Marital Sexuality and Fertility

A few days ago, someone I know asked me: 

So, how further can we go as spouses in marital intimacy? 

What is appropiate and what is not in a "Covenant  Marriage Relationship"?

I have heard this same question  several times in many single young adults, and a lot of wives talks.
 

The marriage relationship is a sacred, private experience that binds couples together emotionally.
President Spencer W. Kimball said, “There will come a great love and interdependence between you, for your love is a divine one.”

Intimacy within marriage is a total companionship, a union that is “good and honorable in the eyes of God,” as Howard W. Hunter said: There should be no selfishness, only tenderness, respect and sensitivity with each other.

In this way there will develop a strong cord of love and friendship that can endure any trials, sickness or disappointment. This is the kind of love that never tires or wanes, made more beautiful through the expression of intimacy. 

President Kimball adds that this kind of love is one of sacrifice, purity and faith. Without these attributes, the marriage relationship shifts from deep, abiding love to lust.

Before we were in this Earth we longed for the experiences a mortal body could bring.
The "sexual intimacy" is part of the blessings and experiences we were waiting. 

Many people feel uncomfortable talking about this topic, much of our rejection or dislike in this topic has to do with the way we were raised. 

We have been given the opportunity to express our love in this way, to bring emotional and physical closeness, to experience pleasure an joy. 

"Sexual relations are designed to lift a marriage relationship from the profane and mundane to a higher plane.
 
The pleasure of physical intimacy should motivate a couple to treat each other with increasing kindness and consideration. Indeed, the feelings of love and caring generated through sexual union normally carry over into their nonsexual relationship as well."

The following video describes how the world views sex as selfish and narcissistic. 

Sexual relations should be enjoyed in a healthy marriage relationship. 

People don't just need to enter marriage pure; they need to enter prepared.

REFERENCES:

Lamb & Brinley, 2000. Between Husband and Wife, Gospel Perspectives on Marital Intimacy.

Hawkins, Dollahite, Draper, 2012. Succesful Marriage and Families.

FAITH IN FAMILY LIFE

I find very interesting the connection between successful families and their faith. Nowadays many people easily give up on their goals, marriage is not an exception.

Why is it that religious families tend to be more prepared and don´t give in to temptations, fights, as easily as non religious ones?

I have also noticed that it is more likely for a parent to work more on the relationship he has with his children.

I have come to the conclusion that the more you get close to God, and try to obey his word and keep His commandments, the more happy and unified the family is.

I am thinking on a mother, whose life is busy (like the majority of mother´s life is), that perhaps has a part time job and she strives to do a good part in her role. She has a clean house, and she prays every morning and asks for guidance. She loves her children and is willing to sacrifice hours of sleep or of social time to be with her kids.
I am thinking of a father, who wakes up very early and starts his day by kissing his wife and giving her a big smile and a "good morning sweetheart", I see him getting out of bed and going on his knees to thank for his family. Taking the children to school and giving his best at work.
I see children in a house, where uplifting music is played during the day. Where they help with the house chores. Children who love their siblings and are willing to serve each other.

For some this might sound like an utopia, but it´s not.

I believe that we all deserve to live a perfect story. I don´t mean with this that there won´t be problems; I think all children have "accidents", all parents struggle at some point, in some things. We all have challenges but the key to succeed is FAITH.

"When you believe in God... yes, the boat still gets to rockin´ but [God] says. ´In me you can weather the storm" (Marks et al., 2008 p.179) Social science evidence suggests that shared faith appears to be a principle upon which "successful marriages and families are established and maintained", even during the storm.

Building a Family of Faith

Faith in our family begins with trusting our Heavenly Father and His promises. We press forward despite challenges, never giving up on ourselves or our children. We teach our family to have faith in Christ by living what we know to be true. Our children learn their most powerful lessons from our faithfulness.

(For more information about this please go to: http://www.lds.org/family/faith?lang=eng)

I want to share the following interview, Elder and Sister Cook talk about raising their children and forging a strong marriage and family through hard work and faith in the Lord. This couple summarizes with their example the importance and the evidence that it is possible to succeed if we exercise our Faith.

References

Marks, L. D., Hopkins, K., Chaney, C., Monroe, P.A., Nesteruk, O., &Sasser, D. (2008). "Together we are strong": A qualitative study of happy, enduring Adrican American marriages. Family Relations, 57, 172-184.