Thus, to make God our partner in our marriage, we must (1) practice personal and couple worship behaviors such as: scripture study, prayer, pondering, and writing and recording sacred impressions, as well as (2) make an unwavering commitment to follow the Lord’s prophets who represent him on this earth.īecoming one with God in marriage starts with daily scripture study, both as individuals and as a couple. Nephi then testifies that those who follow the prophets are given tender mercies and are made “mighty even unto the power of deliverance” (verse 20). He models for us reading the scriptures (verses 12–14), praying (verses 5–6, 14–15), pondering (verse 7), and recording his revelations (verse 16). It is there that we learn that Father Lehi is given special revelation to protect himself, his marriage, and his family. įrom a doctrinal perspective, we only need to go to the first chapter in the Book of Mormon to learn the ways to invite our Heavenly Father into the marriage covenant. In their research studying members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Richard, working with Bruce Chadwick, found that religious behaviors like personal scripture study, private prayer, family scripture study, family prayer, and temple-worthy actions are each positively associated with both marital happiness and satisfaction. In addition, prayer and religious beliefs are linked to marital satisfaction and also buffered the effects of marital risk factors, such as previous divorce, high stress in marriage, and premarital cohabitation. Studies have consistently found that an individual or a couple’s religious attendance, beliefs, experiences, and rituals are positively correlated with greater marital satisfaction, cohesion, and consensus (agreement on relationship issues). To maximize our opportunities for marital success, we must allow God to be partnered with us in all aspects of our marital relationship. They grow closer and become more unified. Illustrations, such as the one below, are commonly used in marital counseling with religious couples.Īs each spouse focuses on God and moves closer to him, not only do they become more like him, but the distance between husband and wife naturally narrows. What does it mean to have a partnership with God? In a study examining Latter-day Saint marriage, some participants spoke of their marriage in terms of a triangle, with God, their spouse, and themselves connected through a covenant relationship. That union is not merely between husband and wife it embraces a partnership with God.” Marriage is sanctified when it is cherished and honored in holiness. Marriage has been divinely designated as an eternal and everlasting covenant. Nelson taught: “Marriage is the foundry for social order, the fountain of virtue, and the foundation for eternal exaltation. We can do this by inviting Him into the marriage! President Russell M. However, regardless of how consistent we are in these efforts, our goal is not to just have a good marriage-it is to have a glorious, eternal, Godlike marriage! To attain this lofty goal in our journey toward perfection, we must look to God to uplift and exalt us. We can work together as a couple to navigate daily interpersonal dynamics by working on our communication skills, learning to negotiate finances together as equal partners, and strengthening emotional and physical intimacies. We can work on our own to have a healthy and resilient approach to life and our spouse. As couples, even though it takes a lot of work, we can create good marriages through our own consistent, diligent efforts to prioritize the relationship. It only requires a man and a woman committed to strive together toward perfection.” Marriage is a journey where spouses learn and grow together as they move toward the eternities. Oaks observed that “a good marriage does not require a perfect man or perfect woman. There is a sweetness and tenderness that comes into our relationship when we kneel together in prayer and hear the other petition the throne of God on our behalf. They are the authors of Commitment to the Covenant: Strengthening the Me, We, and Thee of Marriage. McClendon ( was the associate director in the office of Institutional Assessment and Analysis at BYU when this was written and a former seminary teacher in the Church Educational System. Debra Theobald McClendon ( was a clinical psychologist with training in marriage and family therapy when this was written.
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