The family: contract or convenant

The family: contract or convenant

The reasons why people decide to get married have varied over the years, allowing themselves to be carried away by customs, traditions, fashions, but has there been a reason to get married from the beginning? The reasons will mainly be based on the definition of marriage, if it is by contract or if it is by covenant. The first is a simple legal union between two people, the second is a sacred agreement between the couple. The family is a fundamental unit in any nation, it is a sociological institution, but the most important thing is an agreement that goes beyond time, including our deaths. How can we establish an eternal family? Only through the gospel of Jesus Christ and his covenants can the family be eternal.

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Bruce C. Hafen shared these insights:

Bruce C. Hafen

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.” (John 10:12-15). This concept of the eternal family can have a great impact on our lives, on our thoughts and actions, changes the way we think and see others, the decision to get married leads us to hope and prepare for eternal marriage, as a of the fears that appear when we think about making this decision, is the problems of marriage, fear of divorce, failure, even when the concept of family has changed in the media, we are told that the divorce rate is increasing , that causes us fear, but if we change our thoughts and see marriage as our covenant "... individual learning, our teaching and our testimony both at home and in the church will be magnified as we reflect and understand this truth better." (Elder Bruce C. Hafen, 1996).

To achieve this vision we need to understand what are the real risks in marriage, knowing about them can help us face them, recognize them in time, for Elder Bruce C. Hafen encouraged all families to be able to elevate each other in the face of adversity , affirming that there are 3 great wolves that are lurking in the married life, first wolf is the natural adversity, that although this adversity could come in any circumstances, the difference is that if we have a marriage that is built on collaboration, communication and love, these problems are easier to overcome; the second wolf are the own imperfections, no human being is perfect, then do not expect your partner to be, even more, do not consider yourself perfect, there is no other attribute that demonstrates the strength of a person than humility.

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And the third wolf is the excess of individualism, in our time every aspect of social life is pointing to individualism, from the economy that seeks through consumerism to implement this idea of ​​individualization, in education that teach children to watch over your things, your interests and do not teach basic principles of solidarity and cooperation, although social life inculcates these principles is still your responsibility your actions, you must understand that marriage is a mutual agreement, you must understand that bond of cooperation you have with your couple, you should not see it as an object, remembering a phrase of Mahatma Gandhi "Take care of your thoughts, because they will become your words. Manage your words, because they will become your acts. Direct your actions, because they will become your habits. Take care of your habits, because they will become your destiny. "

We must consider what is my concept of family? As we see the family, in the same way we will act with it.

Reference

Hafen, Bruce C. (Noviembre 1996). Covenant Marriage. Ensign, Nov 1996, 26

want more information:

https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/worldwide-devotionals/2017/01/love-and-marriage?lang=eng&clang=ase