A Perspective to Motivate Progression Towards Perfection

            05/27/17
Dear Future Family,
            I am one of those girls who, since I was little, wondered who I would marry some day. Who was the prince that all of the princesses find at some point in their story? I was spoiled and picky in the sense that I had my dad to look up to as the male role model in my life. My dad is my hero, so when I got older and started dating, I compared every guy to my dad. I had set certain standards for myself, which made it very difficult to be impressed by most guys that I knew growing up. That isn’t to say that I didn’t think they were good enough, because I had mostly guy friends growing up, whom I admired greatly, but they were not what I was looking for in a future spouse. When I graduated from high school up until my mission I was in a couple of serious relationships that taught me a lot more about myself and what I wanted. When I went on a church mission, I really started to form all of these thoughts and expectations into what I really wanted. I was able to start looking at people for their potential rather than where they were when I met them. I didn’t lower my standards when I got home from my mission, but I tried to visualize that person for who they could become, if they were willing to recognize their weaknesses and were willing to try to change them. I was also able to realize that if I want to marry someone like that, I have to become that kind of person myself.
            Something that I think is often overlooked is that if we are to be with someone that has all of these wonderful qualities that we have been searching for, we must have those qualities, or being willing to strive to obtain those qualities, if they are going to want us back. There is a quote from LDS church leader Richard G. Scott that addresses this idea. He said, “I suggest that you not ignore many possible candidates who are still developing these attributes, seeking the one who is perfected in them. You will likely not find that perfect person, and if you did, there would certainly be no interest in you. These attributes are best polished together as husband and wife.”
            As husband and wife, you and your companion are given the opportunity to become who you want to be. Then, when you have children, you have an opportunity to work as a team to teach your children how to find success in their own marriages and families someday. For me, since I am religious, I know that there is a greater purpose to marriage than to have companionship in this life. There is so much more to it.
I know that God’s plan for his children is to find ultimate joy through keeping his commandments and making special promises while we are here on earth. Because we are not perfect, we struggle with fulfilling this plan at times, but he sent His son, Jesus Christ, to atone for our sins and overcome death, so that we can fulfill it. He made it possible for us to try again after we make mistakes. An eternal marriage is based off of the teachings of Jesus Christ. When founded upon these teachings, a marriage can become something beautiful in which both a husband and wife can work together to overcome differences and weaknesses to become more like God. This does not mean that it will be perfect or without conflict, but rather, it means that they understand that they can overcome anything with each other and with faith in Jesus Christ. My hope is to be able to create a marriage built upon the teachings and principles found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My wish is that my children will be able to learn to hear and recognize the promptings of the spirit, so that they can feel a greater desire as they grow in their testimonies to follow Jesus Christ. I hope to be able to witness their resolve to do what is necessary to use the atonement in their lives and to be able to someday have a Celestial marriage and eternal family.
With this perspective, I have to take the choice of whom I will marry very seriously, but I also understand that God’s plan is one of progression and that none of us are perfect. So, I look on the heart and look for potential, and pray that I will find someone who will show me the same courtesy because I know that God wants me to find someone that I can work towards perfection with for eternity.

Sydney 

Source: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1999/04/receive-the-temple-blessings?lang=eng

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Women and Education

Dear Future Family, “A young woman’s education should prepare her for more than the responsibilities of motherhood. It should prepare her for the entire period of her life. ” – Dallin H. Oaks While I believe that a woman’s primary responsibility is to her family in the home, I also believe that education is an important tool that she can use to be a greater blessing to her husband, her children, her community, and the world. There is so much wonderful knowledge that can be gained by attending a university in which principles are taught that can be useful in many aspects in life. It is also a wonderful opportunity for one to gain social skills that will not only help the individual, but their children as well as others that they may have the opportunity to interact with. I am currently attending Brigham Young University-Idaho. It has been a truly incredible experience. I cannot imagine that I would be where I am now without the learning and experiences I have gained by attendin...
Read more

Transitions in Marriage

06/17/17 Dear Future Family,             A couple of weeks ago, in my Family Relations class, we were talking about transitions in marriage. This is a topic that interested me greatly because I have recently become engaged and was curious to see what my fiancé and I may experience or have experienced already as we make this great commitment to one another. At first, we talked about the obvious ones like closet space, cleanliness, traditions, new-found quirks and other things that just come with living with someone. However, as we got deeper into our discussion, there was one thing that was brought up that I had not anticipated or that had even really crossed my mind. Boundaries.                       Now, these aren’t boundaries between husband and wife, although there are some of those as well. What really caught my attentio...
Read more

Family Culture

04/29/17 Dear Future Family,           In a world full of conflict and controversy, it is nice to have some direction that can clear up some misconceptions that society would have us take in as truth. I would like to focus on one particular argument that has been around for years and I imagine will only become more popular as time goes on. This is a topic that is very close to me and that I take very seriously, but I understand that my views on it may not be parallel to what some may feel to be correct. Because of this, I will do my best to be sensitive and respectful of those who may feel differently.           I love this quote from President Brigham Young. He said, “There are multitudes of pure and holy spirits waiting to take tabernacles, now what is our duty?—To prepare tabernacles for them; to take a course that will not tend to drive those spirits into the families of the wicked,...
Read more