Last night we had a rehearsal at The Mountain Winery in Saratoga for a wedding that Brent, officially as "the Bishop", is performing at the same location tonight. Brent had me proof the advice he’ll give to the bride and groom before the ceremony. Brent’s comments were short and sweet (imagine that!) and centered around direction from the Family Proclamation issued by the First Presidency in 1995.
Quoting from the text, it reads: “...happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.”
As I consider couples whose marriages appear healthy, I can see these principles at work. The principles may sound trite but quite honestly, if put in practice, they’re not just platitudes, they really work.
As a Bishop, Brent is big on giving the Family Proclamation to couples as a recipe for success, with the nine principles (faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work and recreation) working as ingredients.
Sometimes simple advice, while tried and true, is still the best. Most marriages I know that have floundered (or flopped) can often be tied back to these basic (but important) principles. Weddings are a good reminder that no matter how long I’ve been married, there’s always room for improvement and growth.
