The stuff we talk about a lot in the Church (especially to us youngin's)

Yep, the word is dating.

I think in the last two weeks I've heard this mention in almost every talk that I've listened to on campus in classroom, devotional, forum, and stake conference setting. But I'm so grateful for it. I feel like I'm learning new things every time but also solidifying things that I'm familiar with. In class we talked about how we are attracted to people that are similar to us in likes, education, proximity, and background.

We talked about how we date is to see how the other fulfills marriage roles. For example, the rule of thumb about a date according to Elder Oaks is that it's planned, paid for, and paired off. We correlated this to the Proclamation where it states that men's role is to provide, preside, and protect. We can line these 6 P's and we really do see how dating let's us see the other fulfill their role. And us as women should nurture his capacity to fulfill his responsibilities.

About the same time that I'm learning about marriage and dating in Family Relations I'm learning about what makes a good marriage partner according to psychologist Alfred Adler in my personality class. Three things for a marriage partner that is essential is that the person can obtain and maintain friendship, learns the ability to work and is interested in it, and devote themselves to the other person. To me that is amazing and very true. What was also neat is my professor shared a story of when he was trying to make a decision about who he was to marry. He was attending BYU at the time and Hugh Nibley was one of his professors. He knew him pretty well and came in at times just to chat. One time he asked Bro. Nibley if he and his wife shared the same interest in reading. He told him not a bit and he thinks that his wife reads the most ridiculous things and she thinks he reads the most ridiculous things! (I had to laugh at that part because I was like Hugh Nibley reading ridiculous things?!) Then Bro. Nibley gave some great advice to my teacher: As long as you see the Gospel eye to eye then the rest doesn't matter (or something of that sort). The next part is what I love the best. He said "If you marry a person who's committed to God then you don't need to worry if he/she's committed to you. Your covenant when you marry is really a covenant to God about this person rather than a covenant to the other person.

That reminded in my marriage class last semester where we read Goddard's book "Drawing Heaven into you marriage" (read it!) He said that he finally realized 30 years later what his marriage covenant was all about. It was covenanting to the Lord that he would be the Lord's partner in comforting Nancy (his wife), loving Nancy, and eventually saving Nancy because that is the Lord's work and glory.

Anyway I've learned so much and even though I have little experience in dating I really have no worries about it. I just keep doing the right things and being the right person and I will eventually get to that point in the temple where I can covenant with God.

As for now, I'll go read a Hugh Nibley book.