Husband, Love Your Wife

                Husbands can strengthen their families, communities, and nations by simply and sincerely loving their wives.  When a husband truly loves his wife and shows her by his words and actions that he loves you, her love for him will grow deeper.  For a husband to truly love his wife, he must put her needs above his own.  Numerous apostles and prophets have repeatedly counseled husband to love their wives, and some of their counsel is as follows.  (See “Love Your Wife,” Ensign, January 2014, pp. 31-32.)  

                “It will take faith and humility to put her interests above your own in the struggles of life.  You have the responsibility to provide for and to nurture the family with her while serving others. That can at times consume all the energy and strength you have.  Age and illness may increase your wife’s needs.  If you choose even then to put her happiness above your own, I promise you that your love for her will increase” (President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency).

                “Priesthood offices, keys, callings, and quorums are meant to exalt families.  Priesthood authority has been restored so that families can be sealed eternally.  So brethren, your foremost priesthood duty is to nurture your marriage – to care for, respect, honor, and love your wife. Be a blessing to her and your children….

                “Be considerate and kind in the tender intimacies of your married life.  Let your thoughts and actions inspire confidence and trust.  Let your words be wholesome and your time together be uplifting.  Let nothing in life take priority over your wife – neither work, recreation, nor hobby.

                “… [E]xpressions of love and appreciation do more than acknowledge a kind thought or deed….  As grateful partners look for the good in each other and sincerely pay compliments to one another, wives and husbands will strive to become the persons described in those compliments….

                “… Above all, do not be selfish!  Generate a spirit of selflessness and generosity.  Celebrate and commemorate each day together as a treasured gift from heaven” (Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles).

                “Do you tell our wife often how very much you love her?  It will bring her great happiness.  I’ve heard men tell me when I say that, `Oh, she knows.’  You need to tell her.  A woman grows and is greatly blessed by that reassurance.  Express gratitude for what your spouse does for you.  Express that love and gratitude often” (Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles).

                “One of the great purposes of true love is to help each other….  We can endure almost anything if we have someone at our side who truly loves us, who is easing the burden and lightening the load.

                “… [L]ove is a fragile thing, and some elements in life can try to break it.  Much damage can be done if we are not in tender hands, caring hands.  To give ourselves totally to another person, as we do in marriage, is the most trusting step we take in any human relationship.  It is a real act of faith – faith all of us must be willing to exercise.  If we do it right, we end up sharing everything – all our hopes, all our fears, all our dreams, all our weaknesses, and all our joys – with another person.

                “… True love blooms when we care more about another person than we care about ourselves.  That is Christ’s great atoning example for us, and it ought to be more evident in the kindness we show, the respect we give, and the selflessness and courtesy we employ in our personal relationships” (Elder Jeffrey B. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles).

                “We should remember that saying `I love you’ is only a beginning.  We need to say it, we need to mean it, and most importantly we need consistently to show it.  We need to both express and demonstrate love.

                “Feeling the security and constancy of love from a spouse, a parent, or a child is a rich blessing.  Such love nurtures and sustains faith in God.  Such love is a source of strength and casts our fear (see 1 John 4:18).  Such love is the desire of every human heart” (Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles).

                “We know that the marriage of a man and a woman is necessary for the accomplishment of God’s plan.  Only this marriage will provide the approved setting for mortal birth and to prepare family members for eternal life” (Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles).

                A husband carries the responsibility to love his wife.  If he loves her unselfishly and follows the above counsel given by prophets and apostles, he can strengthen his marriage and his family.  Since the family is the core relationship in our society, he can strengthen his community and his nation by strengthening his marriage and family.