President Eyring Addresses The Vatican Summit On Marriage

[Buckeye]

The Church Newsroom just released a transcript of President Eyring's remarks to the Vatican Summit on Marriage:

 

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/transcript-president-eyring-addresses-vatican-summit-marriage?adbid=534729170824085504&adbpl=tw&adbpr=10047382&cid=social_20141118_35795847

 

President Eyring was called to address the Summit as a "witness." His remarks drew on personal experience from his own marriage and from extensive church service in which he has seen the great blessing of marriage between man and woman. His witness is powerful and echoes my own experience (though I'm not nearly as far along the process as he). I found the following paragraph to be particularly poignant:

 

Most remarkable to me has been the fulfillment of the hope I felt the day I met my wife. I have become a better person as I have loved and lived with her. We have been complementary beyond anything I could have imagined. Her capacity to nurture others grew in me as we became one. My capacity to plan, direct, and lead in our family grew in her as we became united in marriage. I realize now that we grew together into one—slowly lifting and shaping each other, year by year. As we absorbed strength from each other, it did not diminish our personal gifts.

 

I agree with all of the positive statements made by President Eyring in his address. I am especially grateful for his acknowledgement that fathers have a nurturing role in the family and that mothers have a planning, directing, and leading role in the family.

 

There are two additional points, not made by President Eyring, that I could add from my own personal experience:

• First, in my marriage, my capacity to plan, direct, and lead our family has grown as a result of watching my wife, who brought unique skills in those areas that I did not yet have. Also, I have seen my wife's capacity to nurture others, in particular our children, grow as a result of watching me and learning from unique nurturing skills that I brought into the marriage that she did not yet have.
• Second, from interactions with co-workers, friends and families, I can witness that same-sex marriages can be just as complimentary and beneficial as marriages between man and women. To use the language of President Eyring, I have seen same-sex marriages where "[the couples] differences combined as if they were designed to create a better whole."

 

EDIT TO ADD: Here is a link to a video of the address. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?adbid=534773304008003586&adbpl=tw&adbpr=14364617&cid=social_20141118_35805507&list=UUwmvD_-GE_rT2gNIc8h6jtA&v=jSgLO9FYgxM)  For me, hearing Elder Eyring is much more powerful than just reading his words.

Edited November 18, 2014 by Buckeye

[CV75]

But the preponderance of his witness is applicable only to male-female unions.

[Mystery Meat]

• Second, from interactions with co-workers, friends and families, I can witness that same-sex marriages can be just as complimentary and beneficial as marriages between man and women. To use the language of President Eyring, I have seen same-sex marriages where "[the couples] differences combined as if they were designed to create a better whole."

 

 

We will have to agree to disagree here.

[Buckeye]

But the preponderance of his witness is applicable only to male-female unions.

 

I agree. As with most members of his generation, the vast majority of his experience regards male-female unions.

[Avatar4321]

Any word how he was received?

[Yirgacheffe]

Any word how he was received?

You can watch it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSgLO9FYgxM

[Rob Osborn]

Interesting how someone can take somethig uplifting and spiritual and apply it to something debasing and abominable.

[AndyDnom]

Eyering cites some activity statistics towards the end. says that north american activity levels are about ~%15

[theplains]

Why didn't the LDS Church itself create and host a summit in Salt Lake City instead of relying on

some other faith group to do this?

 

In his address, President Henry B. Eyring said, "a man and a woman, united in marriage, have a

transcendent power to create happiness for themselves, for their family, and for the people around

them".  What is lost on the audience is that in his mind, Adam and Eve, while united in marriage,

did not have happiness for they had no misery and they could not procreate before the Fall.

 

Regards,

Jim

 

[Alan]

I must say I was more than a little disappointed with President Eyring's speech at the Vatican.

I thought it was quite poor to be honest, especially compared to some of the others.