My Marriage Class Blog

This week in class we learned about love maps from the book "The Seven Principles for Making Marriage work" by John Gottman. When I first read that we would be learning about love maps, I was confused because I did not know what that could possibly be. I quickly learned that it is a simple term that is crucial to a great marriage.  A love map is the part of the brain where you store all of the revenant information about your partner's life. When you have a detailed love map you know much about your spouse's dreams, hopes, weaknesses, strengths, likes, dislikes, and many facts about them. In his book Gottman says, "The more you know and understand about each other, the easier it is to keep connected as life swirls around you." I have only been married for a month (I know that's nothing compared to most people) but I can already see how that is true. My husband and I are both so busy with work, school and so many tasks that pile up everyday. It is hard ...

In 2007 at a general conference held by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin shared a story about an elderly couple who had been married for a long time. The women's health was declining in her old age. He quotes, " Because the wife was slowly losing her sight, she could no longer take care of herself the way she had done for so many years. Without being asked, the husband began to paint her fingernails for her. “He knew that she could see her fingernails when she held them close to her eyes, at just the right angle, and they made her smile. He liked to see her happy, so he kept painting her nails for more than five years before she passed away.” That is an example of the pure love of Christ. Sometimes the greatest love is not found in the dramatic scenes that poets and writers immortalize. Often, the greatest manifestations of love are the simple acts of kindness and caring we extend to those we meet along the path of life."  ...

This week in class we continued to study the wonderful topic of.....marriage! One of the talks we read and pondered was called "Covenant Marriage" by Bruce C. Hafen. This is a talk I recommend for all to read and enjoy. Within this talk he talked about the difference between contract and covenant companions. Contract companions go into the marriage focusing on what they are going to get out of the marriage. They promise to do something only on the terms that their spouse does something in return or first. A contract companion only gives 50% expecting their spouse to give the other 50%.  Covenant companions go into the marriage committing to their spouse and to the Lord that they are going to be faithful and devoted. They give 100% to their marriage as well as their companion gives 100% to the marriage. They do not focus on what they can take from their marriage but instead focus on helping their spouse be happy and grow. As they give they are benefited, more united with ...

 This week in class I was able to read the Supreme Courts decision on the case of    Obergefell v. Hodges Links to an external site. In addition to studying this I also read other addresses by church leaders, particularly one by Russell M. Nelson who is now the president and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  In 2014, Russell M. Nelson said, “God is the Father of all men and women. They are His children. It was He who ordained marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Marriage was not created by human judges or legislators. It was not created by think tanks or by popular vote or by oft-quoted bloggers or by pundits. It was not created by lobbyists. Marriage was created by God!” I love how clear and direct this quote is, there is no questioning who created marriage after reading this. As followers of Christ, we should stand up for everything that is good and of God. Marriage is of God, and therefore we need to stand up for it! Many pe...