Meet the Parents

"Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else." 

Doctrine and Covenants 42:22

     I've only been married a short while and we're still very much in the "laying down the laws" stage of our marriage and with our families. While getting along with the in-laws is a world wide issue, every situation is still unique in its own right. Recently I had a conversation with my mother in law that helped us to be able to connect and move forward in our relationship. Getting married quickly post-mission is so common in our faith, and while it's a popular tradition I think it leaves so much room for hurt feelings and families that feel left behind and disconnected. A major focus for me this week was how to join together with my spouse, equally important is to continue to nurture those relationships within our extended families, but set new boundaries. Setting those boundaries may prove harder than others depending on the sensitivity of those involved, but is always possible. God intended for our families to be together forever, not just our spouses and children, but our entire family which will hopefully include the majority of earths inhabitants. We were sent to earth t help each other return home, so keeping the relationships that we already have is just another perk to the plan. I'm so grateful for a loving and patient spouse who works with me to strengthen our relationship and move forward in this journey called life.

In His Arms

"Our Heavenly Father wants our hearts to be knit together. That union in love is not simply an ideal. It is a necessity. The requirement that we be one is not for this life alone. It is to be without end." - Henry B. Eyring

     God has created divine purposes within each of us, most of which are individual; whether they are to develop talents, lead nations, guide our families or become world renown, we will hopefully become who God intended us to be. There are some things that our Heavenly Father requires of us that unite us in purpose though, we are all called to be disciples of Christ and help each other return home. We do this by joining together in marriage, in friendship and in a church family. One thing I've realized is that God never intended for us to go through this life alone, that's why He sent His Son to this earth, so that we might have even one person to stand by our side, but how wonderful and merciful is it that God not only provided us His Son but also provided us with companions to love, lead and teach us?

Though I've only been married for a short time I've come to a deep sense of gratitude for my companion; yes he makes me laugh, provides for us and is a faithful priesthood holder, but that's not the only reason I feel I have so much to be grateful for. When I come home from a bad day and he immediately puts his arms around me, without saying a word, I feel safe, like whatever else is going on in the world or in my life is going to be ok, it will all work out. I often think of Adam and Eve in the garden, I can't even imagine how scared Eve must have been when she went to explain what she had done to Adam; but she did it anyways and when she did I have no doubt that he put his arms around her and comforted her. As companions we have such a sacred responsibility with the hearts, fears, insecurities, hopes and dreams of our other halves. When we truly become one we not only strengthen our marriages but we strengthen our relationships with our Heavenly Father as well.

A Mother At Home

"If the activities of the day really are so tiring that a woman has little time or energy left to develop her relationship with her husband, she or the couple together might examine her life carefully, to decide which things can be given up for the good of the most important relationship she will ever be involved in." 

-Brent Barlow (They Twain Shall Be One, Ensign; 1986)

 

There is a glorification in the word "busy" these days, implicating that busyness leads to success and importance, that if you are "busy" you are exempt from other duties, at the very least your excuse is more noble because you "have a lot going on". How often does someone ask for your help and your response is, "just a minute", "let me do this first", "I'm busy right now", "can I help you later?', what are we really saying when we put off our home and family duties for hobbies, work or people outside the family?
When a couple joins in marriage, to be sealed for time and all eternity they make covenants not only to each other but to God, to love, honor, build up, and grow together, making covenants is the whole reason we are on this earth, and our partner becomes our most important responsibility. Each married couple who has the opportunity to start a family and does such is then given the stewardship over their children, to teach, love and protect. " In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners." (The Family: A Proclamation to the world)

No role in the home is too great or too little for either partners, but we have been given divine guidance from a loving Heavenly Father that helps us identify our place in the home. "By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children." (The Family: A Proclamation to the world) 

We have such an important role in God's eternal plan and Satan wants nothing more than to distract us from our divine callings. When we limit the distractions of the world and focus on the reason we have been sent to this earth we will find that God intends us to have much more happiness than anything in this world could offer and that happiness is found within the principles of the gospel and at home with our families.