The Doctrine of Marriage

So my husband and I got to a marriage seminar once a month. This month we had a guest speaker, Doug Brinley, coauthor of "Between Husband and Wife" (a great read about intimacy by the way). We really enjoyed what he talked about, but I especially loved this part: He starts by giving the quote by President Packer, "True doctrine understood, will change behavior [more quickly] than will the study of behavior (psychology) change behavior." (Ensign May 2004,77) Then he tells us that if we understood the true doctrine of marriage then it would improve our marriages. The rest of the night he spent sharing some doctrines of marriage. 1. Our primary reason for coming to earth is to marry and have children (D&C 49:15-17). Which is one reason that Satan tries so hard to destroy the family. 2. We learn how to be a husband or a wife from our spouse and we learn how to be parents from our children. 3. A child is an adult spirit in a newly born body, a body capable of growing and maturing according to the providences of Him whose spirit children we all are. Children are the sons and daughters of God. They lived and dwelt with him for ages and eons before their mortal birth. They are adults before birth; they are adults at death. Christ himself, the Firstborn of the Father, rose to a state of glory and exaltation before he was ever suckled at Mary’s breast.(Bruce R. McConkie, Ensign, April 1977,3) 4.Our spirits are immortal becaus our spirits are the offspring of immortal parents. 5. Our highest aspiration is to be like our Heavenly Father (Elder Oaks, Ensign, May 1995, 84) 6. The best and most important way to stay together is to pray together as a couple every morning and night...family prayer does not count as couple prayer. There were 2 reasons for this: 1 - Prayer is a window into the soul of your spouse and 2 - You can't be mad at someone you pray for. I really enjoyed this seminar!!! And I hope that for me understanding the doctrine of marriage will improve my marriage. Brother Brinley mentioned that he is currently writing a book about marriage doctrines, called Doctrinal Therapy.