Hope and Healing

This Mormon Message, based on Elder Oak's talk, Divorce, came out a few years ago. I love the powerful visual this video portrays. A husband is seriously injured in a car accident and his wife is diligently by his side, clearly emotional and worried about his survival. Elder Oaks said, "A marriage, like a human life, is a precious, living thing. If our bodies are sick, we seek to heal them. We do not give up. While there is any prospect of life, we seek healing again and again. The same should be true of our marriages, and if we seek Him, the Lord will help us and heal us." Most of us can’t imagine walking away from a critically injured spouse still lying in a hospital bed. With his counsel in mind, we shouldn’t immediately walk away from a critically injured marriage either.

In his talk he is also clear to point out this doesn't mean staying in marriages where abuse and repeated breaking of covenants is present. Marriages in that state might need to end. Instead it means working through disappointment and heartache because it will be a part of your marriage at one point or another. In short healing a marriage means what President Monson said, "Choose your love. Love your choice." Choosing to love your spouse through difficult life experiences will strengthen your bond.

"A good marriage does not require a perfect man or a 

perfect woman. It only requires a man and a woman 

committed to strive together toward perfection."

~Dallin H. Oaks

~Strengthening Family~

I love a quote shared by President Kimball, “…only those who believe deeply and actively in the family will be able to preserve their families in the midst of the gathering evil around us.”  Some of the ways I work to strengthen and preserve my family is to stick with the basics. We attend church, read scriptures as a family and have family home evening (most of the time). It’s not always spirit filled but we push through those times and it helps us more fully recognize the times we do feel the spirit. It’s important for me to keep distractions to a minimum so as a family we work hard to not over schedule ourselves. Keeping communication is open is also important in keeping a family safe from the adversary. It’s been a new adventure having teenagers. They are fun and exhausting! One way we work together is to keep lines of communication open so when we are struggling we can discuss it. Building a strong family foundation together is essential.