Marriage Prep

Memorable Monday Moments
or "This was fun. When's David getting married?"

That quote from Jeff was the entry in our family almanac after a family home evening a year ago. Unfortunately, I can't remember exactly what we did that Monday night! So, if Weston or Jeff can enlighten me, that would be great.

However, I'm pretty sure we discussed the importance of preparing properly for marriage - listing specific things that our teenagers should be doing now. And I'm pretty sure it included sending notes to Weston and/or Megan - probably something like "Why Weston will make a good husband." And I imagine the advice was bordering on ridiculous, and thus the impatience to do the same thing for David.

Since it's been a year, I figure it's time for another "what are you doing to prepare for marriage" family night lesson. Tonight we'll discuss the following October 2008 conference talk by Elder Hamula. He isn't specifically talking about marriage, but as I heard this talk yesterday I was reminded that somewhere out in the world there is a young man preparing to be Michelle's future husband. (There are future daughter-in-laws out there too, but this was a priesthood talk, so that's where my thoughts went.) This is what I would want his parents teaching him, and so I need to do the same!

"Now, you may wonder how to acquire the faith, testimony, and consecration of spirit necessary to overcome the adversary. Let me assure you that these qualities are already within you. You simply need to recover them. To that end, allow me to make three suggestions.

"First, do as young Joseph Smith did. Find a quiet place and pray to your Father in Heaven. Do so regularly and earnestly. Prayer is a precondition to revelation. The more regular and earnest the prayer, The more frequent the revelation. When received, revelation provides the evidence or assurance of things unseen, which is the foundation of faith.

"Second, learn to hear the voice of the Lord. His is a still, small, and whisper-like voice. It is one that is felt more than it is heard. It comes in the form of thoughts, feelings, and impressions. To hear such a voice, you must be still and quiet in your own soul, laying aside your excess laughter and light-mindedness. While it may not seem easy to so discipline your life, hearing the precious, loving voice of the Lord will sustain you in every circumstance and is therefore worth every effort.

"Third, obey the word of the Lord as it is given to you. His word will not only love and comfort but invariably instruct and correct. Do as He bids you to do, no matter how hard it may seem to you, and do it now. It is in doing the will of the Lord that knowledge of Him and love for Him accrue to your soul, which leads you to be ever more willing to lay down your own life and follow Him."

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