Temple Marriage is Like Olympic Gold

We’ve been training for this our entire lives. As early as age twelve we begin hearing, “One day you will start dating so prepare now.” The minute we turn sixteen we hear, “Don’t settle for anything less than temple marriage,” and “You marry who you date so choose wisely”. We all want the gold. We all want to be winners. We dedicate ourselves to our goal and promise our coaches we will not waver. Our eyes are wide open. We’ve trained and worked hard, but some of us end up getting benched for no good reason. We’re not even called, let alone chosen, to go out on many dates. Some of us are just not dating while Molly Mormon meets Peter Priesthood. He asks her out and three months later they’re off printing wedding announcements and planning the reception.

They make it look so easy.

What’s it all for, anyway? This training was supposed to lead us to that Olympic gold-the temple. We see married people like the demi-Gods of the Olympics. Endowed with special talents, super-powers, they’re able to summon a soul-mate right into their lap with a single smile. They did the time. They put forth the effort. They worked hard and now they are reaping the success. They won their “Olympic Gold”.

They make it look so easy.

Meanwhile, the rest of us are stuck waiting for the blue light special to visit the meat market we attend each Sunday. Will this be the year I finally win the gold? I know my eternal companion is out there, I just have to keep working and training. Yet, you never even saw that mob of eighteen year old freshmen descending like vultures, crowding out all the competition.

They make it look so easy.

Winning “Olympic Gold” at increasingly younger ages has become the norm. Yet, for older participants who fear they may have “aged out” there is hope. Some managed to beat the odds, even after being told their season for an “Olympic Gold” had long passed them by. You know who these people are. They stuck to their goal and didn’t give up. They were blessed for their patience.

Now, your sixth roommate, best friend, and second cousin have all announced their engagements to you in the same week. Suddenly, patience is a hard virtue to call upon. You swallow that lump in your throat and force a happy smile as you watch them mount the podium and receive their medal as the music plays. You know the last thing you want to do is exercise good sportsmanship and be happy for them in their success but you will do it, because your coach is counting on you to set the example. 

With the passing of time, anyone who repeatedly endures this particular Olympic event with no victory forthcoming deserves a gold medal!

You make it look so easy.