He Is Always With Us!

     I loved watching the videos about the four horsemen of marriage because it helped me to be more aware of the tell-tale signs of strain in relationships. My favorite video was the last one about mending the relationship. It was very touching to see the husband and wife working hard to come to terms with the challenges they were facing. I could tell the husband was trying his hardest to make it up to his wife and that his intentions were sincere. The husband dropped to his knees, broke down all the barriers he had built up, and he completely opened up to his wife. I believe this was the turning point for this couple and when things began to become better.

     As I watched the husband confess his mistakes and ask for his wife's forgiveness, I thought about the words to a Josh Groban song called "You Raise Me Up." My favorite lyrics from the song are as follows: 

When I am down, and oh, my soul so weary;
When troubles come, and my heart burdened be;
Then I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.

     I love these lyrics because I think they describe very well the attitude the Savior has toward us. He is always with us, in the good and bad times. In Alma 7:10, Alma teaches us that Christ suffered so He would be able "take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people". The Atonement allows Christ the one-of-a-kind ability to perfectly understand and empathize with all of God's children, regardless of their circumstances. This also gives Christ a unique role in all marriages: the perfect Counselor. When couples, like the one in the videos, are going through hard times, the Savior is right there to support them and guide them. He is patient and He does not believe any marriage or person is a lost cause.
    Husbands and wives need to rely on each other and the Savior and His Atonement. The Atonement helps them to put off the temptations of the natural man to argue and ridicule and instead forgive and uplift. The world has come to view divorce as an escape for struggling couples and would have them believe that it's better to give up on each other. The Savior is the perfect Counselor because He has provided us with His gospel to help us know what to do to base our marriages on heavenly principles. I am convinced that marriages are more likely to succeed if they rely on the Savior and the Atonement. He is always close by and that's a fact we can always count on!