BUILDING AN ETERNAL MARRIAGE
Religion 235
Instructor: William N. Torngren
Office: Taylor 202c
Phone:2090
(torngrenw@byui.edu)
Required Texts
Standard Works
Religion 235 Student Manual
Course Requirements
Attendance: 125 points (5 points per class). If you are required to miss a class because of official
university business (i.e. field trips, choir trips, or other) no points will be deducted for your absences. All
other absences are considered un-excused. If you miss a class for any reason it is your responsibility to get
notes form another class member. If you miss class more than five (5) times you will automatically fail the
class.
Citizenship/Participation 125 points (5 points per class) to receive these points you will be expected to be
readily involved in class and group discussion, you will be involved in group reading reviews and you will
contribute to and not distract from the class.
Group Project/I-learn 300 points. As a small group you will work on a project throughout the semester.
You will chose a project area from one of the reading blocks and then using I-learn develop a paper as a
group on a wiki. You will accumulate the most up-to-date, useful material you can find and put together a
paper that will be a useable asset for your group and the rest of the class on your particular subject area.
Journal Assignment :20 points due for each lesson, not necessarily each day)
1. List two major principles presented in the reading assignment.
2. After discussing those principles with your spouse write down in a few sentences where you and your
spouse currently stand in relationship to those principles.
3. Set short term goals of how you will begin to apply those principles in your marriage.
4. Record two valuable quotes you find significant and enriching from the reading assignment.
5. List two weekly date activities that you and your spouse would like to participate in; choose one, then
set the goal and formulate the plan.
Worksheets: 380 points (20 points each) worksheets will be corrected at the beginning of class; no late
work or make up will be accepted.
Exams: 100 points. There will be one exam, a final. The exam will include a measurement of the student’s
degree of understanding of the major principles introduced in each lesson. It will be essay, you will chose
three (3) of ten (10) questions and write about them. Your paper will be graded by peers.
Writing Assignments
Interview Questions: 50 points ( 1 assignment @ 50 points) you will interview 3 individuals
asking them 5 questions that you will be assigned in class. You will then write those responses up and
submit that paper in order to receive the designated points.
Final Paper: 200 points. (1 assignment @ 200 points) You will write a term paper addressing this
statement: What I have learned from this class that will have a positive influence on my marriage. It
will be a five page paper, not including cover page and bibliography. You should use the student manual as
a reference and have a minimum of ten quotes.
Cell Phone Distraction: TURN THEM OFF!!!! The first time one goes off in class there will be a
warning to the class. The second time one goes off everyone in class will loose 10 points and there
will be a loss of ten points for each consecutive time after that. Please TURN THEM OFF.
BUILDING AN ETERNAL MARRIAGE
Religion 235
September
October
November
December
9
11
16
18
23
25
30
Introduction
An Eternal Perspective
The Joy of Marriage
Keeping the Sacred Covenant of Marriage
(Continued)
Spirituality in Marriage
Communication Fundamentals in Marriage
2
7
9
14
16
21
23
28
30
Righteous Unity in Marriage
Traditions of the Fathers
Intimacy in Marriage
Differences Inherent Between Men and Women
Men’s Divine Roles and Responsibilities
(Continued)
Women’s Divine Roles and Responsibilities
(Continued)
Prioritizing Life’s Demands
4
6
11
13
18
20
Money and marriage
(Continued)
Managing Temporal Resources
Mothers’ Employment outside the Home
Keeping Love Alive
(Continued)
2
Respecting Your Spouse
Quiz #17
(Final Paper Due!)
Fidelity in Marriage
Quiz #18
Inasmuch as Parents Have Children in Zion
Quiz #19
Final Exam corrected in class, review group projects.
4
9
11
Quiz #1
Quiz #2
Quiz #3
Quiz #4
Quiz #5
Quiz #6
Quiz #7
Quiz #8
Quiz #9
Quiz #10
Quiz #11
Quiz #12
Quiz #13
Quiz #14
Quiz #15
Quiz #16
(Final Exam is a take home exam to be graded in class, by peer review, during the last regular class period.)
