There are so many places to start, so I'll just jump right in with one and we'll go from there.
Marriage is good for you.
To the health fanatics out there, this one is for you. Studies (emphasis on the plural form,) have shown that people who have committed themselves to each other through solemn vows tend to live longer, more balanced lives. HERE is one I recommend reading right now. Go ahead, I'll wait....
Here's another little tidbit for you:
"What would you say if someone told you that a particular social bond could add years to your life and ensure your children a better education and economic livelihood.... [and] what would you say if you found out that this social bond that was potentially so beneficial to you and your children's health and personal well-being was marriage?"1
In a pamphlet by the Institute for American Values (New York: 2002), "Why Marriage Matters: Twenty-One Conclusions from the Social Sciences", it summarizes articles and research on the matter. For a quick read, go HERE if you are still on the fence if marriage is "really for you." Pay particular attention to Points 3, 4, (5), 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 18, and 20, which I think apply to both married and single people.
Marriage is practical.
If you think like a businessman, you will like this one. Many, many people who go into business have a partner, someone whom they trust and regard as necessary to the vitality of the company. Having a partner fulfills many purposes, some of which are to spread the workload and ease the burden, use their specific skill set to problem solve when the other is stumped, and to increase supervision of the company. Wouldn't it be nice to have a little help every once in a while? My most-hated chore in the world was doing dishes when I was single. I only had a few dishes in the sink at a time, but it would take every ounce of self-control to make myself wash them. Along came my husband and we made a better situation for ourselves; we each chose the best part of doing dishes and assigned ourselves to the task--"Tag Team" was born. Even though I had double the amount of dishes, I only had to load them in the dishwasher which was soooooo much more bearable to me. My burden had been lightened. It also makes sense to find someone who fills in the gaps where you lack expertise. Give me a person who "knows it all", and I'll give you a failing enterprise. Picture yourself like a puzzle piece. There are parts of your life in which you excel and fill the space of responsibility. However, much to our chagrin, we all have hollow places, areas in which we lack talent. To that I say, Find Your Missing Piece! Moving on to the last point, we are more equipped to be able to keep our lives running in the right direction with someone by our side, wiping off the smudges on our glasses, giving that reality check every so often, and sharing the perspective of one who knows you more than anyone else. It just makes sense to have a partner.
Marriage is fun and makes you happy.
This is really no secret. Just go somewhere you would normally go and look around... what is stopping a married couple from being there? Unless it's Speed Dating, Nothing! Can you still go to concerts? Yes. Can you still run around the house in your pj's and sing at the top of your lungs? Yes! (My bet is that your hubby/honey will be there, singing right along with you anyway.) You can still travel. You can still eat a pint of ice cream in one sitting. You can still get on a zip line. What is the issue, people?! Whatever they say about marriage sucking the fun out of life was made up by a bitter hater, who was probably single. I read an interesting find in 2012 research that there is really no such thing as the Honeymoon Stage. In their research, they found that most couples who have been married longer, are happier. You can read it HERE. I have been happier and had more fun than ever since I've been married, and you can quote me on that. If you're worried about possible difficult times with your spouse, I just want you to think back on all those times you have felt low as a single person. Cut the occurrence of those in half (my wonderful made-up, but still somewhat accurate statistic--I'm sure,) and that is what you will have in marriage. So go, improve your chances and look for love.
Marriage is necessary.
Do you want to make a difference in the world? Do you want to improve lives? Here's how: make a family. Taken from one of the most important and bold statements in history, The Family: A Proclamation to the World, "[The Family is] a fundamental unit to society."2 Allow me to explain how we just got there. You remember the ubiquitous childhood jeer, "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in the baby carriage..." well, that was more sage advice than a taunt. First, you allow LOVE to be an option, then you find that someone special (key word being FIND... it is an action word,) then with your excellent ideals and lofty goals you create individuals upon which you can bestow your high morals. They will, in turn, decide to make only good choices and will forever make you proud. (*triumphant music and a wipe of a tear*) Ummmm, yeah... it goes a little bit like that. Sorta. In all seriousness though, you can change a lot of lives through those you create and rear. While still very much a virtuous cause and I would say a highly noble thing to do, humanitarian missions in Africa are NOT the only place to make an important difference. You can start with the most basic unit: a family, with a mother and a father.
From a religious perspective, I would like to share more on The Proclamation as well as its counterpart philosophies, Secularism and Extreme Individualism. I will let the charts do the 'splaining. 3,4
In conclusion, I firmly stand on the ground that marriage is the product of divine mandate, as well as years and years of human moral evolution. Whatever doubts or reservations you have about marriage are probably valid concerns, but ultimately not enough to prove that it is an optional institution for the Fittest. After my research into the matter, I have found that Darwinians as well as Diocese can all agree that the bond of marriage, honored with fidelity, can uphold society and can proliferate generations of effective people.
Notes:
1. D.B. Larson, J.P. Swyers, and S.S. Larson (1995), The Costly Consequences of Divorce: Assessing the Clinical, Economic, and Public Health Impact of Marital Disruption in the United States (Rockville, MD: National Institute for Healthcare Research), 136
2. The Family: A Proclamation to the World (1995, November) Ensign, 25, 102
3. David C. Dollahite, ed., (2000) Comparison of Sacred Truths Taught in Proclamation and Secular Philosophies; Strengthening Our Families: An In-Depth Look at the Proclamation on the Family (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft), 364
4. David C. Dollahite, ed., Comparison of the Degree of Individualism Taught in the Proclamation Versus Extreme Individualism (2000).
