Covenant Marriage compared to Contract Marriage

Like anything in the gospel a covenant marriage is something we have to work towards. Covenant marriage requires more than just a piece of paper it is an eternal commitment and we have to strive to make it work. When we are sealed in the temple the sealing is not automatic and is based on our on our faith and obedience on earth. A civil marriage requires that those in the marriage remain faithful and support each other, in a covenant marriage those same things are expected but we are also required to remain faithful, strive to keep our other covenants we have made, and include Christ in our marriage.

 

 I loved the quote by Bruce C. Hafen, "Contract companions each give 50 percent; covenant companions each give 100 percent". A civil marriage is a contract in which each party is responsible for their half, that is what a contract is. In a covenant marriage each party gives all of themselves and it is not only an earthly contract, it is a covenant  with Christ, and a forever contract. In a covenant marriage we are asked to give all that we have to our spouse and to throw out all selfish tendencies. A successful covenant marriage requires so much more of each person and it is a continual renewal of the covenants that we made.

 

Elder Bednar taught that "Satan that all men and women might be miserable like unto himself". The old adage of misery loves company could not be more real and relevant in our lives. There is an attack on family and Satan is getting more and more sophisticated with his approach. One area we can really see his strength in is pornography. We try our best to create a home that is a safe place, that the spirit can dwell and yet it is so easy for pornography to sneak its way into the home. Satan is very cunning and he sneaks images into our homes so easily and he has made pornography such a common casual topic that it becomes a joke and the seriousness is lost.. How many marriages have ended because of this filth that has become so common place in our society? We have a great adversary working against us and we need to do all we can to include Christ in our marriage. We have to find a way to return to our Father in Heaven and take our families with us. Despite the opposition we face we have to continue to keep our covenants and when mistakes are made we have to repent and keep going.