Attendance
Writing Assignment
Journal Assignment
Group Project
25 @ 5pts.= 125
1 @ 200pts.= 200
19 @ 20pts.= 380
1 @300pts = 300
Interview paper 1 @ 50pts.= 50
Exams
1@ 100pts.=100
Worksheets
19@ 20pts.=380
Participation/
Citizenship
25@
5pts.=125
______________
Total points = 1660
STUDENT MANUAL READINGS
(Religion 235)
LESSON 1: AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
“The family: A Proclamation to the World,” the First Presidency and Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles (83-84)
Selected Teachings from “Eternal Perspective” (81-82)
Selected Teachings from Principles” (274-75)
“Acquiring Spiritual knowledge,” Elder Richard G. Scott (148-51)
LESSON 2: THE JOY OF MARRIAGE
Selected Teachings from “Happiness in Marriage” (133-35)
“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” the First Presidency and Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles (83-84)
LESSON 3: KEEPING THE SACRED COVENANTS OF MARRIAGE
Selected Teachings from “Covenants and Ordinances” (38-40)
Selected Teachings from “Divorce” (73-74)
“Holy Spirit of Promise” (136)
“Covenant Marriage,” Elder Bruce C. Hafen (47-50)
LESSON 4: SPIRITUALITY IN MARRIAGE
“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” the First Presidency and Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles (83-84)
Selected Teachings from “The Family: A Proclamation to the World”(84-100)
LESSON 5: COMMUNICATION FUNDAMENTALS IN MARRIAGE
Selected Teachings from “Communication” (31-37)
LESSON 6: RIGHTEOUS UNITY IN MARRIAGE
Selected Teachings from “Unity” (344-46)
Selected Teachings from “Selfishness” (304)
LESSON 7: TRADITIONS OF THE FATHERS
Selected Teachings from “Traditions of the Fathers” (337-38)
“The Tradition of Their Fathers,” Elder Marion D. Hanks (339-41)
LESSON 8: INTIMACY IN MARRIAGE
Selected Teachings from “Intimacy in Marriage” (139-41)
“The Fountain of Life,” Elder Boyd K. Packer (141-46)
“The Ultimate Symbol of Total Union” and “A symbol of the Relationship with God,”
in “Personal Purity,” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (234-35)
Selected Teachings from “Birth Control” (14-16)
“I Have a Question,” Dr. Homer Ellsworth (17-18)
LESSON 9: DIFFERENCES INHERENT BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN
Selected Teachings from “Differences Inherent between Men and Women” (63-65)
“For Time and All Eternity,” Elder Boyd K. Packer (66-70)
“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” the First Presidency and Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles (83-84)
Selected teachings from “equality of Men and Women” (79-80)
LESSON 10: MEN’S DIVINE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” the First Presidency and Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles (83-84)
“To the Fathers in Israel,” President Ezra Taft Benson (203-6)
“Our Solemn Responsibilities,” President Gordon B. Hinckley (22-26)
“Being a Righteous Husband and Father,” President Howard W. Hunter (206-9)
LESSON 11: WOMEN’S DIVINE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Selected Teachings from “Women’s Divine Roles and Responsibilities” (347-49)
“To the Mothers in Zion,” President Ezra Taft Benson (352-57)
“Women of the Church,” President Gordon B. Hinckley (357-60)
“The Joy of Living the Great Plan of Happiness,” Elder Richard G. Scott (360-63)
“We Are Women of God,” Sister Sheri L. Dew (364-66)
LESSON 12: PRIORITIZING LIFE’S DEMANDS
Selected Teachings from “Priorities and Balance” (276-77)
“Keeping Life’s Demands in Balance,” Elder M. Russell Ballard (280-82)
“‘One Thing Needful’: Becoming Women of Greater Faith in Christ,” Sister Patricia T.
Holland (366-72)
“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” the First Presidency and Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles (83-84)
LESSON 13: MONEY AND MARRIAGE
Selected Teachings from “Finances” (115)
“One for the Money: Guide to Family Finance,” Elder Marvin J. Ashton (115-19)
“Greed, Selfishness, and Overindulgence,” Elder Joe J. Christensen (120-23)
LESSON 14: MANAGING TEMPORAL RESOURCES
“To the Boys and to the Men,” President Gordon B. Hinckley (60-62)
Selected Teachings from “Debt” (59-60)
Selected Teachings from “Temporal Preparedness” (327-29)
LESSON 15: MOTHERS’ EMPLOYMENT OUTSIDE THE HOME
Selected Teachings from “Mothers’ Employment outside the Home” (237-40)
Selected Teachings from “Education” (77-78)
“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” the First Presidency and Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles (83-84)
LESSON 16: KEEPING LOVE ALIVE
Selected Teachings from “Marriage throughout the Years” (184)
Paragraph 7 of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” the First Presidency and
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (83)
Selected Teachings from “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” (84-89)
“The Enriching of Marriage,” Elder James E. Faust (184-86)
“Hinckleys to Note 60th Anniversary” (186-87)
“How Do I Love Thee?” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (158-62)
“A Union of Love and Understanding,” Elder Marlin K. Jensen (162-66)
LESSON 17: RESPECTING YOUR SPOUSE
Selected Teachings from “Abuse” (3-5)
“Healing the Tragic Scars of Abuse,” Elder Richard G. Scott (5-8)
LESSON 18: FIDELITY IN MARRIAGE
Selected Teachings from “Fidelity in Marriage” (111-14)
Selected Teachings from “Pornography” (264-67)
“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” the First Presidency and Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles (83-84)
LESSON 19: INASMUCH AS PARENTS HAVE CHILDREN IN ZION
“Bear and Nurture Children,” in “The Great Plan of Happiness,” Elder Dallin H.Oaks
(262)
“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” the First Presidency and Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles (83-84)
Selected Teachings from “Parenthood: Creating a Gospel-Centered Home” (241-43)