Common Myths in Marriage

     Hello everyone! This will most likely be my last blog. Maybe I will continue it again some day But for now, this is it. As years go on and culture continues to change, media has a large influence on the outlook of marriage. However, it is important to understand the realities of marriage. Since this is my last one, I wanted to talk about some of the common myths and beliefs of marriage that aren't true. 

    The first myth that I would like to talk about is the idea that half of all marriages end in divorce. This is probably the most common misconceptions in today's world. While it is true that in the last decade there has been one divorce in every two marriages in the United States, this does not mean that there is a fifty percent failure rate. This might sound a little confusing, but let me explain. An actual failure rate is really hard to calculate. Let's say there are two million people who get married this year and one million of those get a divorce. This still doesn't take into account all of the millions of people who got married or divorced previous to this year. Divorce rates were pretty low before the 1960's when it started to rise dramatically. It continued to get worse until after the 1980's. If we continued how we were in the 1980's, then the myth that have of all marriages ending in divorce would actually be true. In fact, divorce rates are the lowest we've seen since the early 1970's. There are also a lot of factors that go into divorce rates such as social background, religion, income, and family situation. Generally, if you have a fairly good education, come from a close family, have a religious background, and marry after 25 without having a kid before you are married, your chances of getting a divorce are far lower than others.

    The second myth that I wanted to talk about is the idea that happily married couples do not have conflict. This could not be further from the truth. Everybody has different ideas and beliefs. Naturally, disagreements and conflict will arise. There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, when handled appropriately, these conflicts can actually strengthen your relationship with your spouse and allow you to grow closer to each other. If you would like to learn how tot best deal with these conflicts, please feel free to check out my other blog titled, "Effective Communication."

    The third myth that I want to discuss is the idea that as long as you have a good sex life, it will be enough to have a satisfying marriage. There was once a university counselor who married when he was twenty nine. Before he was even married, he had already been having problems with his fiancée when it came to finances and trouble with in-laws. When his friends asked why he was marrying her, he told them, "We have a great sex life. We're terrific in bed together." After just one year had passed, he divorced his wife. This goes to show that sex is absolutely not enough to save a marriage. 

    These dangerous myths have had a big influence on the world. Many people will not marry because they are too afraid that it will end in divorce. Many people will get a divorce after they have had conflict with their spouse because they feel they are not compatible. Many people will get married just for the sex only to find disappointment in their marriage. With this being my last blog, I will leave you with my last testimony of these things. I know that we have a loving Father in Heaven who knows us perfectly and loves us perfectly. He watches over us each day and wants us to be successful. I invite you to include Him in your marriage. Pray to Him together. Read His words together. You will find lasting happiness and fulfillment when based on the principles of His gospel.