Marriage: Worth it?

We have come to the end of the semester. We are now wrapping up topics concerning marriage and family, and asking ourselves, so what?
So what? What does it all mean? Is marriage really worth it? It is ironic that we ask this during the week that we talk all about divorce and separation. There are so many things that go wrong in a marriage. Not because these people are destined to divorce or separate, but because they choose to. Divorce is so easy now days with the "no-fault" divorce. I'm surprised you can't go down to the local 7 Eleven to get one. It's so sad when a marriage does end in divorce, whether it is warranted or otherwise.
The statistics are nasty if you want them to be nasty. While we see that roughly 50% of all marriages end in divorce, we often forget of the 50% of all marriages do not end in divorce. There are millions of couples who get married and love each other, serve each other, and have humility to say they are sorry and are married for decades until death, or in our case eternity.
There is a couple here in Rexburg who recently died. They had been married for 76 years and died within 16 hours of each other. How precious is that? 76 years of kissing the same person, living with that same person, eating with that person, talking with that person, and just being with that person. It can be done. I won't have it any other way.
When I married Duncan we both agreed that Divorce was not an option. Divorce is giving up, it's throwing away a precious covenant with each other and our Heavenly Father. Obviously there are instances when divorce is necessary. Those extreme cases are hard, but it is just a trial that those must endure. I am so blessed to be married to someone who loves me, honors me, respects me, and thinks that I'm worth it.
I found it interesting that the factors which are risks for divorce were all characteristic of most college students at our school. Young, low income, children, etc. But honestly, I'm not worried about that. There were some pretty negative comments about the fact that most of us married at BYU-Idaho are at risk for divorce. But I know for a fact that those who listen to the spirit, no matter how quiet it is, when they are married in the temple and sealed by the holy spirit of promise, and are true to their covenants, and live so that the spirit can be in both of your hearts and in your homes, and if you work hard to serve one another and above all RESPECT one another, you will live for eternity in a celestial marriage. God did not put us on the earth to fail. He has created the earth and the gospel through a pattern. This pattern allows us to recognize the work of God and the righteous things in this world. Divorce is not in that pattern. God did not create divorce. Divorce is man made.
We are not destined to divorce. It is an option that can either be real in your marriage or not exist at all. For me and my husband, it does not exist.

Marriage is worth it. You can't duplicate this kind of happiness.