Marriage Advice

Last week our wonderful Sunday school teacher gave a lesson on making your marriage 'celestial'.  After going through some scriptures about marriage, he said that there was a lot of marriage wisdom and experience in the class.  Then he passed out notecards to all of us and asked each person to give their best marriage advice.  I thought the advice was so good, that I took all the notecards home and typed them into a list to give to the class.  And I think the list is so wise that I thought I'd keep sharing.....

If you aren't married then I think most of these words of wisdom apply to any relationship.  

Or course, husbands could do well to just follow the advice "Do what she says."  Think of all the problems that would solve!!!!  I'm kidding, well sort of kidding!!!

Wisdom from the Crowd

Lakeridge Gospel Doctrine Class September 1, 2013

How to make your Marriage Celestial:

·      Constant preoccupation with the happiness and welfare of your spouse

·      Complete honesty; 100% honest communication

·      No judgment

·      Communication with children

·      Trust, patience, compassion, selflessness, long suffering, respect, equality forgiveness,   repentance, honor, kindness

·      Be a better listener than a talker

·      It is easier to get used to someone than to change them

·      Pray together as a couple every night

·      Stay on the same side, even when disagreeing

·      Always use kind words; withhold criticism; only focus on positive attributes

·      Be nice at all costs, even if you are about to pass out from the pain

·      Parent together, don’t let your children ‘divide and conquer’

·      Have fun together, just the two of you without the kids; weekly dates, nurture closeness; flowers, cute notes and texts, hold hands

·      Humor goes a long way

·      Go to the temple together; make this a monthly date.

·      Be willing to do the ‘tough stuff’ while being completely honest

·      Don’t focus on criticizing and changing your spouse; focus on ‘being the right person’ for your spouse.

·      Forgive, again and again forever and ever!

·      Let insignificant things go.

·      Positive and uplifting comments to each other

·      Appreciate the small things

·      Pick your battles

·      Treat your spouse like a king or queen and then you will be treated as a king or queen

·      Seek first to understand and then be understood

·      Be open to your partner’s ideas

·      Don’t yell at your spouse unless there is a fire!

·      Say “you’re probably right’

·      Say, “I’m sorry” even when you don’t know why you are saying it.

·      Work at your marriage

·      Do what she says!

·      Don’t worry so much about your financial investments for retirement; instead invest in your spiritual 401 K – your spouse!

·      Love like Jesus taught.

·      Humility; remember the only person you can change is yourself.

·      Study the scriptures together daily and pray for each other and your family.

·      Remember ‘I am not as great as I think I am and my spouse is not as bad as I think’

·      Remember  YOU ARE NOT PERFECT!

·      Laugh more and worry less.

·      SMILE!!!!

·      Give each other their own space and time.

·      Bear your testimony to your spouse regularly.

·      Speak with respect and kindness always

·      See your spouse as an individual no matter joy, anger sorrow….

·      Follow the prophet

·      Pray to be worthy of the Holy Spirit every day

·      Be grateful

·      Give service to each other