Fair & Delightsome

Hello again! This week my beautiful friend Mariah was sealed for time and all eternity in the Temple, and so I decided to have a post centered around my absolute favorite topic: marriage. In 4 Nephi chapter one, those in the promised land are rejoicing and prospering following the resurrection and visit of the Savior. I find it of particular note that in verses ten and eleven, it reads:

10 And now, behold, it came to pass that the people of Nephi did wax strong, and did multiply exceedingly fast, and became an exceedingly fair and delightsome people.

11 And they were married, and given in marriage, and were blessed according to the multitude of the promises which the Lord had made unto them.

I will now: 1) explain what this verse means to me, 2) explain the principle in this passage, and 3) apply it to our own lives.

First of all, I find these two verses incredibly beautiful, especially when context is given. The Nephites are at the pinnacle of their joy, and there never has been and never will be a greater period of peace and prosperity for this nation. They now have received the higher law and strive to be a covenant-keeping people, and they raise their children in righteousness. One connection I have made is that they were an "exceedingly fair and delightsome people," and this came about through marriage. Having witnessed my dear friend go through the process of courting and then marrying her now-husband, I can see that this event truly does increase the extent to which she is "fair and delightsome." The bridal glow is real and I have seen more growth and faith during this process than at any other point that I have known her, and she was amazing to start off with. Second, the principle found is this: in order to become more Christlike, we must serve and keep the law of consecration via marriage. How can we find a way to practice the sharing of goods, goals, and dreams in the modern world when we are surrounded by such materialistic agendas? Marriage provides the platform for us to practice giving what we have and sharing with other faithful saints, in a smaller setting. A successful couple will share all in finances, important decisions, and efforts. It is through this consecration that we can become fair and delightsome, and begin to show Christlike attributes.

Finally, how can we apply this in our own lives? For those who are married, like Mariah, the best way to implement this is to be purposeful in following the Law of Consecration in your marriage. When you council with your spouse, remember that you are joined as one and that you are equal in all things. For the single saints, like myself, we can prepare to keep this law by improving our Christlike qualities and obeying the commandments. When we are obedient and keeping our thoughts towards the Savior we will be better prepared to be the best eternal companion that we can be.