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.

Lasting Marriages

Because I am in a companionship with another person 24/7, there are some portions to marriage that I can understand and relate to. There are going to be hard times. Anybody that tells you otherwise is foolish. Like the end of that video clip stated, "Patience - use it before you lose it." It is an answer that you never, ever, EVER, want to hear, but it's better than suffering. Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated, "I strongly urge you and those who advise you to face up to the reality that for most marriage problems, the remedy is not divorce but repentance. Often the cause is not incompatibility but selfishness. The first step is not separation but reformation. Divorce is not an all-purpose solution, and it often creates long-term heartache." (See His Talk Here) I have a strong testimony that is only growing stronger on the need for patience in any and all relationships. I know these values are needed in our society because without them, misery is inevitable, and anger will triumph over joy.