Upholding the Marriage Relationship

This week in class we talked about what we can do to strengthen the marriage relationship. We discussed how marital intimacy binds a couple together, how we need to be sensitive to each others needs, and how it is important to be emotionally close (especially for women) before you become physically close.
A young couple needs to have the support of those around them upholding their relationship, and encouraging them to be independent and rely upon each other. It is especially important for them to communicate things about the relationship only with each other. We also talked about how we would never want to do our say anything that we wouldn't want our spouse to say or do. I think that this is really important; it is kind of like the golden rule- treat others as you would like to be treated.
We also discussed what we would want to teach our children about their bodies, the law of chastity, and also about intimacy. The teacher had us write down the things that we would want our children to know at certain ages (4, 7, 10, 13, 16, and 19), and what we would teach them. Being open with your children about these things is also very important; let them know that they can trust you, be comfortable and safe talking with you, and that they can get the answers that they need. Intimacy should never be an awkward subject in my opinion; it is a beautiful and sacred thing, and our children should learn about it in a comfortable environment where the Spirit  can help guide the teaching.