Second, commit yourself to the eternal institution of the family as the foundation for happiness. In the world at large, many are choosing not to get married or are delaying marriage. The family is an eternal institution ordained of God from before the foundation of the world. Most people will marry and be blessed with children. There is no greater blessing in this life than having children. Some of the most poignant passages in all of scripture capture the sublime significance of children in our Heavenly Father's plan. They are truly "an heritage of the Lord" (Psalm 127:3).
When I was in my 20s, President David O. McKay (1873–1970) gave a prophetic message about marriage and children. He was 95 years old and in the last year of his life. He taught that the pure love between a man and a woman "is one of the noblest things on earth, and the bearing and rearing of children the highest of all human duties."6
President McKay then shared his concern about the increasing acceptance of divorce. In 1969 California was the first state in the United States that allowed what has been called "no-fault divorce." Prior to that time, there had to be a reason for the termination of a marriage, such as infidelity or other extreme conditions. President McKay was obviously concerned that the institution of marriage was in trouble. He stated, "The increasing divorce rate in the United States today is a threatening menace to this nation's greatness."7
When we look back at what President McKay taught, it was truly prophetic. The current editor-in-chief of U.S. News and World Report has chronicled the history and consequences that have occurred since then. He reports that "divorce rates have more than doubled since the 1960s," and births to unwed mothers "have risen from 5 percent in 1960 to about 35 percent today." He explains the results and the adverse impact on children. He makes it clear that "the stable family of two biological parents … turns out to be the ideal vessel for molding character, for nurturing, for inculcating values, and for planning for a child's future."8
The New York Times article concludes, "Modern societies … have an affinity for material concerns and a primordial fear of moral and social ones" and, as a result, they have a "spiritual blind side."9 Isn't this what President McKay prophesied?
Let me assure you that the vast majority of marriages between faithful members of the Church are happy and successful. For those not yet married, you should move forward with faith and confidence toward the ultimate goal of marriage and family. I would counsel you to find a righteous spouse whom you admire and who will be your best friend. I assure you that the joy, love, and fulfillment experienced in loving, righteous families produce the greatest possible happiness we can achieve. That happiness is the foundation for a successful society. Those who are righteous and are not able to accomplish this goal are entitled to every blessing that our Father in Heaven has for His children.