize my life to include God, slowly the harmony and strength in my marriage was reignited.

I recognized I needed to refocus my attention on the Savior and his importance in my life. I had to let a few things go that I enjoyed or that I thought needed my attention, so I could cultivate my relationship with deity, which in turn, helped strengthen my relationship with my husband. Doing this afforded me more patience and an increase in love towards him, as I saw him through eternal eyes. I was more sincere in my prayers, more fervent in my scripture study, and made every sacrifice to be in the temple and feel God’s love in greater abundance. This allowed my heart to grow closer to God and closer to my husband.

A favorite quote that sits on my dresser as a reminder of keeping God in my life, is by Ezra Taft Benson, “When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place, or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims of our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities.” I have never found this quote to be more true and applicable to my own marriage, which has also encompassed family life. Bottom line: include God in your life, in your marriage, and in your family and witness the power of preserving families.

We have each been placed on this Earth and have been given distinct talents and qualities to enable us to fulfill our specific, divine purpose.  The Plan of Salvation or the Plan of Happiness includes the opportunity and responsibility to be born to a family and build family relationships, fulfilling roles as a son, daughter, sister, brother, husband, wife, mother, or father. In families, we learn about love and forgiveness and families can only have lasting relations and an eternal destiny, if created between a man and a woman, married for eternity.

God organized the human family from the very beginning, with the intention of marriage and family relationships being eternal. Our individual salvation is based on our individual obedience, and yet exaltation is a family matter. We must understand each of us is an important and integral part of a family and the highest blessings can be received only within an eternal family: exaltation. The most valued relationships found in mortality are within a family, functioning as God designed them to, and marriage between a man and a woman is an essential part.

I believe that marriage is ordained of God. Marriage is something special and very sacred. What does ordained mean? Ordained means “intended, destined, or designed”. When you put that in the sentence with those words: marriage is intended of God, marriage is designed of God. The Family: A Proclamation to the World states that “marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan.” The proclamation continues, “Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.” With a Christ-centered home and a focused effort on fulfilling all of these principles, our homes will be happy and our marriages will be blessed. Those marriages must be founded upon God’s laws, however, which is clearly defined as between a man and a woman.Service and sacrifice are crucial to marriage. Men and women, lawfully wedded as husband and wife, are given the privileges to create life and to raise children in mortality. We have the opportunity to create our own family unit and to teach children correct principles, while developing a godly character and becoming “one” with another person. Life can only be created between a man and a woman, therefore to build one’s family, one must obey God’s law.

Happiness is centered on the family; family is the fundamental unit of society. Romance, love, marriage, and parenthood are all eternal family principles that bring us happiness. The adversary distorts these eternal family principles. I invite you to read and understand the many principles found in The Family Proclamation, to protect and defend your family from attacks of the adversary.

THE FAMILY

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A PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLD

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

WE, THE FIRST PRESIDENCY and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

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.

IN THE PREMORTAL REALM, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

WE DECLARE the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

HUSBAND AND WIFE have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

THE FAMILY is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. 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. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

WE WARN that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

WE CALL UPON responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake

The Family Proclamation was created for the entire world, not just members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Our world is constantly changing through beliefs, values, politics, etc. The Family Proclamation can provide individuals and families with a guide and a standard to follow during these unstable times, and thus, spiritual light can cut through the darkness. As the world tries to shift it’s views of traditional marriage, we can have a sure foundation and understanding of God’s eternal plan for families.

The family is clearly under attack and marriage between a man and a woman is at the heart of the attack; society is trying to redefine the constitution of marriage to fit it’s own description, according to it’s own self interests. Governments are trying to change God’s institution of marriage to meet the needs of individuals who do not want to obey God’s laws. Studies show the abundant benefits of children raised in a home with both a mother and father, married and committed to one another, and yet there are countless parties striving to build homes in every combination but what is best for the entire family unit. If society can change the foundation of marriage, the success of the family unit will be destroyed and the human race will experience a huge decrease in population. 

Marriage is becoming more and more less popular the older I get. My husband and I often get questions about how we stay happily married, because it often appears more appealing to get divorced and no longer be tied down to someone who has unrealistic expectations of you. I am always willing to share how much I love being married and how together, we have the perfect combination of abilities to raise a successful family. Without a husband, who has qualities and talents I do not possess, I know my children would not have become the well-rounded citizens they are today. There are so many benefits for children to have the influence of a father and a mother in the home, and I see evidence nearly every day why marriage, between a man and a woman, is ordained of God.