The remedy for most marital stress is not in divorce. It is in repentance and forgiveness, in sincere expressions of charity and service. It is not in separation. It is in simple integrity that leads a man and a woman to square up their shoulders and meet their obligations. It is found in the Golden Rule, a time-honored principle that should first and foremost find expression in marriage.
Interpretation
Marital stress can often be resolved through repentance, forgiveness, and commitment to one another rather than resorting to divorce.
In this quote, Gordon B. Hinckley emphasizes that the key to addressing marital stress lies not in abandoning the relationship but in practicing forgiveness, charity, and fulfilling obligations to one another. He advocates for integrity and adherence to the Golden Rule as essential principles that foster a strong and healthy marriage, suggesting that true commitment and mutual respect are what sustain relationships through difficult times.
In practice
This quote can be shared during a marriage counseling session to emphasize the importance of forgiveness.
You can be excellent in every way. You can be first class. There is no need for you to be a scrub. Respect yourself. Do not feel sorry for yourself. Do not dwell on unkind things others may say about you. Polish and refine whatever talents the Lord has given you. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life and look for its opportunities.
There cannot be peace where there is not trust; there cannot be freedom where there is not loyalty
I have seen miracles in my time, my brothers and sisters. The greatest miracle of all, I believe, is the transformation that comes into the life of a man or a woman who accepts the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and tries to live it in his or her life.
People who carry in their hearts a strong conviction concerning the living reality of the Almighty and their accountability to Him for what they do with their lives are far less likely to become enmeshed in problems that inevitably weaken society.
Don’t be gloomy. Do not dwell on unkind things. Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. Even if you are not happy, put a smile on your face. ‘Accentuate the positive.’ Look a little deeper for the good. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life.
There is no substitute for virtue. Keep your thoughts virtuous. Rise above the filth that's all around you in this world and stand tall in strength and virtue. You can do this and you will be happier for it for as long as you live. God bless you in cherishing, developing and holding on to this great gift, the quality of personal virtue.
Empathy is not simply a matter of trying to imagine what others are going through, but having the will to muster enough courage to do something about it. In a way, empathy is predicated upon hope.
Marriage is a lot like the army, everyone complains, but you'd be surprise at the large number that re-enlist.
A huge part of what animates homophobia among young people is paranoia and fear of their own capacity to be gay themselves.
Marriage, sanctified by the bond of fidelity, is the nearest life gets to a work of art.
So what I say about Tracy is this: Tracy's big challenge is not having a Parkinson's patient for a husband. It's having me for a husband. I happen to be a Parkinson's patient.
Forgiveness flounders because I exclude the enemy from the community of humans and myself from the community of sinners.
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