Committed and Together!

I love the words committed and together. Dedication, devoted, unity, faithfulness, and harmony also fit perfectly with them. These ideals are what a good marriage should emulate. To really make a marriage work and be happy you have to be working toward the same goal. The Lord, through his apostle Dallin H Oaks, teaches:

 A good marriage does not require a perfect man or a perfect woman. 

It only requires a man and a woman  committed to strive together 

toward perfection. (Divorce May 2007 Ensign)

Unfortunately the worlds teaching does not coincide with this way of being. The world teaches to "think of yourself" and "do what makes you happy". Marriage isn't like a fairy tale where they live happily ever after. Marriage is hard and has its ups and downs! Ultimately we all want to achieve the end goal to get eternal life and live happily ever after {forever}! However, there are some "what ifs" that could stop us from achieving our happily ever afters.

What if one spouse stops caring about anything and everything? 

What if one spouse is doing everything on their own? 

 What if one spouse is the only one trying for a celestial marriage?

These what if lead to the biggest question of all 

Is it worth it? 

A couple who is considering divorce needs to remember that their marriage relationship is far more reaching than just themselves. There are a lot of dynamics to consider when pondering divorce; children, extended family (who have invested time and energy in building relationships), friends (who may have to choose sides), co-workers, and neighbors. How will a divorce affect these relationships?
After a lot of prayer and studying this is what I believe it comes down to? Our progression is individual. It all boils down to each individual and their relationship with God.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks teaches

"I strongly urge YOU and those who advise you to face up to the reality that
for most marriage problems, the remedy is not divorce but repentance."

(Divorce May 2007 Ensign)

Being committed to God, repentance, taking hold of the power of the Atonement and keeping our end of the covenant that we made with God can and will make it worth it.