“By divine design,
fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are
responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their
families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.
In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one
another as equal partners.”
~The Family: A
Proclamation to the World
I want to talk about equal partnership in marriage. Today
the world so often thinks men and women should be equal but often mean the
same. Don’t you think men and women can be equal without being the same? Men
and women were each given different divine gifts. Husband and wife are “one in
purpose” even as they go about a busy day of business work for the husband and
cooking and cleaning as a wife and as parents, nurturing of the children. I
really think that a lot of the thoughts I have would be better stated by the
prophets and apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Listed at the bottom of the post are the links to my favorite talks on equal
partnership in marriage. Here are some of my favorite words:
- · “Some think of happiness as a glamorous life of ease, luxury, and constant thrills; but true marriage is based on a happiness which is more than that, one which comes from giving, serving, sharing, sacrificing, and selflessness.”
- · “One comes to realize very soon after marriage that the spouse has weaknesses not previously revealed or discovered.”
- · “…any good man and any good woman can have happiness and a successful marriage if both are willing to pay the price.”
- · Pay attention to the four things President Kimball calls his formula for happy marriage!!
- · “If one is forever seeking the interests, comforts, and happiness of the other, the love found in courtship and cemented in marriage will grow into mighty proportions.”
- · “Certainly the foods most vital for love are consideration, kindness, thoughtfulness, concern, expressions of affection, embraces of appreciation, admiration, pride, companionship, confidence, faith, partnership, equality, and interdependence.”
- · “When a husband and wife go together frequently to the holy temple, kneel in prayer together in their home with their family, go hand in hand to their religious meetings, keep their lives wholly chaste—mentally and physically—so that their whole thoughts and desires and loves are all centered in the one being, their companion, and both work together for the upbuilding of the kingdom of God, then happiness is at its pinnacle.”
- · “He made the earth; He made the people. He knows the conditions. He set the program, and we are not intelligent enough or smart enough to be able to argue Him out of these important things. He knows what is right and true.” (clearly stated!!!)
- · “Be sure that your part of the marriage is carried forward properly.” (!!!!)
- · “Perhaps because false teachings had twisted original scriptural meanings, President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) preferred “preside” rather than “rule.” He said: “No woman has ever been asked by the Church authorities to follow her husband into an evil pit. She is to follow him [only] as he follows and obeys the Savior of the world, but in deciding [whether he is obeying Christ], she should always be sure she is fair.” In this way, President Kimball saw marriage “as a full partnership,” stating, “We do not want our LDS women to be silent partners or limited partners” but rather “a contributing and full partner.”
- · “Temple marriage covenants do not magically bring equality to a partnership. Those covenants commit us to a developmental process of learning and growing together—by practice.”
- · “But equal partnerships are not made in heaven—they are made on earth, one choice at a time, one conversation at a time, one threshold crossing at a time. And getting there is hard work—like patiently working through differing assumptions about who was bringing relief to whom that night or any of thousands of nights like it.”
MUST READ!
I know that if you read and apply these teachings you and
your spouse as well as your family will be blessed. Enjoy!!
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