In the Church, we continually hear messages that stress putting family first, such as David O. McKay's often-quoted "No other success can compensate for failure in the home."
But when so many duties pull us away from home and family, how can we still keep our marriage and relationships strong? Elder Ronald A. Rasband offered some great advice on Facebook:
These days, we all know life can be extremely busy with varied activities. This can take a toll on our marriages and families. I once heard it said this way: “In the Church we are sealed together for time and all eternity. Then we are often separated in life by its demands.”
Communication between husband and wife is so important. Sister Rasband and I spoke about this recently at the Mission Presidents Seminar. Privately sharing responsibilities, feelings, promptings, scriptural insights, and discussing what should be done in your family will help you both.
Another key to being “one” in marriage is appreciating and utilizing what each can contribute to a marriage. Discovering gifts and talents each has developed can even come as a surprise—as was the case while Melanie and I served together when I was called to be a mission president in New York City.
Our daughter was serving her mission at the same time in Detroit, Michigan, and her mission president and his wife were at a Mission Presidents Seminar with us. On a bus ride, they made an offer to take something to our daughter for us. We hadn't planned on that opportunity. But Melanie, because of the meeting for sisters that day, had with her some colored paper and scissors. Amazingly she improvised, and proceeded to cut out freehanded Halloween shapes for us to write notes on, to our daughter.
Where had I been all these years? I had no idea she could do that! I wondered what other things I would yet learn about her. Learning about each other brought us closer together in the Lord’s work. I pray you may have the same experience in your marriage.