Strengthening Your Marriage Through the Teachings of Jesus Christ

As I've been trying to show with some of the most recent posts, the Book of Mormon answers the questions of the soul. To learn about strengthening relationships - even with our spouse, we can turn to the Book of Mormon. Let's see what the Savior taught in 3 Nephi 14:

"3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother: Let me pull the mote out of thine eye—and behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother’s eye." (3 Nephi 14:3-5)

Marriages go sour when husband and/or wife are selfish and prideful. What the Savior describes above often results from both selfishness and pride. It's easy super easy to see the faults in others, especially those we know best, and who do we know better than our spouse? We can get caught up in a little flaw our spouse may have without realizing that it's small compared to our own flaws (which are many). So here is one way to interpret this: "Once you're perfect, then go ahead and try to fix your spouse's problems." This will definitely help any marriage.

Here's a tip I'm sure you've never heard, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!" Or as the Savior taught: "Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, for this is the law and the prophets" (3 Nephi 14:12). If you want your spouse to respect you, then you better show respect first. I'm sure you get the idea.

Lastly, I believe this applies well to the counsel here about strengthening your marriage:

"24 Therefore, whoso heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock—
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the bsand—
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it." (3 Nephi 14:24-27)

If your marriage isn't built upon the rock, then how do you expect to withstand the tempests that are sure to come? For more about strengthening family relationships, visit http://mormon.org/family/.