--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Marriage is a fine and sacred thing if…" description: "\"Marriage is a fine and sacred thing if you make it so.\" — William Lyon Phelps" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58e/william-lyon-phelps-11602_fine_marriage-is-a-fine-and-sacred-thing-if-y_1650177.jpg" --- # Marriage is a fine and sacred thing if you make it so. ![“Marriage is a fine and sacred thing if you make it so.” quote by William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58e/william-lyon-phelps-11602_fine_marriage-is-a-fine-and-sacred-thing-if-y_1650177.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58e/william-lyon-phelps-11602_fine_marriage-is-a-fine-and-sacred-thing-if-y_1650177.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58e/william-lyon-phelps-11602_fine_marriage-is-a-fine-and-sacred-thing-if-y_1650177.jpg) > “Marriage is a fine and sacred thing if you make it so.” [William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Marriage is presented as a sacred institution that attains its value through the commitment and effort of those involved. **In simple terms:** Marriage is sacred if you treat it that way. Key Takeaway Invest fully to honor the bond. Themes love commitment spirituality relationships Mood hopeful serene inspirational Type philosophical relationship When to use this quote - wedding vows - counseling - family life - cultural tradition Key Concepts sacredness mutual respect lifelong partnership Questions to Reflect On - What actions sustain a marriage? - How do you honor shared values? A Different Perspective Neglect can erode its sacredness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fine/) [Fine Sacred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fine-sacred-643715/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Marriage Fine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage-fine-643714/) [Sacred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacred/) [Sacred Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacred-thing-643716/) [Sacred things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacred-things/) ## Related quotes > [The clock is the most sacred thing in a hospital.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wyndham/the-clock-is-the-most-sacred-thing-in-a-hospital/) [John Wyndham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wyndham/) > [The thing you like/are good at is a sacred thing...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/the-thing-you-like-are-good-at-is-a-sacred-thing/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [A National Flag is the most sacred thing a nation can possess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-francis-meagher/a-national-flag-is-the-most-sacred-thing-a-nation-can-possess/) [Thomas Francis Meagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-francis-meagher/) > [Work to me is a sacred thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-bourke-white/work-to-me-is-a-sacred-thing/) [Margaret Bourke-White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-bourke-white/) > [In a hundred years, Christianity will have mutated into something utterly unpredictable which, nevertheless, we'd recognize immediately. And same-sex marriage will be one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/in-a-hundred-years-christianity-will-have-mutated-into-something/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [Marriage is a fine institution, but I'm not ready for an institution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-west/marriage-is-a-fine-institution-but-i-m-not-ready-for-an-institution/) [Mae West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-west/) > [Marriage is fine institution but am not ready for an institution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evans-onyenwere/marriage-is-fine-institution-but-am-not-ready-for-an-institution/) [Evans Onyenwere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evans-onyenwere/) > [“This-our love for each other-was the most sacred of things my hearts had ever known. And I was willing to do whatever it took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nely-cab/this-our-love-for-each-other-was-the-most-sacred-of-things-my-hearts/) [Nely Cab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nely-cab/) > [But hands are sacred things. Touch is personal, fingers of love, feelers of blind eyes, tongues of those who cannot talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keri-hulme/but-hands-are-sacred-things-touch-is-personal-fingers-of-love-feelers/) [Keri Hulme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keri-hulme/) > [My body should only be for my husband and it's just a sacred thing,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-bisutti/my-body-should-only-be-for-my-husband-and-it-s-just-a-sacred-thing/) [Kylie Bisutti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-bisutti/) > [The most sacred thing is our family and our daughter and each other, everything else matters, but it doesn't really matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-righton/the-most-sacred-thing-is-our-family-and-our-daughter-and-each-other/) [James Righton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-righton/) > [“The most sacred thing is to be able to shut your own door.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton-2/the-most-sacred-thing-is-to-be-able-to-shut-your-own-door/) [G. K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton-2/) > [Work to me is a sacred thing. Margaret Bourke-White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/work-to-me-is-a-sacred-thing-margaret-bourke-white/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Everyone has honour and a good name. It is the only sacred thing that every person has.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-shel/everyone-has-honour-and-a-good-name-it-is-the-only-sacred-thing-that/) [Viktor Shel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-shel/) > [My view was that the campaign had been a sacred thing, that it had been a real compact, because I was there and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-begala/my-view-was-that-the-campaign-had-been-a-sacred-thing-that-it-had/) [Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) ## More by William Lyon Phelps > [In the whole story of Jesus Christ, the most important event is the resurrection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/in-the-whole-story-of-jesus-christ-the-most-important-event-is-the/) [William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) > [I do not know how wicked American millionaires are, but as I travel about and see the results of their generosity in the form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/i-do-not-know-how-wicked-american-millionaires-are-but-as-i-travel/) [William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) > [There is never much trouble in any family where the children hope someday to resemble their parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/there-is-never-much-trouble-in-any-family-where-the-children-hope/) [William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) > [Honesty is not necessarily the best policy. The best policy would be to acquire a reputation for honesty and then to cheat at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/honesty-is-not-necessarily-the-best-policy-the-best-policy-would-be/) [William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) > [Why is it so many people are afraid to admit they are happy?