I can tell you from experience, the great difference it makes in a marriage when a couple puts God first in their marriage and have an eternal perspective, and deep devotion for one another. My first marriage was to a person who was not equally committed to God and our marriage as I was. He was selfish and immature; we were not right for each other. It was not a happy marriage, I tried very hard and put in all the effort and compromise while he only brought selfishness and disrespect. Eventually, after much heartache, the marriage ended. My second marriage, my eternal marriage, to my eternal companion is the exact opposite. It is a marriage based on love and respect where God is first. We see each other as children of our heavenly father and treat each other with admiration. We treat our marriage and family relationships with our son and extended family based upon the principles of the Gospel and The Family A Proclamation to The World. When we first got married, we prayed that our love would grow closer every day, and it has!
President Ezra Taft Benson taught us that ” when we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities. We should put God ahead of everyone else in our lives”(pg. 49) [1]
Having faith in Jesus Christ provides an eternal perspective in marriage and toward your spouse. Having faith in Jesus Christ and knowing through his atonement and through our, baptism, repentance, and obedience to the commandments, we are forgiven of our sins, qualifying us for eternal life. This knowledge allows us to see life and love beyond this life know and allows you to see life and family relationships into eternity. When you have an eternal perspective towards marriage you want to protect and nurture it. Your perspective towards your spouse is also different from an eternal perspective. You see your spouse with greater love and appreciation. you have chosen your partner for eternity and want to make the relationship a strong, happy and fulfilling one.
H. Wallace Goddard, P.H. D., Drawing Heaven into Your Marriage,2007 NY
Happy Eternal Marriage and Family 