"The divine doctrine of eternal marriage is infused with ennobling and selflessly motivated duties and obligations," Elder Bednar said. "The covenant and responsibilities of marriage provide a sacred context within which we gradually turn from self-centeredness and selfishness to selflessness and service. In marriage, we live not exclusively for ourselves but for our spouses and children and posterity."
A marriage between a man and a woman centered on self-sacrifice is divinely designed and better for society than a redefined, skewed conception of marriage in which the highest aim is self-satisfaction, Elder David A. Bednar said Thursday in New York City.
"Men and women complement and complete each other in unique ways that enable them individually and as a couple to fulfill their divine potential," said Elder Bednar, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"The man and the woman contribute differently but equally to a oneness and a unity that can be achieved in no other way," he said. "The man completes and perfects the woman and the woman completes and perfects the man as they learn from and mutually strengthen and bless each other. Thus, by divine design, men and women are intended to progress together toward redemption and enduring joy."