Building a Covenant Marriage

This week in my marriage and family class, has definitely proven to be one of my favorites so far. We studied talks that had a lot of great information.

The talk that really struck me was "Covenant Marriage", by Bruce C. Hafen, one particular part really touched my heart, he stated:

"Another bride sighed blissfully on her wedding day, “Mom, I’m at the end of all my troubles!” “Yes,” replied her mother, “but at which end?” When troubles come, the parties to a contractual marriage seek happiness by walking away. They marry to obtain benefits and will stay only as long as they’re receiving what they bargained for. But when troubles come to a covenant marriage, the husband and wife work them through. They marry to give and to grow, bound by covenants to each other, to the community, and to God. Contract companions each give 50 percent; covenant companions each give 100 percent."

This rung truth in my ears because I have lived it. In the 3 years of our marriage, I feel we have gone through ups and downs because we begin to forget how to be covenant companions. It is easy to fall into Satan's trap and hear the whisperings of the world that tell you that you should only look out for yourself and that your spouse doesn't really love you because they aren't showering you with the love, affection, and gifts that you need or deserve. This is a slippery slope and it usually ends up leaving you unhappy and if you are not careful, divorced. I have seen the affects of giving your whole self to your spouse in my own marriage and I have seen the affects of selfishness. I am so amazed by how much someone can change for the better when we strive to live for their happiness. They begin to do the same, our happiness becomes equally important to them. We then can begin to build or rebuild the relationship and make our marriage a celestial one where we are constantly remembering the covenants and promises we made in the temple.

President Benson's talk was a real eye opener and made me think how I am teaching my own children about the temple. I loved the stories he shared of his mother and how she had spoke to him about the temple. He spoke of his mother preparing for the temple in the talk, "What I Hope You Would Teach Your Children About the Temple." He stated,

"Then she put the old flatiron on the stove, drew a chair close to mine, and told me about temple work—how important it is to be able to go to the temple and participate in the sacred ordinances performed there. She also expressed her fervent hope that some day her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren would have the opportunity to enjoy these priceless blessings."

 I can imagine those memories followed him throughout his life and were a foundation to make him the person he became. I hope and pray to do the same so that my own children may have a strong testimony of the temple and a desire to enter in.

Benson, E. T. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/study/liahona/1986/04/what-i-hope-you-would-teach-your-children-about-the-temple?lang=eng
Hafen, B. C. (n.d.). Covenant Marriage. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1996/10/covenant-marriage?lang=eng