Rules of Engagement

Quote of the Week:

" Do not just look at your boyfriend as just a boy.

 Look at him as a friend, too "

With the culture that we grow up with being in the world, but not of the world we have the common misconception of dating then eventually finding someone to marry. Sort of how Bro. Williams puts it all the time, "date em till you hate em" principle.  The church has certain guidelines as to how to date and I will be covering the proper methods that the church would like it's members to do to get to the step of marriage.  

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints says that dating should not be until age 16, but once reached that point that they should only group date and not pair off and date one another.  The church hasn't come out with an official statement about exclusive dating before age 18 but I believe the church is against any of this.  A mission is one of the highest goals a young man should be striving to live for, and a relationship may hinder a young man from serving the Lord.  I hear lots of times that the guy still went on the mission and the girl waited and something is said like "well I made it work" or "it worked for us".  Now an individual may say this, but being a RM myself I speak when girls don't see everything that their missionaries do out in the mission field and it may hold back these missionaries from giving their full concentrated effort in their work they are engaged in.

Once a missionary is back from his mission or a girl has turned older ages of maturity they can date around to sample and understand what kind of partner they want in life.  Is it someone that is serious a majority of the time or someone that has levity.  Not only do these individuals that date around get to see others that might be possible persons to date, but these individuals learn from their dates more about themselves and what they want and matters most to them in life.

Once we have found that special someone and decide to further our interest in an individual we move from the dating to the courting stage.  The courting stages are where you learn more about the other person and have the mindset of this being a possibility that may lead toward marriage.  This is the best stage to start asking questions about what one another wants out of marriage and having a family and their goals for their future.  It is very pointless and time wasting when a couple are at this stage where one or both individuals dont have the mindset of seeing their relationship developing into a marriage.

When we are engaged the church has said "long courtship, short engagement".  Satan always tries to hinder the work of the Lord when major decisions are being made such as a temple marriage.  If their is a long engagement there may be temptations that may arise for a couple that may hinder the couple from worthily receive the promised blessings found in the House of the Lord.  This is also another stage where you continue to discuss the future family as well as the wedding.  "Many couples plan the wedding, but not many plan the marriage."