"How wonderful a thing is marriage under the plan of our Eternal Father, a plan provided in His divine wisdom for the happiness and security of His children and continuity of the race."

President Gordon B. Hinckley, first counselor in the First Presidency, spoke these words during his Sunday morning conference address, which focused on the topic of marriage.He declared that the Creator designed marriage from the beginning. "At the time of Eve's creation Adam said, `This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. . . . Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.' " (Gen. 2:23-24.)

He referred to Paul's admonition: "Neither is the man without the woman, neither is the woman without the man, in the Lord." (1 Cor. 11:11.) From modern revelation, President Hinckley read: "And again, verily I say unto you, that whoso forbiddeth to marry is not ordained of God, for marriage is ordained of God unto man." (D&C 49:15.)

Quoting President Joseph F. Smith, he continued: " . . . no man can be saved and exalted in the kingdom of God without the woman, and no woman can reach perfection and exaltation in the kingdom of God alone. . . ."

"Surely," said President Hinckley, "no one reading the scriptures, both ancient and modern, can doubt the divine concept of marriage."

He said his heart reaches out to those, especially single sisters, who long for marriage and cannot seem to find it. "Our Father in Heaven reserves for them every promised blessing," said President Hinckley. "I have far less sympathy for the young men, who, under the customs of our society, have the prerogative to take the initiative in these matters, but in so many cases fail to do so."

Not all in marriage is bliss, he noted. "Stormy weather occasionally hits every household. . . . For most, there is the ever-haunting battle of economics. There seems never to be enough money to cover the needs of a family. Sickness strikes periodically. Accidents happen. The hand of death may reach in with dread stealth to take a precious one. But all of this seems to be part of the process of family life."

With emotion in his voice, President Hinckley recounted the biblical story of David's favored and loved son, Absalom, who killed his brother and conspired against his father. Yet when Absalom was slain, David wept. (2 Sam. 18:33; 19:4.)

The strong cords of family love reach out to encircle rebellious ones, President Hinckley pointed out. He related the story of the prodigal son who returned penitent after he had wasted his inheritance. (Luke 15:11-32.)

President Hinckley said among the greatest of tragedies, and, he thought, the most common, is divorce, which he labeled as a "great scourge."

He cited a report in the United States that there is almost one divorce occurring for every two marriages.

He spoke of the effects of divorce, including loneliness, frustration, insecurity and unhappiness. He referred to the struggles of single parents to rear children as they carry burdens beyond their capacity to handle. "Millions of children are growing up in single parent homes from which the parent, usually the mother, out of necessity, is absent much of the time," he said.

There is no simple answer to why there are so many broken homes, he said, but it appears there are some obvious reasons. Selfishness is at the root of most problems.

"Selfishness so often is the basis of money problems which are a very serious and real factor affecting the stability of family life. Selfishness is at the root of adultery, the breaking of solemn and sacred covenants to satisfy selfish lust. Selfishness is the antithesis of love. It is a cankering expression of greed. It destroys self-discipline. It obliterates loyalty. It tears up sacred covenants. It afflicts both men and women."

President Hinckley said the remedy for most marriage stress is not in divorce; it is in the gospel of Jesus Christ. "It is in repentance. It is not in separation. It is in simple integrity that leads a man to square up his shoulders and meet his obligations. It is found in the Golden Rule."

President Hinckley said marriage is beautiful when beauty is looked for and cultivated. "I can show you throughout this Church hundreds of thousands of families who make it work with love and peace, discipline and honesty, concern and unselfishness.

"There must be recognition on the part of both husband and wife of the solemnity and sanctity of marriage and of the God-given design behind it.

"There must be a willingness to overlook small faults, to forgive, and then to forget. There must be a holding of one's tongue. Temper is a vicious and corrosive thing that destroys affection and casts out love.

"There must be self-discipline that constrains against abuse of wife, and children, and self. There must be the Spirit of God, invited and worked for, nurtured and strengthened. There must be recognition of the fact that each is a child of God - father, mother, son and daughter, each with a divine birthright - and also recognition of the fact that when we offend one of these, we offend our Father in Heaven.

"There may be now and again a legitimate cause for divorce. I am not one to say that it is never justified. But I say without hesitation that this plague among us, which seems to be growing everywhere, is not of God, but rather is the work of the adversary of righteousness and peace."