Opinion: Why listening to the priesthood, or a prophet of God can lead to a vibrant marriage...

It is through obedience to God's plan for us that we attain many, if not the most important
blessings -- and what can be more important than that?

By Gregory Knight

Before I returned in the past year to my Mormon faith, and was preparing to be baptized by the power of the Holy Priesthood, I had been married twice outside the bounds of the church or a proper priesthood authority...

Neither of those marriages began, existed or ended well. The plagues of dissention, intoxicating liquor, distrust, jealousy, and pretty much any other bad feeling you can imagine, came to bear.

Whether or not you are a member of a church, a group, or you are an independent orthodox Mormon, it is my opinion that when a prophet of God or your priesthood leadership get involved in the process of finding a husband or wife, no bad can come of it. 

Think of it like this -- if you were left to contemplate and complete a complex mechanical task, would you be better off doing it yourself, or would you seek the qualifications of a mechanical engineer? Chances are that if you try to take that piece of machinery apart on your own you would, invariably, leave out a nut, bolt or screw somewhere.

The machine, when rebuilt, would work okay for a while, but then might just collapse in an impossibly broken manner.

Such a break, I believe, is what happens to marriages that are not undertaken in a holy manner. This is indicative of so many marriages in the world that are undertaken without the will of God being present. I believe that divorces, infidelities, lies, and many other sundry downfalls await us if we consumate a marriage under the laws of man solely, without regard to Heavenly Father's wishes.

In some faiths among us, this might mean deep and earnest prayer among all involved; the prospective husband and wife, a priesthood leader or prophet, and Heavenly Father should all be involved in the decision to marry. Some faiths permit dating, while others do not, and some follow the Law of Sarah and Law of Abraham, while others do not.

The ultimate arbitration of a holy and sanctified marriage may differ among groups and independent Mormon Fundamentalists, but the end result -- when gospel principals are applied -- are the same: A loving, fruitful and eternal marriage where all parties, including Heavenly Father, have been consulted on the plan.

In most fundamentalist faiths I have encountered, the agency of the woman is of supreme consideration. Personally, I believe all women have the right to choose to whom they want to be married to. However, when it comes to her prayers on this matter, along with priesthood authorities, she should be willing to accept the revelations given on the matter. To reject a revelation of the Lord can have eternal consequences.

I personally believe that men and women should not date or court each other prior to marriage, as this creates a system by which worldly customs can inject themselves into a holy procedure. Some may disagree with this, but that is okay. After all, we all have the power of agency in this world, right? What is deemed right for me by my file leadership may not be right for others.

It is through obedience to God's plan for us that we attain many, if not the most important blessings -- and what can be more important than that?

You can reach me at fundamentalistmag@gmail.com.