The Power Of The Marriage Covenant

The Covenant of Marriage is a three way covenant. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ this is very significant, not that it is not for others, but as a Latter Day Saint when we are married in the Temple it is for time and all eternity. Depending on your relationship this can bring comfort or it can be a little scary.

The nature of an Eternal marriage is that it is an agreement entered into by you, your spouse, and God. This is a binding covenant and so long as the covenant is not broken then your marriage is eternal and all that are born or adopted into that covenant belong to God. This covenant can not be broken without the Lords permission. We may not act within the covenant, but when that covenant is bound by the power of God, ultimately it is only by His power than that covenant can be dissolved.

From time to time in the course of our marriage feelings are hurt, and sometimes our relations are banged up. Trust is challenged and sometimes we may feel like jumping ship. There is a temptation for some to begin looking for the back door at the first sign of trouble. Sadly many bail out before they can realize the power of the atonement in that covenant.

Your part in this covenant is to do your best and learn to perfect your relationship through Christ. An imperfect relationship is not the same as a broken covenant and is not a reason to bail out. All covenants are imperfect unless the atonement is apart of the terms.

Still some will claim that their spouse has broken the covenant and therefore they feel justified in ending the marriage. God has declared that certain actions justify the end of a marriage, but he does not say that it must end a marriage. I believe short of abuse, and or endangerment, you should do everything in your power to maintain your covenant. Your spouse can not remove you from the covenant anymore than you have power to remove them from the covenant. So, it is better to learn to work within the covenant making your relationships within covenant your greatest priority. Those relationships must be balanced between your spouse and the Lord.

A personal experience that I had has taught me that many of the things that happen here in this mortal experience will not matter in the eternal scheme of things, and when we get to the other side of the veil we will have wished we had been quicker to forgive even the most serious of offenses against us.

Let no man tear apart that which the Lord has sealed together. Make it your priority.