The world says marriage is risky. Religion and research say it’s the key to happiness. So, is marriage worth it? In a time of high divorce rates and cultures that celebrate independence, marriage can feel like it brings more pain than happiness. I’ll admit, I’ve been afraid of marriage myself.… Continue reading
When we let the love of God fill our hearts, we find strength to forgive others—and ourselves. It’s easy to notice when others judge, gossip, or hold grudges. Yet recognizing those same tendencies in ourselves can be far more difficult. We often justify our anger as righteous or dwell on… Continue reading
I knew that the words I said to others mattered, but what about how I talked to and about myself? A few years ago, I had a unique opportunity to work as an actor in the Missionary Training Center (MTC) for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Basically,… Continue reading
Applying the characteristics of a good father in our lives can help us develop trust in our relationship with Heavenly Father. Trust can be difficult to develop, and broken trust can seem impossible to mend, but there are tried-and-true principles that can help us achieve the stronger relationships that may… Continue reading
Survey data from 2,000 married men and women teaches us the secret to creating the relationship we all want. I’m getting married this week to the love of my life. From where I stand, on the cusp of committing my life to him, I’m optimistic that we’ll grow old together,… Continue reading
Do you ever wish you were better at building lasting friendships? One morning, I woke up to a big, long text from my ministering sister. You know the type: “Hey! I’m…[insert introduction, exclamation points!!!, and a bunch of personal questions]. What are you up to these days?” At this point,… Continue reading
In an imperfect world with imperfect people, how can we choose a partner with whom we can have an eternal, celestial marriage? Marrying a perfect person is impossible—it’s a hard, cold truth that not a single person on this earth is perfect. In fact, we believe that the journey to… Continue reading
My husband doesn’t know the Church is true, and that’s completely fine with me. When I first watched Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s April 2013 general conference talk, “Lord, I Believe,” I loved Elder Holland’s solemn assurance that I didn’t have to know every gospel teaching all at once. I could just believe.… Continue reading
In a church that focuses so much on dating, marriage, and family, how can you avoid feeling discouraged when you are single? Being single is often difficult for members of the Church, no matter their age. Even as a young adult, you may feel unwanted and doubt that you will… Continue reading
To love maturely, you cannot just fall in love. You must choose in love and do in love. Is love important in a marriage? Of course! But what exactly does “love” mean? There are so many different kinds of love—we love our spouses, but we also love eating pizza.… Continue reading
