300: "Putteth off the natural man"

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." Mosiah 3:19

So this week, we studied one of my least favorite attributes a person can have. Yet, amazingly, this is an attribute that we ALL have. There is a talk titled "Agency and Anger" by Elder Lynn G. Robbins, and although anger is the attribute that I don't handle well in other people, this talk gave me a lot to think about. It not only made me think of how anger from someone else affects us, but more so it helped me realize that anger is linked perfectly with agency. Anger is a choice. For some, it is far more difficult to NOT choose anger, whereas other people find it easier to not get riled up and hot-headed.

I chose the verse in Mosiah, because anger is part of the "natural man" deep inside us. We are carnal creatures, but as we progress and yield to enticings of the Spirit, we are able to put the carnal, sensual, imperfect traits of ours behind us. Sure, they can come creeping up on us pretty quick, but in the end, we always have a choice. And sometimes, the choice may simply be a matter of respect. Why might I say that? Let me give an example...

Your boss at work does something to you that absolutely drives you nuts and frustrates you. Regardless, you probably aren't going to go storm into his office, toss around a few accusations and mean words. Now if you were at home and your husband/wife did the exact same thing as your boss had done to you, you would be more likely to let those angry colors show in one way or another. In either situation, though, there is always a higher road. You shouldn't just ignore it, nor should you go on a rant rage. We should respond with grace by discussing the problem calmly with both your boss and your spouse.

Now when it came to textbook readings, this week we focused mainly on problems/issues within a marriage. Every marriage is different, and each person is an individual who brings to the table funny quirks or strange habits. Sometimes this can cause friction between the couple! What we need to realize is that there are two types of problems: resolvable and perpetual. Problems that can be solved require GOOD communication. Using soft start-ups, repair attempts, compromise, and tolerance of another's imperfections.

The second type of problem is a little more complicated, but at the same time, it really isn't. It simply requires patience. These are problems that simply can't be solved. At times is can be difficult to tell the difference, but to make it somewhat simple without ranting on and on forever, solvable problems are often situational. It occurs only at specific times, such as one spouse speeding, and the other not liking it. Supposedly the spouse has to speed, because the other one takes so long getting ready in the morning. Yet the other one takes so long getting ready in the morning, because the spouse doesn't put their dishes away after breakfast...Yada yada yada. So this may require time for GOOD communication, tolerance, and COMPROMISE.

Perpetual problems are usually ones that are just part of who we are. This may refer to those quirks and strange habits each person has. With perpetual problems, it will always help to see these quirks in lighter sense with some humor. Don't let it become a cause of friction if it doesn't have to be. Sometimes you're just going to have to live with the fact that your spouse is one who needs that closeness and physical affection, whereas you are one who is not that way. Be patient. Make compromises. Love them despite the little, annoying things. Find humor and love in the quirk. :)