The Intimate Side of Marriage

In the last couple of lessons in my family college class, we've been discussing important marital topics like how to become the best spouse and then how to continue that throughout marriage. Many people believe that once a couple gets married, then they don't have to try as hard because that's the highest ordinance we can perform on earth. But this is extremely untrue. If we want our marriages to last FOREVER, then it is even more important to work even harder after the wedding ceremony. This is probably cheesy, but there's a quote I found on Pinterest that I love and try to remember everyday:

Now obviously, this is true for both spouses because marriage is a team effort and requires commitment from both people. Before marriage, we should be spending our time and focusing our decisions on becoming the kind of spouse we want to marry. And after the wedding, we should continue to spend our time and focus our decisions on making our spouse happy and bringing each other closer to Christ. Marriage is a time to grow, not only individually, but as a couple united in a common goal of eternal happiness with our families.

One way to grow closer to our spouses--as well as to Christ--is through physical intimacy. I know that might sound weird, but when seen through a spiritual perspective it can be a powerful tool of happiness. A misconception that I want to address is the idea that physical intimacy within marriage only means sexual intercourse. If that were true, then I'm sure there would be a lot more couples unsatisfied with their marriages. Physical intimacy is a way for couples to literally become one flesh, as well as an outward expression and gesture of their love and affection for each other. Intimacy can mean kind, thoughtful words, a sincere hug, a passionate kiss, holding hands, sitting close to each other, loving looks and so forth. As a couple puts in honest effort to make physical intimacy a daily part of their marriage, they realize the true joy that comes from putting their spouse's needs first and start to grasp the unconditional love that our Heavenly Father and his Son have for each of us. These two realizations are keys to a happy and successful marriage. When used for the sacred and special purposes God intended between a man and a woman lawfully wedded, physical intimacy brings about greater blessings and happiness than we could have ever imagined. People who understand this concept recognize that physical intimacy is thus a capstone, not a foundation, for marital relationships. It becomes the delicious cream cheese frosting to a moist chocolate cake. Doesn't that sound wonderful?

So for the rest of this blog post, I just want to share some quotes about marriage that have touched me and continue to inspire me to be the best wife I can be for Jordan. Maybe one of them will stick out to you and renew that spark of love or add a touch of positive encouragement in an otherwise negative world. Enjoy!