Happy Marriages

The Family: A Proclamation to the World declares that “marriage between a man and a woman

is ordained of God”, and that “husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for

each other”

How do we go about sharing that love for each other? I’ve only been married for 19 years so I feel

like our marriage is still at the beginning of our lifelong journey together.  

Here are 5 Foundational Processes from the Family proclamation that helps strengthen our

marriages. I learned this from my textbook; Marriages and Families Proclamation Principles and

Research Perspectives Edited by Alan J. Hawkins David C. Dollahite Thomas W. Draper

·   Foundational Process #1: Personal Commitment to the Marriage Covenant. marriage is a

purposeful, divinely created relationship, not merely a social custom, and that couples have

God-given covenant obligations to one another.

·   Foundational Process #2: Love and Friendship. The proclamation mentions the responsibility

to love and care before any other marital obligation or virtue. Christlike love is the lodestar virtue

in marriage—it lights the way and draws attention to other virtues couples may wish to foster in

their marriage.

·   Foundational Process #3: Positive Interaction Positive emotions toward one’s spouse are vital

to a healthy marriage.

·   Foundational Process #4: Accepting Influence from One’s Spouse. Elder Russell M. Nelson

taught, “Husbands and wives, learn to listen, and listen to learn from one another.”

·   Foundational Process #5: Respectfully Handle Differences and Solve Problems. Seventy,

Elder Joe J. Christensen taught a similar principle: “Any intelligent couple will have differences

of opinion. Our challenge is to be sure that we know how to resolve them. That is part of the

process of making a good marriage better.”