Lasting Marriages #2

My mom told me recently that a happy marriage requires patience and tolerance. Like this "TV couple," if we are having these kinds of problems, we need to fall in love again. You got married because of love before, and you can fall in love with each other again.

In the recent general conference, President Thomas S. Monson spoke of a couple who was having some serious issues. He told his story in saying,

Listen With Love

There are challenges about family and friend that are hard to face because of problems involving listening. Our own pride can cause this, thinking, "I am right and there is no other solution than my own!"  Whether it's parents talking with kids, a husband talking to his wife, or just friend to friend, listening is a huge part of communication. Think of it in this way: You are on the phone calling someone and as soon as they say, "Hello! How are you?" you hang up the phone. If you're not willing to listen, nothing will go right. In solving these problems, we can then offer guidance that will bring about a close relationship. If we listen with love, we won’t need to wonder what to say. It will be given to us by the Spirit. I know this principle is true because I have recently experienced it with a friend that I am teaching. As I listened to his concerns, I wondered what to say, but immediately after I wondered, I started to say things that weren't from me. I was saying things that I knew very little about, but after I had said it, I knew what I said was right. I don't even remember what I said. All I know is that it wasn't me saying those things. The same can apply to you. I know that if you listen with love, you will know what to say, how to say it, and say it with love.