The Evolution of Marriage

When you belong to a religion in which Eternal Progression is a core belief one thing is certain, you will absolutely change and evolve and grow over time. As you change and grow, your relationships also transform.

In order to ensure your relationship is one worthy of Celestial glory, you have to make sure your growth brings you closer together and doesn't pull you apart.

Brad and Debi Wilcox suggest you invest your efforts in four different areas of your relationship:

Intellectual

Read a book together. Discuss your beliefs, politics, ideas, family, and new experiences. Take time to connect and share with each other the things you've accomplished during your day.

You experience something new every single day. Months or years of new experiences and thoughts added up are what contribute to your growth and evolution as a person. When you don't share those things with your partner, you could end up waking up one morning feeling like you're married to a stranger.

Emotional and Social

Research shows that the happiest and most fulfilling marriages are based on a core foundation of friendship. Without emotional or social connection, your friendship will fade. You'll develop a relationship more like a business partnership than a deeply-connected, fulfilling, inspiring marriage.

Developing an emotional connection requires you to share your feelings, forgive one another, experience new things, and do more for your date night than go grocery shopping. It requires daily connection, laughter, hugs, and kisses.

Sometimes developing emotionally can be painful and uncomfortable, but growth often is. Make sure to lean into the challenge, otherwise you'll stunt your growth and impede your eternal progression.

Spiritual

Your spiritual growth means you're both investing in your relationship with God. This is always reflected in the actions you take that demonstrate your faith. Daily prayer, scripture study, church attendance, service, forgiveness... as you grow spiritually and live a life of goodness, there will be no space for the evils of the world to creep in.

Physical and Sexual

Your sexual relationship is key to supporting and strengthening the other three pillars. A thriving sexual relationship will act as a spiritual, physical and emotional catalyst. It will enhance all other aspects of your marriage.

Learn to have regular conversations about your needs, desires, thoughts, and feelings. If you can learn to communicate about everything in your relationship - including your physical relationship - when things are going well, it will make it so much easier to talk about things when they aren't perfect.