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/why-is-it-so-many-people-are-afraid-to-admit-they-are-happy/) [William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) > [Those who decide to use leisure as a means of mental development, who love good music, good books, good pictures, good plays, good company,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/those-who-decide-to-use-leisure-as-a-means-of-mental-development-who/) [William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) > [Two persons who love each other are in a place more holy than the interior of a church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/two-persons-who-love-each-other-are-in-a-place-more-holy-than-the/) [William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) > [Whenever it is in any way possible, every boy and girl should choose as his life work some occupation which he should like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/whenever-it-is-in-any-way-possible-every-boy-and-girl-should-choose/) [William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) > [The kind of happiness that stays with you is the happiness that springs from inward thoughts and emotions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/the-kind-of-happiness-that-stays-with-you-is-the-happiness-that/) [William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) > [Never try to outsmart a woman, unless you are another woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/never-try-to-outsmart-a-woman-unless-you-are-another-woman/) [William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) > [You can learn more about human nature by reading the Bible than by living in New York.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/you-can-learn-more-about-human-nature-by-reading-the-bible-than-by/) [William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) > [Herein lies the real value of education. Advanced education may or may not make men and women more efficient; but it enriches personality, increases…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/herein-lies-the-real-value-of-education-advanced-education-may-or-may/) [William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) > [The happiest people in this world are those who have the most interesting thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/the-happiest-people-in-this-world-are-those-who-have-the-most/) [William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) > [The principle of happiness should be like the principle of virtue: it should not be dependent of things, but be a part of personality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/the-principle-of-happiness-should-be-like-the-principle-of-virtue-it/) [William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) > [Why is it that so many people are afraid to admit they are happy?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/why-is-it-that-so-many-people-are-afraid-to-admit-they-are-happy/) [William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) [Explore all 59 William Lyon Phelps quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) ## More Fine quotes > [ I\] k\[n\]ow youre b\[e\]tt\[e\]r off without me. \[D\]ont worr\[y\] ab\[o\]\[u\]t me. Im fine. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinku-razoria/i-k-n-ow-youre-b-e-tt-e-r-off-without-me-d-ont-worr-y-ab-o-u-t-me-im/) [Tinku Razoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinku-razoria/) > [To hurry through the rise and fall of a fine, full sentence is like defying the role of time in human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clark/to-hurry-through-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-fine-full-sentence-is-like/) [Kenneth Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clark/) > [I'm Fine!, the most common LIE in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/i-m-fine-the-most-common-lie-in-the-world/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [The Germans will make a few scattered attacks, then go away. The Romans will enjoy a fine September.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-badoglio/the-germans-will-make-a-few-scattered-attacks-then-go-away-the-romans/) [Pietro Badoglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pietro-badoglio/) > [Just be what it is that you are, and that is just fine. You don't have to be what you're not in any way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/just-be-what-it-is-that-you-are-and-that-is-just-fine-you-don-t-have/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [But I saw the pain and sadness in everything, and swirled it round my mouth like a fine wine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-forrest/but-i-saw-the-pain-and-sadness-in-everything-and-swirled-it-round-my/) [Emma Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-forrest/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [“I'm fine," said Pilar, "for the moment. And the moment is the only time we can be fine in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-m-fine-said-pilar-for-the-moment-and-the-moment-is-the-only-time-we/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Here comes old Rosie she's looking mighty fine, here comes hot Nancy she's steppin' right on time. There go the street lights bringing on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-seger/here-comes-old-rosie-she-s-looking-mighty-fine-here-comes-hot-nancy/) [Bob Seger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-seger/) > [It's still possible to savor the remarkable foods that millennia of human ingenuity have teased from milk. A sip of milk itself or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-mcgee/it-s-still-possible-to-savor-the-remarkable-foods-that-millennia-of/) [Harold McGee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-mcgee/) > [Another success is the post-office, with its educating energy augmented by cheapness and guarded by a certain religious sentimentin mankind; so that the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/another-success-is-the-post-office-with-its-educating-energy/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [Comedy, although it is not one of the fine arts - it's a vulgar art, it's one of the people's arts, it's the spoken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/comedy-although-it-is-not-one-of-the-fine-arts-it-s-a-vulgar-art-it-s/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [School plays are fine. Theater in school is fine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/school-plays-are-fine-theater-in-school-is-fine/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) [Browse all 5,340 Fine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fine/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Marriage is a fine and sacred thing if you make it so.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Lyon Phelps" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/marriage-is-a-fine-and-sacred-thing-if-you-make-it-so/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fine" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/marriage-is-a-fine-and-sacred-thing-if-you-make-it-so/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58e/william-lyon-phelps-11602_fine_marriage-is-a-fine-and-sacred-thing-if-y_1650177.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58e/william-lyon-phelps-11602_fine_marriage-is-a-fine-and-sacred-thing-if-y_1650177.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58e/william-lyon-phelps-11602_fine_marriage-is-a-fine-and-sacred-thing-if-y_1650177.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Marriage is a fine and sacred thing if you make it so.” — William Lyon Phelps", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Lyon Phelps", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Marriage is a fine and sacred...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/marriage-is-a-fine-and-sacred-thing-if-you-make-it-so/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/marriage-is-a-fine-and-sacred-thing-if-you-make-it-so/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```