The Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges was divided 5 to 4 for legalizing gay marriage.  What is interesting about this ruling is not what many might think.  The 4 dissenting votes were not because these individuals were against gay marriage, but that the definition of marriage should not be determined by law.  Justice Roberts said, “judges have the power to say what the law is, not what it should be” (Supreme Court of the United States, 2015, p. 2).  The judges felt that they were stepping outside their role to interpret the law and were creating law.  Justice Curtis said that when the “fixed rules which govern the interpretation of laws [are] abandoned, and the theoretical opinions of individuals are allowed to control [the Constitution’s meaning,] we have no longer a Constitution; we are under the government of individual men, who for the time being have power to declare what the Constitution is, according to their own views of what it ought to mean” (Supreme Court of the United States, 2015, p. 11).

The repercussions of this will infringe on religious liberties.  We are already seeing some of this in the news and other court cases.  We are seeing a cultural shift that is silencing those who speak out in support of marriage and families.  Justice Alito warned that “those who cling to old beliefs will be able to whisper their thoughts in the recesses of their homes, but if they repeat those views in public, they will risk being labeled as bigots and treated as such by governments, employers, and schools” (Supreme Court of the United States, 2015, p. 7).  We see this a lot in the media and even within our own communities.  People are becoming scared to speak up.

I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.  I believe that marriage was established by God with the first man and woman on the earth, Adam and Eve.  I believe that marriage is important both in the eyes of God and as a fundamental unit of society.  Those of us who believe that marriage is between a man and a woman need to be willing to stand up for our beliefs.  We need to share the importance of marriage.  When individual states voted on same sex marriage, a majority of the people voted against it.  With the cultural shifts we are seeing, these voices cannot allow themselves to be silenced.  We need to stand united together to promote marriage and protect our religious freedoms.

Works Cited

Supreme Court of the United States. (2015). Obergefell v. Hodges.

 

Many of us have the idea that marriage will be like a fairy tale.  You meet your special prince or princess and they sweep you off your feet.  In the emotional highs of love and passion you know that you will live happily ever after.

Unfortunately, this ideal often leads to disappointment.  Marriage is a lot of work.  It takes commitment, dedication, communication, and so much more.  As more and more marriages fail, we are seeing trends change.  The divorce rate is high, fewer people are getting married, people are getting married at older ages, and some avoid marriage altogether by cohabitating.

(Kimball, S. W. (1980). Families Can Be Eternal. Ensign (p. 4). Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1980/10/families-can-be-eternal?lang=eng)

I have a strong belief in the importance of families.  I grew up in a home where my parents stay married.  They have been married for more than 50 years.  While their marriage has not been perfect, I saw them strive to do what is best for me and my ten siblings.  They worked hard and showed me that marriage is not easy, but worth it.

I have been married to my husband for 17 years.  I started out, as many have, with the happily ever after fairy tale in my mind.  As my husband and I have worked together, I have learned some things about marriage and how to make it work.  In this blog, I want to share with you some of the things I am learning about how you can strengthen your marriage, home, and family.

I am grateful for “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” which gives a gospel structure for us to build our families upon.  It teaches us the roles and responsibilities of a family.  It talks about both the roles of mothers and of fathers.  It establishes the importance of each child growing up in a home with a mother and a father.  Children from single parent homes suffer because of a lack of resources, stability, emotional support, and other factors.  These things affect their friends, life choices, school, and connections with others.  These children are more likely to repeat the patterns set by their parents.  Their family structures throughout generations can be affected.  “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” teaches that:

(The Family: A Proclamation to the World, paragraph 7)

 

Building upon these principles will bring our families peace and happiness.  Our family can be a refuge from the storm.  We can make it a safe place for our family to gather, a place to come to for hope and comfort, a place where we can come to rejuvenate and prepare to face the world, and a place where we can feel and give love.  I love the quote above so much that we repeat it every month at our family council meetings.  We have it memorized and often quote from it.  I am hoping to teach my children what it takes to have a successful marriage and family.

This does not mean that there are never times when divorce is necessary.  When it is required, it is heartbreaking for everyone involved.  Those who go through divorce need our love and support.  Their children need to feel the love and support of other adults around them.  It is these moments where the healing power of the atonement of Jesus Christ can help to heal hearts, offer comfort, and ultimately give peace.  The scriptures teach us that Jesus Christ felt all our pain and suffering.  It is because of this that he knows how to heal us and to comfort us.  How blessed we are to have a Savior who suffered for us that we can be whole again.

 

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton