Why Marriage?

This week we are focusing on “Cherishing your spouse”.  I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to do homework than I am this week.  I don’t know of any other class that assigns date nights with your spouse!  One article I read this week in from The National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, The Date Night Opportunity by W. Bradford Wilcox and Jeffery Dew.  I found their studies on couple’s date nights and how they impacted marriages.  They show direct correlation to frequency of date nights between couples and their happiness within their marriages to those who end up divorcing.   Wilcox and Dew’s study shows how date nights strengthen marriages in many ways such as communication, novelty, Eros, Commitment, and de-stress. Communication – Date night removes every day distractions such as children and employment.  This gives couples an opportunity to talk about their feelings, plans, and dreams.  This c...

  B efore I started my Marriage class this semester, I have never heard of DR John Gottman.   I started reading the first few chapters in his book “The Seven Principles For Making Marriage Work”.   Like I said I was unaware of Gottman’s work, and I am already finding his study very interesting.   He uses science to predict the outcome of couples marriages.   He has been doing this by creating a weekend apartment for couples, during this time the couples are being monitored by recording heart rate and watching physical and facial responses while interacting with their spouse.   Dr Gottman has used this information he has gathered and can predict whether the relation will be successful or end in divorce with over 90% accuracy rate.   I am amazed by the outcome of his study and the accuracy he has had.   I am looking forward to reading more understand the 7 principles he offers to “Make Marriage Work”. In the first few...

Elder Bruce C. Hafen, of the Quorum of the Seventy, gave an amazing talk on “Covenant Marriage” in 1996.   In his talk he shared the difference between a contractual marriage and a covenant marriage. Elder Bruce C. Hafen of the Quorum of the Seventy “Marriage is by nature a covenant, not just a private contract one may cancel at will. Jesus taught about contractual attitudes when he described the “hireling,” who performs his conditional promise of care only when he receives something in return. When the hireling “seeth the wolf coming,” he “leaveth the sheep, and fleeth ... because he ... careth not for the sheep.” By contrast, the Savior said, “I am the good shepherd, ... and I lay down my life for the sheep.” 2 Many people today marry as hirelings. And when the wolf comes, they flee.” He goes on to talk about the three kinds wolves that test every marriage.          1 The first wolf is natural adversity.    ...

The last few days I have been studying the Supreme Court summary of the ruling that legalized gay marriage on June 26, 2015.   This has been a heavy read, and an overwhelming amount of viewpoints and information to process.   Through my study I have gained a better understanding of the law and Supreme courts and how they work much better than I originally did.   I do have to say that I felt Justice Kennedy delivered the opinion of the Court very effectively.   Many individual stories were shared and how they were individually affected by being denied the right to same sex-marriage, this was a powerful tool to use.   It is difficult to step back and view traditional vs. same-sex marriage without personal stories and emotions that this subject stirs.   One statement that was made to support same-sex marriages was “The First Amendment ensures that religious organizations and persons are given proper protection as they seek to teach the principles that are ...