Marriage Trends: Divorce

This week our lesson was on Marriage Trends:  Divorce.  What caught my attention this week in our reading was, that divorce has declined since the 1980s.  Divorce is a word that has been thrown around a lot in the last few years, even in the church.  It is so common, that you would have thought that it skyrocketed since the 80s.  But as we read this week, divorce kept increasing from the 1960s unto the 1980s, where it has declined before it increased some.  It is still lower now than is was in the 80s. 
As I thought about what would make it decrease, but have it so prevalent today, I feel like there are many people who are cohabiting or living together in a "trial marriage".  They want to make sure it will work, before they make that commitment.  Commitment is a big part of being married.  It takes both of you working together to make a marriage work.  That needs to be a common goal for both the husband and the wife.  Elder Dallin H. Oaks said "A good marriage does not require a perfect man or a perfect woman.  It only requires a man and a woman committed to strive together toward perfection".  I have been married for 21 1/2 years, and even though our marriage is not perfect by any means, we work together and strive to make it as perfect as we can.
Also, men and women are getting married later in life.  The median age for women is 27 and men 29.  I think that in the US men and women are putting their education and career first before marriage.   Elder Cook said "Some postpone marriage until education is complete and a job is obtained.  While widely accepted in the world. this reasoning does not demonstrate faith, does not comply with counsel of modern prophets, and is not compatible with sound doctrine".  
Our oldest son is currently serving a mission in California.  He has been out for 7 months and when he returns, we will encourage him to date as Elder Cook has said  "to prepare for marriage".