Dating and Courtship After Marriage

In "The Family: a Proclamation to the World" it states that, "by divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children." (https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation?lang=eng) We each have important roles as men and women in family life. I recently learned that dating can help us practice and sharpen our skills we need in our roles as Husband and Wife. This graphic explains some of the relationships between the skills we learn while dating and how they affect our roles in marriage.

When a date is paid for by the man he is demonstrating that he can be the provider for the family. When he plans that date he is practicing his ability to preside over the family in love and righteousness. When the couple is paired off and showing special attention to each other over everyone else in the group the man is demonstrating his ability to be chivalrous and protect his date. The woman has the ability to nurture the man in his role and help both of them make good decisions together. This is why it is so important to continue dating after marriage, because it helps husband and wife practice and recognize their roles in relation to each other while also responding to the situation and environment.

I challenge everyone to make it a priority to go on regular dates with your spouses. I know it will richly bless your life together.