Drawing Heaven into Your Marriage by H. Wallace Goddard (week 5)

          The introduction to his book sets the stage for understanding the book Drawing Heaven into Your Marriage.  Goddard shares that most marriage counseling is about learning to share faults in a constructive way but according to the author there is a better way.  He shares that applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the key to all relationships.  “When we are reconciled to God, we are reconciled to each other.”  We need to be a God-seeking person and to put off the natural man as we work out our relationships with our spouses.  When we work toward being Godly we are more likely to process any problems in a more helpful way.  Goddard shares the scripture Mosiah 3:19 with emphasis added.  “God offers just one single escape clause from our desperate mortal, fallen situation: "For the natural [spouse] is an enemy to God [and his or her partner], and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless [Here comes the escape clause!] he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord”.
          The entire book uses gospel principles that will help to draw heaven into our marriages as the title of the book claims.  The book helps those in a marriage relationship to take us from being self-serving and self-centered to one that is focused on godliness. 
            Elder Joseph P. Wirthlin in 2007 General Conference said, “Do you love the Lord?  Spend time with Him. Meditate on His words. Take His yoke upon you. Seek to understand and obey, because “this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” When we love the Lord, obedience ceases to be a burden. Obedience becomes a delight. When we love the Lord, we seek less for things that benefit us and turn our hearts toward things that will bless and uplift others.”
          Oftentimes in relationships we let pride get in our way and we know we are always right which means your spouse is always wrong.  Las Vegas odds makers will tell you that one person can not be right 100% of the time.  We need to be humble and put off the natural man and rely on Heavenly Father as we deal with our relationships.  We need to remember to treat our spouse as we want to be treated.  We need to love as we want to be loved.

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