Members of the Kingston Jamaica Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered in a two-day semi-annual conference at their Spanish Town Meetinghouse in St. Catherine on the weekend of December 8-9, 2018.
As part of the conference, Patrick Medley, one of the leaders of the stake, which is a geographical unit of the church that consists of several smaller units, gave a powerful address on leadership in a marriage.
Quoting from different Church leaders, Medley counseled attendees at the conference that, “In God’s plan of happiness, we are not so much looking for someone perfect but for a person with whom, throughout a lifetime, we can join efforts to create a loving, lasting, and more perfect relationship. That is the goal.”
A fundamental teaching in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that families are central to God’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.
To this end, Medley spoke about the balance of power in marital relationships, sharing such thoughts as, “healthy marriages consist of an equal partnership between a husband and a wife. Many marital problems have as their root cause an unequal relationship or struggles over who has control in the relationship”, and, “joint decision making, sharing marital powers, perceptions of both self and partner doing a fair share of family work, and a feeling of equity appear to be positively related to marital and relationship satisfaction.”
He quoted Elder Lee Tom Perry, a previous member of the Church’s Council of the Twelve Apostles, when he said to husbands:
“Remember, brethren, that in your role as leader in the family, your wife is your companion. As President Gordon B. Hinckley has taught: “In this church the man neither walks ahead of his wife nor behind his wife but at her side. They are coequals.” Since the beginning, God has instructed mankind that marriage should unite husband and wife together in unity. Therefore, there is not a president or a vice president in a family. The couple works together eternally for the good of the family. They are united together in word, in deed, and in action as they lead, guide, and direct their family unit. They are on equal footing.”This emphasis on equality in marriage, he emphasized, was not a new thing but an eternal principle that is a strong determinant in successful marriages and families.
This emphasis on equality in marriage, he emphasized, was not a new thing but an eternal principle that is a strong determinant in successful marriages and families.