Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints perform marriage ceremonies a bit differently from the rest of the world. The Church believes in eternal marriage that stretches beyond the individual’s lifetime and into eternity. Jason S. Carroll, the director of the Family Initiative at the Wheatley Institute at Brigham Young University, shared what he has learned about what builds a lasting marriage in his devotional address given today at BYU-Idaho.
In an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio, Carroll explained how he combines his knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ with his professional findings to teach a marriage prep class at BYU.
“I've been teaching and emphasizing the teachings of our prophets and the foundations and doctrines of temple marriage,” Carroll said. “But at the same time, as a researcher, I bring in that relationship science, what I sometimes call the second witnesses.”
In his devotional address, Carroll explained what he has found to be a true temple marriage.
“A true temple marriage is a kind of marriage, not simply the location of a marriage,” Carroll said. “More fully, a true temple marriage is a pattern or a design for marriage. In fact, the Proclamation on the Family teaches us that a true temple marriage is one that is established and maintained according to God's divine design for marriage and families.”
Carroll said the Lord directs and blesses couples who make and keep the sacred covenants they made in the temple.
“So, the gospel gives us a very beautiful path and direction for couples to unite their marriages around and know that they'll be on the same page,” Carroll said. “So, in that way, we do see just a number of patterns that emerge if we try to have true temple marriages that match up, again, very nicely with the relationship sciences that we see.”
To close his address, Carroll added his testimony of a true temple marriage.
“I am also planning on eternity and planning on the promises of the temple for my marriage,” Carroll said. “I share with you my witness that the promises and blessings of the temple can indeed change the world, starting with your own marriage and family relationships.”