The Glass is Always Full

   vs.     This week we are examining the Supreme Court ruling on marriage, which is officially called Obergefell v. Hodges.  Notice I called it the Supreme Court ruling on marriage and not the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage.  The ruling affected all marriage, not just legalizing new forms of marriage.  But before I go there, I want to back up and try to explore my own feelings on the subject. My first awareness of gay relationships was in middle school.  There were rumors that my very favorite teacher was gay.  He wasn’t openly gay, and nobody really knew for sure.  A couple of years later in high school, it seemed to be a well-known, but only whispered, fact, that my school counselor and my P.E. teacher were lifelong companions.  I had no conflicts or confusion over these discoveries.  Life was full of experiences outside of what I was taught to be right.  And although I knew that these relationships weren’t ...

I just started a new class this semester on Marriage.  Our first topic is Divorce.  Starting out studying divorce is like jumping into the deep end of this class.  I have been divorced twice, once after 16 years of an LDS temple marriage, and then after a second marriage that lasted a very short time.   It was interesting to compare the findings of the State of the Union Report on Marriage, as well as other secular experts, to the advice of our LDS Church leaders.  For the most part, they bear each other out.  What is missing from the secular reports is the spiritual perspective. I couldn't have survived divorce without the spiritual perspective and support from my church and ecclesiastical leaders.  Even with basically having no choice in the decision (you can't force someone to stay in a marriage they are determined to leave), it was the most painful period of my life, and continues to bring emotional distress at times as new consequences ...