I personally love all of the General Conference talks about marriage, for obvious reasons. Over the years, I’ve gathered and printed a lot of my favorite talks so I can study them, mark them up and apply their counsel to my own marriage. A few years ago, people started asking me what my favorites were, and every time I was asked, I’d send a list of links their way. I figured there might be more people out there who would love to know which talks on marriage I’ve loved from General Conference, so I put together this post as a helpful resource and one that I can direct people to in the future.
For those unfamiliar with General Conference and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Every six months, our church holds General Conference. This is an opportunity for members to hear from prophets and apostles and other leaders. The messages are uplifting and inspiring and provide those in attendance with answers to questions they’ve had and guidelines for what they can work on in the coming months. Anyone is welcome to listen to these conferences and can read them or listen to them online long after each one.
Below you’ll find seven of my favorite talks from past conferences, along with a quote that explains the overview of each talk, and a link so you can read the entire thing yourself. As I was putting this post together, I couldn’t help but read through each of them again. You can bet that I’ll be reading through them on my phone and making notes for things that I want to work on again in my marriage.
“The cure for most marital troubles does not lie in divorce. It lies in repentance and forgiveness, in expressions of kindness and concern. It is to be found in application of the Golden Rule.” -Gordon B. Hinckley
“Marriage brings greater possibilities for happiness than does any other human relationship. Yet some married couples fall short of their full potential. They let their romance become rusty, take each other for granted, and allow other interests or clouds of neglect to obscure the vision of what their marriage really could be. Marriages would be happier if nurtured more carefully.” -Russell M. Nelson
“How shortsighted so many of us are, how prone to look only at today without thought for the morrow. But the morrow will surely come, as will also come death and separation. How sweet is the assurance, how comforting is the peace that come from the knowledge that if we marry right and live right, our relationship will continue, notwithstanding the certainty of death and the passage of time.” -Gordon B. Hinckley
Related: Books That Every Couple Should Read
“We can learn so much by watching and then considering what we have seen and felt. In that spirit, let me share with you a few principles I have observed by watching and learning from wonderful, faithful marriages.” -L. Whitney Clayton
“When our truck cab filled with smoke, my wife acted in the bravest manner she could imagine to protect our son. I too acted as a protector when I questioned her choice. Shockingly, it did not matter who was more right. What mattered was listening to each other and understanding the other’s perspective.” -W. Craig Zwick
“We are here to help, lift, and rejoice with each other as we try to become our very best selves. Barbara B. Smith wisely taught, ‘There is so much more of happiness to be had when we can rejoice in another’s successes and not just in our own.’ When we seek to “complete” rather than “compete,” it is so much easier to cheer each other on!” -Linda K. Burton
“Because no matter how flat your relationship may be at the present, if you keep adding pebbles of kindness, compassion, listening, sacrifice, understanding, and selflessness, eventually a mighty pyramid will begin to grow.” -Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Related: The Best Marriage Podcasts
Click here for a landing page on the church website that has all of the talks that were given on the topic of marriage listed. This is updated after each conference if a talk given relates to the topic.
