“Principle 2: Respond to Strong Emotions,” Help for Spouses (2019)
“Principle 2: Respond to Strong Emotions,” Help for Spouses
Principle 2: Respond to Strong Emotions
Strong emotions are expected in severe trials, especially when our trials include emotional trauma. As we seek to address our strong emotions, it can help to turn to our Heavenly Father. Central to His plan of happiness are the mission of Jesus Christ and the aid of the Comforter to help us progress and grow through the challenges of mortality. Trusting in His plan helps us to find peace in our suffering.
Satan would have us feel confused, lonely, and isolated from the love of God. Further, he tries to get us to focus only on the moments we feel weak. While these moments can be difficult, they don’t define us. Acknowledging and finding ways to respond to our strong emotions helps us identify what we’re feeling. Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught us, “The Lord has prepared us to experience and to stand up under because the Atonement of Jesus Christ reaches beyond suffering for our sins; it reaches to His experiencing all of our afflictions so that He can succor us and raise us above” (“Respond to Strong Emotions” [video]).
Capture Impressions
Take a moment and write down what you’ve felt as you’ve learned about responding to strong emotions.
Apply This Principle
The following are some helps on additional topics to enhance your learning and application of this principle.
“Why am I feeling such strong emotions? What’s happening?”
These feelings are common. Discovering a spouse’s pornography use can lead to a barrage of emotions, and these emotions can be difficult to deal with. However, it’s okay to feel strong emotions.
Additional Study
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Quentin L. Cook, “Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 103–106.
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Jeffrey R. Holland, “Be Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 40–42.
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Donald L. Hallstrom, “Has the Day of Miracles Ceased?” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 88–90.
Related
“Principle 1: Find Peace and Strength in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ”