Bruner Bunch

The keys to a good Marriage!

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

It's the small things!

D&C 64:33 – Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.

There is one covenant that is necessary to enter into the Celestial kingdom and that is Eternal Marriage. So with that in mind and taking in the above scripture there really is nothing more important then laying the foundation to an amazing marriage.


(My son and Daughter-inlaw)

The groundwork needs to be set for anything that is going to last. There are steps that need to be taken in laying any type of foundation. Some small and some big. It is the small things that can make a foundation crumble. So it is very important to find those little things and work on them.


One of the small things that can be done is Dr. Gottman’s idea of turning toward one another. I read the story about the lady who went on the week river trip with her husband and got bitten by bugs. My response was she is crazy. I think that we do need to turn towards our spouses but we also need to know our limits. If I had been that lady I would have been miserable and complained the whole time and then resented my husband for making me do that. In return my husband would never have asked me to do that. There are things that I love to do and things that my husband loves to do but that does not mean they are the same thing. We have decided that there is a time for us to do our own thing. However the rest of the time we are always finding things that we can do together and more important finding ways to serve each other.

Girls Camp something I love to do that my husband lets me have.


Monday, May 16, 2016

Teaching our Children about Eternal Marriage!




“We have been counseled strongly by the First Presidency to devote our best efforts to the strengthening of marriage and the home. Such instruction has never been more needed in the world than it is today, as the sanctity of marriage is attacked and the importance of the home is undermined.”

I just finished a sociology class where we learned statistics on marriage. I was shocked at how little marriage was important to the upcoming generation. The study then went on to explain how the outcome of those who cohabitate were not very good. The chance of divorce raises and the chance of children born out of wedlock also rises. These two things go directly against what the First Presidency is counseling us.


“As men and women, as husbands and wives, and as Church leaders, one of our paramount responsibilities is to help young men and women learn about and prepare for righteous marriage through our personal example.”

We are in charge of making sure that we teach our children and those young men and woman that we might have steward over the importance of marriage. Not only do we need to teach them the importance of marriage but also how to achieve that.

Elder Bruce C. Hafen said in his conference talk “Covenant Marriage”, “Contract companions each give 50 percent; covenant companions each give 100 percent.”



This is a good place to start with what we need to teach our children. In a contract each person is to give 50% but a temple marriage is a covenant. This is a promise that we have made with God and our spouse and requires all of those involved to give 100%. This is the only way to be successful.

Elder Hafen then goes on to explain that there are three “wolves” that are attacking marriage.

1.        Adversity
Adversity is an easy one for Satan to use. When there are problems put in the way of married couples the way that they handle them will depend on how effective this wolf would be. Communicating with each other effectively and on a daily basis with the help of prayer is a way to stop the effects of adversity.

2.        Personal Imperfections

If one focuses on their own personal imperfections and do their best to over come them, then they can become strengths. However on the flip side if a spouse is focusing on the personal imperfections of their spouse it will allow the wolf in. Which will cause strife.

3. Excessive Individualism

Once an individual becomes married they can no longer just think about themselves. They need to put God first and their spouse second and themselves third. This does not mean that they need to loose themselves as an individual but they need to put others first.


The natures of male and female spirits complete and perfect each other, and therefore men and women are intended to progress together toward exaltation.






Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Standing Up for the Family!!



We as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints need to take a stand and defend traditional marriage. It is really amazing to me that back in 1995 the brethren came out with “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” Compared to now and the worlds view on marriage it didn’t seem like it was that bad. There were attacks on the marriage but nothing like there is now. They were so inspired to put in the following line: “The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan.”

It started first with legalizing marriage between the same sex and has only gone down hill from then. I have two teenage daughters who have what they refer to as “transgender” girls in their school. It is a tough situation because our school does a lot of camps and retreats and the situation of whether those girls should be able to sleep in the same room as each other and also other girls. This is yet another attach on traditional marriage. These teenage girls are so confused by what the world is teaching them and allowing them to call normal.

“Another purpose is to reaffirm that the Church has a single, undeviating standard of sexual morality: intimate relations are acceptable to God only between a husband and a wife who are united in the bonds of matrimony.” (The divine institution of Marriage)

Sex has become the most important thing to the world. So because of the emphasis of sex is so important those young girls do not understand what is going on in their own bodies. They are so focused on sex that they are totally missing the most important part of a relationship is friendship and love and sex is just an added benefit.

“The Savior taught that we should love the sinner without condoning the sin. In the case of the woman taken in adultery, He treated her kindly but exhorted her to “sin no more.” His example manifested the highest love possible.”

We need to show love for these kids that have not understanding but my question would be is what can we do?