12/28/08 TFOT Lesson - Celestial Marriage

Today's lesson was led by Tony Pullen and focused on the most recent general conference talk given by Elder Nelson entitled "Celestial Marriage".
Tony began with a quote from the talk that emphasized the point that salvation is an individual matter whereas exaltation is a family matter. The discussion then turned to how husbands can be more selfless in marriage, spending more time filling the needs of their spouse over satisfying their own needs & wants.

Some noteworthy comments in the discussion:

• Pres. Low quoted his brother as saying that marriage is the one thing abrasive enough to refine us!
• Elder Christensen referenced a 25+ year old Ensign article written by a woman who described the remarkable change in her once troubled marriage after she started concentrating her efforts on being a more "perfect wife" rather than on despairing over her many disappointments brought on by her husband.
  
• Elder Christensen also commented that a century ago there were very real fruits that a woman could see from her labors around the house/farm at the end of the day. However, in today's world many of these tangible accomplishments of a homemaker have been stripped away, or hollowed out, through technology and outsourcing. Thus, the sense of accomplishment, of achieving goals, of fulfilling ambitions is made much more difficult for women working at home. Husbands therefore need to be especially sensitive to these unfulfilled needs and provide support to their wives' pursuits both in and out of the home.
• Bro. Porter reminded us that if our Heavenly Father's work and glory is the eternal life of His children (Moses 1:39), then our most important work is the teaching and nurturing of our family (and could that not be extended to our brothers & sisters outside the four walls of our home?). Within the home, this nurturing is the responsibility of both parents. Fathers should make this a joint effort with mothers, not an occasional effort.
  
• Bro. Dionne suggested that husbands put themselves in their wives' place for an entire weekend, week, or even month if possible. He said that this experience helps one better see AND understand what one's spouse is doing in her role as mother.

Here's a link to Elder Nelson's talk.