Temporal vs. Spiritual

I was talking with a friend recently who has just been invited to sit on a stake single adult committee.  He couldn't understand why some of the married people in the room seemed to feel sorry for him because he was still single.  He thinks being single is great, and focuses on the benefits of being single.  I agree with him, there are a lot of good things about being single, like being able to go wherever you want on vacation whenever you want, not having to wash the dishes if you don't want to, being able to eat the entire batch of chocolate chip cookies, being able to set the thermostat at whatever temperature you like, and so on.

But as I was thinking about it, I realized that the majority of the good things I usually notice about being single are very self centered.  They often seem to be good things because they appeal to my "natural woman".  And they are generally very temporally based.  In the eternities, none of the "benefits" listed above will matter (although it would be really nice if they have cookies).

The Lord has told us that all things unto him are spiritual (D&C 29:34).  So are there any spiritual benefits to being single?  Absolutely.  Like having time to study my scriptures and pray regularly without interruption.  Like being able to visit my family whenever I want to, or whenever they need someone to help out (or whenever I get a new niece or nephew, like I did twice last month!). 

How do the spiritual benefits available to singles in this life compare with those available to married people? I don't know that you can do an exact comparison, but given that we have been promised that no blessing will be denied to us if we live righteously, I believe that the same level of spiritual growth must be available to singles and marrieds in this life, although the areas of growth may be different.  Of course, the number of benefits available does not often equal the number of benefits actually accessed, regardless of whether you are married or single.

When it comes to spiritual benefits in the eternities, there is no question in my mind that the opportunities available to married people will be far greater than those available to singles.  Which is why it is such a blessing to have the promise that opportunities for marriage are not limited to mortality.