¡La Visión!

     I served in the Argentina Buenos Aires North mission from 2011-2013. To say I served in the best mission in the world is obviously a biased statement since every missionary believes his or her own mission is the best. Regardless, I love my mission and I am grateful for the things I learned and experienced while I was there. I learned many important lessons about the gospel and life which helped me to mature, strengthen my faith, and develop a personal relationship with my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. 

     My mission president was very focused on helping us to realize the "why" of missionary work. He often used a quote from President Boyd K. Packer in Preach My Gospel: "True doctrine, understood, changes attitude and behavior". He wanted us to capture "la visión" (the vision) or the why of missionary work so that we could feel a personal desire to teach the gospel because it was a part of who we are. He understood that if we did it because it felt like an obligation or a duty, then we would not be serving with all of our hearts and we would become discouraged. Eventually I got the vision and it changed not only my perspective about my mission, but about my life and the world. I realized that by seeing the whole picture, not just what was right in front of me, my gospel understanding deepened as well as my commitment to serve the Lord.

      "La visión" is also an important factor in marriage. Heavenly Father never meant for marriage to just be a civil contract between a man and a woman; it is SO much more than that! Let me start by sharing a quote I came across from Elder Russell M. Nelson. It is from a BYU commencement address he gave on August 24, 2014 called "Disciples of Jesus Christ-Defenders of Marriage". 

Elder Nelson said "Great partners are completely loyal. They suppress personal ego in exchange for being part of creating something larger than themselves. Great partnerships depend upon each partner developing his or her own personal attributes of character."

    What a great insight! Husbands and wives are more than just two people who are united civilly, live together, and have a family. Heavenly Father intends for families to be more than temporary; in fact, He intends for them to last forever! Heavenly Father has a "visión" of His own: "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). This is what Elder Nelson meant by having couples work together to create something larger than themselves. Husbands and wives have the responsibility to work together to help each other become better than they were the day before. They are working to make Heavenly Father's "visión" become reality. As they focus on helping each other to improve and focus on helping each other to gain eternal life. Heavenly Father wants marriage to be more than a civil union...He wants it to be the means for us to experience a piece of heaven on Earth! 

     None of us our perfect, but at least we try our best! The "visión" of marriage is that is it becomes heaven on earth for couples and their families. I know it's possible for this "visión" to become reality for our families! By studying the gospel and applying its principles in our personal lives and with our family members, I know we can all begin to see Heavenly Father's "visión" of marriage! I'd like to leave you with an invitation to learn more about Heavenly Father's "visión". When you get the chance, read Doctrine and Covenants 138. It's a great section that explains why celestial marriage is important and what are the blessings that it can bring us! Hope you enjoy it!

Marriage is a Three-Legged Race

     I am currently taking more than one class this semester and in my Family Relations class, we were discussing social trends, specifically about divorce. As I read the material for the discussion, I came across a quote from Elder Dallin H. Oaks and I instantly loved it! It's from the May 2007 Ensign and it's called "Divorce." Elder Oaks taught us that "A good marriage does not require a perfect man or perfect woman. It only requires a man and a woman committed to strive together toward perfection." I loved this quote because it helped to better understand how the gospel strengthens families, especially husbands and wives. The restored gospel makes it so couples stand on even ground; they each have responsibilities, but they are equally important. It also helps them because the gospel helps both husband and wife to have common goals for themselves and the family, specifically the goal to gain eternal life. With this common goal in sight, husband and wife can walk together side-by-side in the direction they need to go to enter the celestial kingdom. 

      Imagine a husband and wife are going to compete in a three-legged race. They stand at the starting line together and a race official comes up to them with a rope and ties one leg from each person together in between them. Now, the couple will work as a single unit to compete in the race with the goal of crossing the finish line. An important rule to keep in mind about a three-legged race is that both team members need to work together and walk in equal strides; one cannot lead and drag the other behind. If one races ahead of the other, then both are doomed to lose the race. 

       The gospel of Jesus Christ is the rope that binds the couples together. It makes it so both the husband and wife are valued members of the team. They work together as equals, putting their trust in each others' support and strength, to take each step during the race and to make it to the finish line. If there is competition between them to try and prove who is best, then they are going to lose the race. The purpose of the three-legged race is for BOTH team members to be victorious; the same goes for the gospel. Husbands and wives are not racing each other to see who gets exalted first; our Heavenly Father's plan is for them to function as a team to make it back to Him at the same time. 

        I am grateful that the gospel makes it possible for husbands and wives to find common ground, common goals, and a common vision for the future. I know that by working with our spouses, instead of competing against them, then not only will it be easier for us to make it to the finish line that is the celestial kingdom, but we will really enjoy the race that is life and our spouses' company along the way. The purpose of life is to teach us how to become more perfect like Heavenly Father and His Son and we are sure to become more like Them if we rely on the support of our three-legged race partners: our spouses!