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Quotes on HopeIn an earlier article I talked about the definition of hope, the importance of hope, and how to generate hope (see: https://www.ldsdimension.com/articles/having-hope-337/). In this article I am going to give several quotes from general authorities on hope to further support these previous ideas. Hope is essential. Please work to generate as much hope as reasonably possible. Remember the following scripture: And if you have not faith, hope, and charity, you can do nothing. (Doctrine & Covenants
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OptimismOptimism is defined as follows (according to Google): hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something. So, how can you be optimistic about your present and future with relationships and marriage, as well as life in general? And why would that be a helpful and important thing to do? That will be the focus of this article. First, being optimistic in your relationship approach is important because that will be the most effective approach possible. The more
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Being the Initiator?President Dallin H. Oaks recently gave a worldwide devotional to single adults with a number of suggestions and recommendations. In this address in May, 2023, he states the following: “Men, if you have returned from your mission and you are still following the boy-girl patterns you were counseled to follow when you were 15, it is time for you to grow up. Gather your courage and look for someone to pair off with. Start with a variety of dates with a variety of young women, and when that phase
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Being Healthy and BalancedTo be healthy is to have all of the main areas of your life fulfilled and your main needs addressed. When we are unhealthy, lacking, or unbalanced in some way, our insides will remind us through unpleasant emotions such as depression, anxiety, or guilt, sometimes anger and resentment as well. Some of these emotions can simply come as temptations or disturbances from Satan. However, beyond temptation, such emotions can often be thought of as “action indicators”—indications that an area of life
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Signs of the TimesOur church name is “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints”. What does “Latter-Days” mean? It means we live in the latter days close to and leading up to the second coming of Jesus Christ and beginning of the Millenium. The second coming and the days leading up to it have been referred to as both “great and dreadful”. Some rough times will indeed exist from here on out. In this article I will review a number of latter-day “signs of the times”, along with some implications of these
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Selfishness in RelationshipsSelfishness is a large problem today in relationships and marriages, both in and out of the church. We live in a selfish, me-me-me, immediate gratification society. This selfishness is promoted in all segments of society today, including: TV, movies, social media, and many other parts of the internet. In this article, I am going to give several general authority quotes that clarify how selfishness and narcissism need to be lessened, while empathy, consideration, and giving are needed instead to
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Having BoundariesI have heard it said before that in relationships, we train the other person how we are to be treated. That is at least partly true. Beyond what we tolerate or accept, how we are treated also relates to the other person’s personality and habits. But yes, what we tolerate has a definite role in how the other person treats us. We are regularly told by general authorities to treat our spouses with kindness, love, and consideration. That is a good rule of thumb and a default position. However, what
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Living “Not of the World”Today, it is true that relationships between men and women, relationships, and marriages are strained. Divorce rates are high, gender conflict is common, political division is extreme, and other challenges and stresses abound. All of this was predicted in the scriptures. We read in the New Testament Paul saying the following, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in
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Thinking CelestialIn the most recent general conference in October, 2023, President Russell M. Nelson talked about the idea of “thinking Celestial”. Accordingly, here is a quote from that talk that gives the essence of the message: Here is the great news of God’s plan: the very things that will make your mortal life the best it can be are exactly the same things that will make your life throughout all eternity the best it can be! Today, to assist you to qualify for the rich blessings Heavenly Father has for
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Having EmpathyIf a relationship and subsequent marriage is to not only survive but to thrive, an essential element is empathy. According to Google, “empathy” is defined as “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another”. Also, “Empathy is generally described as the ability to take on another's perspective, to understand, feel and possibly share and respond to their experience.” In other words, a person showing empathy to another person is to be able to put themselves in their shoes. To
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President Nelson QuotesAn early Church leader, John A. Widtsoe said, “The most important prophet in any age is the living prophet. … To follow the living prophet, the interpreter of the past, is the essence of wisdom. The very strength of the Church lies in the doctrine of continuous revelation through a living prophet”. For us today, right now, that man is President Russell M. Nelson. Since he became the President of the Church and the main prophet, seer, and revelator from January 2018 to now, he has shared many
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Being Optimistic vs PessimisticIn today’s dating and relationship world, it is very understandable why someone would choose to be more cynical, negative, and discouraged instead of optimistic, positive, and hopeful. However, it’s up to you which of these options will be your primary approach to the opposite sex and relationships. According to Google, being optimistic is defined as being “hopeful and confident about the future”; with optimists “…seeing the positive side of things. They expect things to turn out well. They
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Dating Members vs. Non-MembersIn today’s dating climate as single members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, there are many challenges. One common challenge is a sparce population of fellow single members to date, especially when living outside of Utah, Idaho, and Arizona (or the Western US in general). Other challenges include negative experiences with previous members in dating and relationships. Finally, some feel their local member dating pool has been poisoned after others have heard negative things
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Latter Day IssuesThere are certain challenges that come with being a single member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Remember that “Latter Day” means our present day, basically from the period of the restoration of the gospel in 1830 until the second coming of Jesus Christ that includes today. In this article I will review a few scriptures describing some of the challenges and signs of the times, along with some implications these scriptures have to single members particularly. Signs of the
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Ready to Date Again—Or Not?One common challenge of being single again after a divorce or dating breakup is the challenge to decide when you will be ready to date again. There are many opinions on the subject. Some people will say that you should wait at least a year before dating. Others will say, take the total time you were in your relationship with the last person, divide that number in half, and that is how long you should wait until you get into another new relationship. The truth…depends. There is no one size fits
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Making EffortIn older Disney movies, especially Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella, there was an interesting theme. In all these movies, a handsome prince appears and rescues/fixes/saves the woman away from the conflicts she was dealing with. Whisking her away on his white horse into the sunset to live happily ever after. The problem with that idea is that although it can make for an enjoyable fantasy, it usually doesn’t work that way in real life. Usually when singles are looking for someone
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