President Ezra Taft Benson taught, “We covenant to live the law of consecration. This law is that we consecrate our time, talents, strength, property, and money for the upbuilding of the kingdom of God on this earth and the establishment of Zion.” In his book, “Drawing Heaven into Your Marriage,” H. Wallace Goddard, PhD, states, “The ultimate joy is to surrender completely to God. We turn everything over to Him and life gets inexpressibly good.” In our marriages, we must practice consecration. Goddard states that, “...ultimate sacrifice qualifies us for the ultimate reward. That ultimate reward is described in D&C 132:19, “thrones, kingdom, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths.” We will inherit all that our Father in Heaven has. As we practice the law of consecration in our marriages, we will “establish Zion in our homes.” (Goddard)

H. Wallace Goddard, PhD, also states that, “Consecration in marriage is not simply about receiving our entrance card to the Celestial Kingdom. It’s also about becoming qualified for the life we will presumably be living there, which requires a transformation of character.” We become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ, as we learn to put forth all our efforts into our marriages. As we put away the natural man and put our spouse’s needs above our own.

Too often, we feel that we aren’t being treated the way we’d like or aren’t getting what we want out of a situation. I know that any time my husband and I are in a disagreement, I tend to focus too much on why I am right and why he is wrong. When I am able to take a step back and realize the selfishness in my thoughts and actions, I am able to see both sides of the situation and better understand what he is feeling. It is then that I am able to use the right words to apologize and work things out with him. It is essential, in a marriage, to give all to help the marriage grow and develop. We cannot be constantly worrying about what’s in it for us, but lose ourselves in the service and love of our spouses. Our Heavenly Father will help us in this endeavor and He will also bless us as we strive to be Christ-like in our marriages. He will bless and strengthen our marriages as we focus our love, our time, and our talents on our spouses and marriages.