SALT LAKE CITY -- In a recent article in the Ensign magazine, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints tells young adults considering marriage to take it seriously, but not to retreat from a good thing.

When is the right time to get married? Researchers think they've found the best age range.

Studies show people who wait until their 30s to get married for the first time don't have better odds of staying together with their spouse.

Mormon Times:

Elder Porter stresses importance of marriage, family

Marriage and families are at the heart of mortal life, said Elder Bruce D. Porter of the LDS Church. If the family breaks down, so does everything else, he said.

"There is some data now suggesting that ‘sweet spot,' in terms of marrying, is really in your mid-20s," says Dr. Alan Hawkins, chairman of the Utah Healthy Marriage Initiative.

Utah is well-known for marrying young. The 2008 American Community Survey says the median age for women in Utah marrying for the first time is 24, and it's 26 for men.

Hawkins says the risk of divorce is much higher for people who marry in their teens, but that risk drops dramatically by the time someone turns 22.

"We get a better sense of who we are and what our values are," he explains

Many people decide to wait until they're finished with college or until they have a more secure financial footing before they decide to get married, but Hawkins says emerging data shows this may not be the best strategy.

"Those who marry in their late-20s or early-30s for the first time may actually see that risk [of divorce] start to go back up," he says.

Still, Hawkins wants to emphasize this is emerging data, and he'd like to see it replicated before he puts more stock into it.

E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com

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