MARRIAGE based upon LOVE
Hello everyone,
I will be quoting a lot from two of the reads from my past week
because it is straightforward, and I don't want to change the words as it has
impacted my thoughts and has taught me to be strong and on the right path.
It is important for us to create a safe place for our love as man
and woman (husband and wife). I love the lines of Anne Bradstreet, the Puritan poetess, who in a piece entitled “To My Dear and Loving Husband”
confides:
If ever two were one,
then surely we.
If ever man were loved
by wife, then thee.
If ever wife was happy
in a man,
Compare
with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole
mines of gold,
Or
all the riches that the East doth
hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee give recompense.
Thy
love is such I can no way repay;
The
heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then
while we live, in love let’s so persever,
That
when we live no more, we may live ever.
'Trust is to human relationships what faith is to gospel living.
It is the beginning place, the foundation upon which more can be built. Where
trust is, love can flourish.'
Benefits of marriage:
1.
Commitment between both husband and wife to help each other.
Both husband and wife are
committed to helping the other achieve the fullest possible development. How
inspiring it is, for example, to hear Elder David B. Haight tell of times he
has cooked the dinner so that his wife could attend her Spanish class. Growth
can come for both partners when husband and wife develop the kind of love that
allows the other to turn potential into perfection and talent into testimony. A
strong marriage takes strong individuals equally committed to calling forth the
best in themselves as well as in their eternal partner. A husband must give his
support if a wife is to adequately use the gifts God has given her. A wife must
give her support if her husband is to lead the family.
2.
Respecting each other's opinions.
For a man and wife to become one there are many differences, large and small, that must be accommodated or resolved. In a marriage relationship that is secure, differences need not lead to discord. They can be openly considered until a satisfactory solution is reached because the premises are agreed upon: both the husband and wife are committed to love one another, to build the kingdom of God, and to establish an eternal family unit. All considerations are made in light of these three basic commitments—these are the “givens.” When they are held inviolate, the marriage remains intact, even though the process of resolution may involve considerable discussion.
3. Each child has the love and interest of both mother and father.
When children are treated fairly,
there is no cause for jealousy because there is no partiality. Reading the Book
of Mormon, we find that whenever the people were truly committed to the Lord
and had the Holy Ghost in their midst, the conditions described were
similar.
4.
Establishing happiness through love.
Finally, love establishes the basis for
happiness. Remember that a family
established in love and secured by consecration is maintained through work and
service. A home is strengthened by work when workers receive respect.
One of my favorite reads from
this week suggested by our professor and insights from it:
'The formula is simple;
the ingredients are few, though there are many amplifications of each.
First, there must be the proper approach toward marriage, which contemplates
the selection of a spouse who reaches as nearly as possible the pinnacle of
perfection in all the matters which are of importance to the individuals. And
then those two parties must come to the altar in the temple realizing that they
must work hard toward this successful joint living.
Second, there must be a great unselfishness, forgetting self and directing all
of the family life and all pertaining thereunto to the good of the family,
subjugating self.
Third, there must be continued courting and expressions of affection, kindness,
and consideration to keep love alive and growing.
Fourth, there must be a complete living of the commandments of the Lord as
defined in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
With these ingredients properly mixed and continually kept functioning, it is
quite impossible for unhappiness to come, misunderstandings to continue, or
breaks to occur. Divorce attorneys would need to transfer to other fields and
divorce courts would be padlocked.'
Source:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1977/03/oneness-in-marriage?lang=eng
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