I feel like lately I have heard so many stories of people ending their marriage. Some were ones that had been together over 15 years, others, less than that. It's really scary as a twenty year old to see all these examples of failed marriages. It's enough to make me want to shy away from dating and the thought of marriage. I can't help thinking, if these people can't be successful, how the heck am I supposed to be?
This past year someone I was really close to went through a divorce. I saw firsthand what she went through as she was going through the divorce. In her case, it was the only option left. They had been struggling for years, and in the end he wasn't willing to fix his end of the problems. It made me really sad to see her give her all to making their marriage work, but in the end, if both parties aren't willing to make the sacrifices needed, it won't work. It brought me a lot of comfort when Elder Oaks said, "Whatever the outcome and no matter how difficult your experiences, you have the promise that you will not be denied the blessings of eternal family relationships if you love the Lord, keep His commandments, and just do the best you can. When young Jacob “suffered afflictions and much sorrow” from the actions of other family members, Father Lehi assured him, “Thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain” (2 Nephi 2:1–2). Similarly, the Apostle Paul assured us that “all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28)." It's comforting to know that even though in this earth life people might not be getting the dream marriage, as long as they are righteous and doing their best to live the commandments they won't be denied nay blessings. I think it shows how loving our Heavenly Father is, and how badly He wants us to have every blessing possible.
I also really like how he said to make sure you know who you're marrying. I've seen so many people suffer and have marriages end because of rushing into a marriage without fully knowing the other person and what they might struggle with. I think it's perfectly okay (and unavoidable) for people to have weaknesses and imperfections, we're al human, but some people struggle through things that affect not only them, but the person they're marrying. It's unfair to marry for someone to marry another person who is struggling with something severe but didn't make it known before. I think it should be a person's right to choose to help them through the struggle instead of being forced to.
This week's lesson taught me that even the risk is totally worth it. It's okay to be cautious, and even a little bit scared when it comes to relationships; I mean, they are a big deal after all. But no matter what happens, as long as you are living a righteous life and putting in your best effort, the Lord will take care of you.
