Week 2: Divorce

The gospel is truth, and not just for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but for everyone. The messages that are taught through prophets and through scripture are meant for all God's children and apply to each individual. President Nelson gave an address last week emphasizing that truth will always be truth, it is never changing. This is why I love to view topics such as divorce and marriage in both a gospel and a scientific perspective. 

First, apostles and prophets have spent decades preaching truth's of remaining worthy to marry in the temple and the importance of eternal families. The Family: A Proclamation to the World clearly defines our roles in family and the importance of them. It isn't a proclamation to the members of the church, it is a proclamation to the WORLD! In President Oak's talk, "Divorce", he speaks openly and directly to all of God's children. He calls us to repent for selfishness and to use differences in marriage as an opportunity to come closer to the Lord and closer together as a couple. President Oaks shares a study that finds spouses are more easily able to regain their state of happiness after the death of a spouse rather that a divorce. While reasoning for divorce is often to find rescue from conflict, as President Oaks puts it, it only brings about new conflicts that you now have to tackle alone. Through repentance and prayer, we can heal our marriages again and again. President James E. Faust declares that there is hardly ever "just cause" for ending a marriage. It is not a decision that should be made without deep and prayerful counsel with the Lord, together as a couple. 

Scientifically speaking, marriage and divorce play a vital role in our development from the moment we are conceived. Stress on a mother has been proven to affect the health and development of her unborn child. A single mother is more likely to birth a child with defects than a woman married upon conception. The reasoning behind this is due to lack of nutrition or healthcare due to financial insufficiency, stress, or lack of education/preparation on how to take care of herself and a growing child.  Statistically children in divorced families are more likely to drop out of school, are more likely to participate in dangerous and illegal activity such as drugs, gangs, and are more prone to developing mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, or eating disorders. The relationship of parents is a third party effect that can impact the development of a child physically, socially, mentally, and emotionally. 

As marriage rates decrease in the United States, we have seen America's middle class disappear. Divorce puts hardship on families and individuals financially, physically, emotionally, and most importantly, eternally.