Being married for 11 years now and thinking back to the day I got married, I had no idea what I was doing. I knew it was important, that I had always wanted to be married and that my husband was the one for me. Other than that, I had no idea. I didn't know how hard or how wonderful marriage could be. I didn't know that another person could have so much influence on my happiness or misery. Knowing that my marriage is eternal makes a difference.
In Bruce C. Hafen's talk, "Covenant Marriage", he talks about hirelings. "Jesus taught about contractual attitudes when he described the 'hireling', who performs his conditional promise of care only when he receives something in return". When in a marriage it is important that whatever difficulties may occur, we are in it for the long haul. Hafen expressed, "May we restore the concept of marriage as a covenant, even the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. And when the wolf comes, may we be as shepherds, not hirelings, willing to lay down our lives, a day at a time, for the sheep of our covenant. Many people today marry as hirelings. And when the wolf comes, they flee."
"And when the wolf comes, may we be as shepherds, not hirelings, willing to lay down our lives, a day at a time, for the sheep of our covenant."
