Marriage

Marriage is both a foundational unit in society and a sacred religious institution. Within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the religious aspect of marriage takes on added importance because members of the Church believe that marriage and family relationships are meant to be eternal—lasting far beyond “‘til death do us part.” Members of the Church also believe that the differing divine natures and responsibilities of men and women complement each other best in a marriage relationship. This religious significance of marriage carries into the sociological realm: members of the Church tend to marry earlier and have lower divorce rates compared to national averages. Marriage is so important to members of the Church that they are performed in temples and are meant to last for eternity. These ceremonies are called “sealings” and are incredibly sacred to Latter-day Saints.

The following BYU devotionals address both the social and religious aspects of marriage. Young adults are encouraged by Church leaders to prioritize marriage and family, and within the Church they are taught principles that help foster happy and successful marriages. Such teaching is backed by the work of nationally and internationally recognized scholars in sociology, psychology, and family life who have dedicated their work to studying the causes and effects of a happy, healthy marriage.

As stated in “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” a declaration delivered by the leaders of the Church in 1995, many of the best and most basic principles needed to create a successful marriage and a happy home are also key principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ: faith, work, compassion, repentance, and forgiveness. Through personal experiences, anecdotes, academic research, and doctrine, speakers in these addresses give examples and advice for implementing these principles into every marriage and family. Their messages are relevant not only to BYU students both married and single, but also to families everywhere seeking to improve their marriages “by study and by faith.”