Will I Ever Get Married?

FPP#3, Chapter 1 -Tyler Ward says, "Contrary to popular opinion, the goal of marriage is not happiness. And although happiness is often a very real byproduct of a healthy relationship, marriage has a far more significant purpose. It is designed to pull dysfunction to the surface of our lives, set it on fire and help up grow."3 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Got Married

"The personal challenge is not to wait successfully but to live richly, fully, and joyfully. The goal is not to wait for the right person but to be the right person." (Carol Clark, read Ashton, 2010).

While both spiritual and scholarly perspectives emphasize the need for young people to become a right person for marriage, this does not mean that finding a proper person to marry is an unimportant part of establishing an eternal marriage. In fact, in a culture of eroded courtship where many young people lack clear guidance about how to date and form a lasting union, principles of how to find a right person for marriage are particularly needed. In recent years, the Lord’s prophets have focused on these principles in their counsel to young adults. These “principles of finding” have centered primarily on teaching young people (a) when they should seek to get married, (b) whom they should seek as a marriage companion, and (c) how to date in ways that will most likely lead toward the formation of eternal marriages.

Activity - Watch "Dating vs Hanging Out." See link below.

Additional Reading

Confidence Tests, By Elder Lance B. Wickman

Of the Seventy.

Dating Advice from Prophets and Apostles, New Era, Apr 2010

Becoming a Quality Person Now. Elder Marvin J. Ashton. Ensign, Apr, 2010.

Dating vs Hanging Out - Elder Dallin H. Oaks.

References

Carroll, J. S., (2016). Young adulthood and pathway to eternal marriage. In Hawkins, A. J., & Dollahite, D. C., & Draper, T. W., (Eds.), Success marriages and families – proclamation principles and research perspectives. pp. 3-15. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University