Post 7: Transformative Principles Open My Eyes—A Journey to Strengthen Marriages

Strengthen your thoughts, relationships, and life under Christ’s yoke. Embrace transformation, overcome distraction, and unlock divine potential with the Savior’s enabling power.

Guiding Individuals to Christ’s Power

Over time, I’ve been blessed to learn principles that help individuals and couples confront patterns that weaken faith, self-mastery, and relationships. These principles are not merely therapeutic—they are redemptive. They guide those struggling with addiction, betrayal, emotional disconnection, or discouragement back to Christ’s enabling power, which repairs not only marriages, but souls.

I am deeply grateful for the generosity of Maurice Harker, author of Like Dragons Did They Fight, whose teachings and tools opened my eyes to how timeless gospel principles can be applied with clarity, precision, and power.

The Causation of Error

Many today are caught in what Napoleon Hill described as hypnotic rhythm—a condition of spiritual and mental drift produced by constant distraction. Endless media, entertainment, and noise slowly erode intentional living. By midlife, many people are operating almost entirely on habit, as Joe Dispenza explains—repeating thought patterns and behaviors that reinforce the life they already have.

This state robs individuals of agency and obscures divine potential. How can we become like our Heavenly Father if our thoughts and actions are governed by worldly rhythms rather than eternal truth?

The adversary thrives in distraction. But Christ invites us to “awake and arise” (2 Nephi 1:13)—to reclaim responsibility for our thoughts, actions, and direction. Liberation begins with intentional discipleship and reliance on Christ’s enabling grace.

The Insight of Transformation

In my nineteenth year, I received an insight that has stayed with me: just as a colt becomes a horse and a kitten becomes a cat, a son or daughter of God has the capacity to become like Him.

This transformation is neither instant nor cosmetic. It requires humility, effort, and submission to the Holy Ghost. It requires taking upon oneself the yoke of Christ and learning—line upon line—how to live His teachings.

Marriage, when honored, becomes one of God’s most powerful instruments of sanctification. When neglected or broken, it becomes a crucible of pain. Healing, therefore, is not merely about preserving a relationship—it is about strengthening individuals to return to Christ and allow His power to reorder their lives.

Strength Under His Yoke

These principles illuminate how Christ’s teachings apply even in the most complex circumstances. They include tools that help individuals recognize and dismantle adversarial patterns such as:

• Detecting the tactics of the enemy
  Identifying thoughts and behaviors that subtly pull the heart away from truth.
• Awareness and accountability
  Learning to observe emotions and actions without blame or denial.
• Spiritual preparation
  Preparing daily for temptation through intentional reliance on Christ.

The adversary is persistent, but he is not victorious where disciples live awake, aware, and anchored in Christ.

Taking Ownership of Your Thoughts

The objective is simple, though demanding: to think God’s thoughts and live God’s ways. This begins with stewardship over the mind.

James Allen taught that character is formed through thought. Transformation requires vigilance—not self-condemnation, but awareness and surrender. As we yield to the Spirit, thoughts align with truth, actions follow, and over time the natural man is subdued.

This is not achieved by force of will alone, but by grace.

Tools to Tap into Christ’s Power

These principles help individuals move from survival to discipleship through intentional practices such as:

• Thought accountability
  Identifying destructive patterns and replacing them with truth.
• Christlike action
  Choosing behavior aligned with the Savior’s teachings.
• Daily spiritual preparation
  Prayer, scripture study, and habits that invite the Spirit consistently.

These practices empower individuals to become agents in their own transformation—walking deliberately under Christ’s yoke rather than being driven by circumstance.

The Journey Ahead

This journey has deepened my understanding of discipleship and the sanctifying power of Christ’s yoke. Whether through teaching, writing, or mentoring, the work is the same: helping individuals and couples reclaim agency, rediscover Christ’s power, and walk the path toward unity and peace.

This is the work of Zion—not merely enduring trials, but allowing them to refine, instruct, and lift. Through intentional discipleship and Christ’s enabling grace, divine potential is revealed.

Originally published Saturday, November 30, 2024