Is there any more controversial topic as marriage? I wonder.

God is pretty straightforward about this topic. Adam and Eve were brought to this earth, married, and commanded to have children. And they were taught to teach their children so that righteousness could prevail.

So, what’s the problem? Why is there such controversy when it comes to marriage and family? While wondering about this conundrum, we must know that Satan is at the heart of it.

God wants us to marry, raise families worthy to return to Him, and be happy for eternity. Satan wants us to be miserable, to self-destruct, and to live with selfish roommates for the rest of eternity. This seems like such a “no-brainer,” why is it so controversial?

We live in a world where people think that love is the answer. But is it? Isn’t the real solution righteousness and goodness? Isn’t true love the byproduct of these?

N. Eldon Tanner’s address was titled, “Celestial Marriages and Eternal Families.” The Church pleads for us to maintain the high ideal of Celestial marriages and eternal families, but Satan just keeps pushing and pushing.

My husband and I were talking about this the other day. What happens when someone close to us announces he or she struggles with same-sex attraction? They might ask for help, so what help do we offer? Do we offer love? support? As we are all aware, this is a difficult, and very personal, (dare I say) trial that we are still all trying to navigate and respond well and appropriately to.

But here’s another scenario: What happens when someone close to us announces he or she struggles with opposite-sex attraction? If they’re married, we try to tell them to wake up and not ruin their marriage. If they aren’t married, we still aren’t afraid to help them see the error of their ways.

What’s the difference? Why do we condone one over the other when they’re all dangerous and against the high ideal of Celestial marriages and eternal families? Why don’t we recognize all of these sins as Satan’s work in getting us to lose control over our bodies, and sign our lives over to him?

Pres. Tanner told of the answer a newspaper columnist gave in response to what he chose to write about. “He said people asked him why he didn’t write about the energy crisis, … he responded that …  mankind can solve its technical problems, but what concerned him was the greater problem we have which is moral, not technical.” Pres. Tanner agreed with that statement adding, “Jesus Christ came to earth to give us that very message—who we are and what we are supposed to do. He gave us the gospel plan of life and salvation.”

Additional post:

Ongoing decisions  Marilyn Nielson