.....All You Need Is Love.....

So on Sunday the Relief Society lesson was on marriage and family....

Tricky thing for a single lady to teach to a bunch of other single ladies!

We still had a dang good time talking up all the romance and how it ties into Christlike love, so I thought I'd share some of it here on the good old blog thing!

I put together a little video of some of the best men ever talking about some of the best ladies ever!

Sigh.... swoon... melt. I die. 

Goodness how adorable is that???

Every time I here one of these darling men talk about their wives I think two things:

1.  Those women are amazing, how do you become a lady like that?

2. These people have been married for a LONG time, how do they keep that kind of love strong still?

So these are some things we discussed in class. Starting with....

HOW DO WE BECOME A WOMAN WORTHY OF SUCH LOVE? 

We concluded that one of the most important things we can do in order to be this kind of woman, is to recognize our value and where we come from. Each daughter of God is of infinite worth because of her divine mission. Not only are you a daughter of God, not only is your heritage unbelievable, but you have a purpose. Each of you has something important the Lord needs you to do. You don’t know what the Lord has prepared for you, but the very fact that you are here means that it is important and it is necessary!

D&C 25 was written to Emma Smith at a time when she was struggling and needed the Lord to hush her fears. Can you imagine how different her life must have been than what she had planned? Losing children and moving from one place to another. She experienced persecution that most of us could never understand even after a lifetime of living. The things she went through are not things she could have adequately prepared for or planned on, therefore the Lord gave Joseph this revelation to comfort and encourage her. I think it is interesting that the way in which he speaks to give her peace is essentially reminding her of her calling. She is married to the Prophet who will restore the gospel in the Latter Days. He has a very important job to do, and needs a wife who will be a brilliant support. Not just any woman could have done this.  The Lord sees Emma as capable of giving Joseph added strength. He also trusts her to be a scribe for THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK EVER!! In these verses he reminds her of these things. The way the Lord succors Emma is by reminding her that he NEEDS her. That she has a purpose to fulfill that only she can. We would all do well to remember this ourselves.

"Emma was called “an elect lady.” That is, to use another line of scripture, she was a “chosen vessel of the Lord.” (See Moro. 7:31.) Each of you is an elect lady. You have come out of the world as partakers of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. You have made your election, and if you are living worthy of it, the Lord will honor you in it and magnify you.”  (Gordon B. Hinckley)

We also concluded that we need to develop a close relationship with our Father in Heaven. How can we do this? The classics; prayer, scriptures, church attendance, FHE, and any other activities that can invite the spirit into our lives. There will be times as a mother and wife where we will need to know how to get support for both ourselves and our spouse. We concluded that if on your own you can have a strong relationship with your Heavenly Father it will be so much easier to love another person. As you both develop your personal testimonies of the Lord, together you can better weather the storms of life. 

Finally we decided that truly good women always strive to see others the way the Lord sees them:

This is not just in our future homes, but now. With every person we meet, strive to see them as the Lord does. As we develop this pattern within ourselves now, it will continue forward throughout our lives in every relationship. 

Quote 1: “Flora has had more vision for me and my potential than anyone else in my life. Her faith and support have been a great blessing.” President Benson

Quote 2: "The goal of marriage is unity and onesness, as well as self-development. Paradoxally, the more we serve one another, the greater is our spiritual and emotional growth."

HOW DO WE KEEP A MARRIAGE FULL OF LOVE:

Ya this was a tricky one, because none of us have been married yet. But all of us could look to happy marriages that we have observed and picked up on a few things that seem to work.

Quote 5: "For President and Sister Benson, the effort to strengthen their family started with nurturing their marriage. They were loving and devoted, loyal and true. Although they were not inclined to quarrel, they often had frank discussions. They shared an absolute trust in each other, which they felt was one of the greatest strengths of their marriage." (manual) 

We decided that one of the best ways we think we can prepare to keep our marriages full of love in the future is to remember how important this relationship is. Not just that it stands, but that it stands and functions with love.

Quote 6: “Some people ask me as a church leader why we place so much emphasis on the home and family when there are such larger problems around us? The answer is, of course, that the larger problems are merely a reflection of individual and family problems.” - President Benson 

The number one thing we decided we can do is pray together as a family so that the Lord is central in our lives. The Lord can teach us how to love others as we show our love for him. 

Quote 7: “Gradually thoughts, aspirations, and ideas will merge into a oneness until you are seeking the same purposes and goals (as you pray together).” 

How cool is that? Not only is the Lord answering your prayers as well as His prayers, but he is answering both of your prayers together! There is so much spiritual strength in that to combat the craziness of life.

Of course the lesson was full of lots of insight from the other girls that I am forgetting, and their participation is always greatly appreciated!

Our entire existence is just one big romantic love story. It is the most important thing that we will do. So let's start working now to develop something lasting and strong in our futures. 

xoxo,

Haley