This is a Family Home Evening lesson I prepared for my kids. In a world where the importance of marriage and family are continually downplayed, I thought it was important to review this topic. The lesson has a review of some scriptures on marriage and the words of modern prophets about the doctrine of marriage. Also some statistics are shown demonstrating that the fruits of this doctrine are good.

1. Importance of Marriage
FHE Lesson for Smith Family
By Jimmy Smith, JimmySmith.org, December 2022

2. God Instituted Marriage
Between a Man and Woman
from the Beginning
• “So God created man in his own image, in the
image of God created he him; male and female
created he them.” Gen 1:27
• “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his
mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they
shall be one flesh.” Gen. 2:24
• The Apostle Paul said: “Neither is the man
without the woman, neither the woman
without the man, in the Lord.” 1 Cor 11:11

3. In the Latter Days, Joseph Smith Again Taught the
Importance of Marriage in order to Reach Heaven
• D&C 131:
• 1 In the celestial glory there are three heavens or
degrees;
• 2 And in order to obtain the highest, a man must
enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the
new and everlasting covenant of marriage];
• 3 And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.
• 4 He may enter into the other, but that is the end of
his kingdom; he cannot have an increase.

4. • “The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman
is essential to His eternal plan.”
• “Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on
principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love,
compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.”
• “Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for
each other and for their children.”

5. "Satan’s most strenuous opposition is
directed at whatever is most important
to [Heavenly Father's] plan.
Consequently, he seeks to oppose
progress toward exaltation by distorting
marriage, discouraging childbearing, or
confusing gender."
–Pres. Dallin H. Oaks
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/04/51oaks?lang=eng

6. How to Know if the
Doctrine of Marriage Is
Good…By It’s Fruits
• We have seen what God and His
prophets have said about
marriage.
• John 7:17 If any man will do his
will, he shall know of the
doctrine, whether it be of God, or
whether I speak of myself.
• Matt 7:20 Wherefore by their
fruits ye shall know them.
• Let’s now look at some of the
fruits of marriage in this world

7. The Economic Advantages of Marriage
• “The poverty rate among blacks [is]
35% …A statistic that one doesn’t hear
much about is that the poverty rate
among black married families has
been in the single digits for more than
two decades, currently at 8%.”
• Walter Williams, Professor of
Economics at George Mason University
• https://winteryknight.com/2020/06/12/two-black-
economists-explain-how-to-end-poverty-in-america-2/
0%
20%
40%
All Black Families Black Married Families
Poverty Rate

8. Marriage is a Key to Economic and Educational Success
• “Men enjoy a marriage premium of at least $15,900 per year in their
individual income compared to their single peers.”
• “Men and women who are currently married and were raised in an intact
family enjoy an annual “family premium” in their household income that
exceeds that of their unmarried peers who were raised in nonintact families
by at least $42,000.”
https://www.aei.org/research-
products/report/for-richer-for-poorer/

9. Marriage Makes You Stronger,
More Resilient, and Wiser
• Marriage is “going to make us more powerful
and more resilient; and deeper and wiser as we
progress together through life.”
• “Marriage is by no means as bad as being alone
with yourself, but it is still out of the frying pan
and into the fire—and at least the fire might
transform you. Thus, you get married, if you
have any courage—if you have any long-term
vision and ability to vow and adopt
responsibility; if you have any maturity—and
you start to transform the two of you into one
reasonable person.”
• Marriage “signifies a place where people can tie
the ropes of their lives together so that they're
stronger.”
• Jordan B. Peterson, Clinical Psychologist, Author,
and University Professor

10. Married People
are Happier than Singles
• “Married people report higher levels of life satisfaction”
• “Marital status, their health and economic activity were the top three things
people said made them most happy.”
• “Married couples rated their life satisfaction 9.9% higher than widows and
widowers.”
• “Married couples were 8.8% happier than higher than divorced or separated
people” or singles
• “Marital status matters more to people’s overall life satisfaction today than
economic status”
• https://www.marketwatch.com/story/married-couples-are-happier-than-everyone-else-especially-in-middle-age-2019-05-23/