Marriage and Eternal Progression

I picture the setup of eternal progression in the afterlife to be one where God gives us as much room to grow as we want. And when a person decides that they are not willing to sacrifice any more of their time to serve then that is where their progression essentially stops. That is where they have found their most "happiness" in balancing their own desires vs God's desires. Of course eternity is a long time so they could decide to continue on at any later time, but I think everyone will find their own level of equilibrium. So essentially, those who have developed to be the most Christlike (meaning they find the most joy in serving others) will continue to progress the most. When I have contemplated that idea I have wondered where my own laziness and selfishness will balance against my desire to serve. The thought occurred to me that God puts us in eternal companionships with our spouse precisely because we will continue to help each other to grow and progress beyond what our individual limitations would normally allow. When I think about Jen and I working together through the eternities I realize that with her I will be able to get much farther than I would just by myself. When I came to that realization I felt the Spirit really strongly. Although my understanding of the afterlife is very rudimentary, I believe that my insight is true. One reason God setup eternal marriages is so that we can help each other progress - we are able to overcome our weaknesses together by strengthening, encouraging, and supporting each other. Source: My brain

God's Love is Stronger than Your Weaknesses

Ann Voskamp, a Christian writer, wrote

You never have to overcome your brokenness to claim God's love. His love has already overcome your brokenness and claimed you.

We never need to feel unworthy to approach God or to feel His love. God already knows us and our weaknesses and still loves us. In fact it is His love which allows us to overcome those weaknesses and become more like Him.

Source: Follow Him podcast January 17 – January 23

Familiarity Breeds Love

Leonardo da Vinci said:

Knowledge of a thing engenders love of it; the more perfect the knowledge, the more fervent the love.

If we want to truly love the scriptures, we must spend time studying them. If we want to truly love God, we must come to know Him. Similarly, God loves us so much because He knows us so well.

On the other hand, if we spend our time focusing on things other than God, it is our love for those things that will grow instead of our love for God.

Source: Gaye Strathearn, Associate Dean, BYU Religious Education