February 14, 2002

Elder Lynn G. Robbins speaks
on love and marriage

REXBURG, Idaho -- Valentines, marriage and the gospel were all topics covered at the Brigham Young University-Idaho devotional delivered Tuesday afternoon in the Hart Auditorium.

Elder Lynn G. Robbins of the First Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints chose to discuss love and marriage during the devotional held two days before Valentine’s Day.

"There is nothing more powerful than love," he said. "Nothing so motivating or that touches so many lives. There have doubtless been more books written, more movies made and more songs sung about love and falling in love than any other topic and perhaps all other topics combined. Finding your eternal valentine is the ultimate treasure hunt."

Elder Robbins emphasized the importance of marriage and love inside of matrimony. Citing a remark from LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley, he said, "The Lord has ordained that we should marry. . . . The truest mark of your success in life will be the quality of your marriage. . . . This choice will be the most important of all the choices you make in your life."

"The choice of an eternal companion is up to each individual," Elder Robbins said. "Father in Heaven respects your agency especially with this most important of decisions. He won’t make the decision for you. He gives guidelines and principles but the choice is ours. Because there is no such thing as soul-mates or a one and only, it would be more appropriate in a prayer to ask Father in Heaven if this is ‘a one,’ than to ask Him if this is ‘the one.’ Ask Him to bless you with the wisdom to recognize the attributes of godliness in your potential spouse. Is this a good man who will honor his priesthood? Is this a woman who will nurture our children in loving kindness? Is this a man or a woman enough like me that we can have a happy life together?"

He concluded, "The decision of who you marry is the most important of your life. It is a decision that will be made with both your heart and your head. The decision will take into account your feelings and your thoughts."

Elder Robbins was sustained as a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy in 1997 and was later sustained as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in 2000. He also has served as president of the Uruguay Montevideo Mission.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from Utah State University and his master’s degree from the American Graduate School of International Management. He is a former senior vice president and co-founder of Franklin Quest, producer of the Franklin Day Planner and Time Management Seminar.

Devotionals are broadcast live Tuesdays at 2 p.m. on KBYI 100.5 FM and are later rebroadcast at 9 p.m. Next week’s devotional speaker will be McClain Bybee, director of the LDS Foundation.

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