It's not just age, it's also the perception as well. In Church it seems as it is taught to marry, then work out your life, career, and even whether or not you love your spouse (if you"re not in love with your spouse, then divorce is almost off the table, so that leaves you to only deal with a spouse that you don't love).
There is an old quote/saying that I like; "Perception is everything (reality)"
Personally, I think the divorce rate in LDS marriages should be higher but most people stay and try to work it out because of our teachings. Unfortunately, sometimes there is no way to work it out and people are just living unhappy lives just because they are choosing against it and now with the new age missionary requirement, younger people will marry. Scary.
Name: Michael
Country:
Title: Marriage Age
Comments: Pandora reminds me of a cartoon I once saw. It showed a very elderly couple rolling down the aisle of the church together in wheel chairs. The caption read, "The couple who waited until they could afford it."
My father married at age 20 and my mother had just turned 18. They were in college at the time, and my father went on to graduate, and then worked and went to school part-time, until he eventually got an Ed.D. He was able to provide for a family of 11 children, and my parents did not stay together because they felt they had to do so. They were deeply in love with each other until they passed away after 56 years of marriage.
I think that the best time for young men to marry is when they meet the right person after their mission. For young women, the best time to marry is when they meet the right person after graduating from high school. I would rather see them marry young than to see them fall into temptation and commit sexual sin, which happens all too often, as it is.
Michael just because your parents had a successful marriage doesn't mean it applies to everyone. Even though I understand the point you're trying to make, I think expecting a girl out of high school to marry its simply NUTS or a typical 20 year old out of their mission. They may be great at proselyting for the Church, but marriage is another venture altogether and most of them, don't possess the maturity (let alone the basic financial resources) to accomplish such a thing.
Name: Michael
Country:
Title: Marriage Age
Comments:
Michael: