Be Equal

I really like Richard B. Miller's speech titled "Who is the Boss? Power Relationships in Families."  It was direct and to the point.  One section that stood out to me were his thoughts on equal partnership in a marriage.  He said,
Sometimes a husband may believe that his role as head of the house gives him a right to be exacting and to arbitrarily prescribe what his wife should do. But in a home established on a righteous foundation, the relationship of a man and a woman should be one of partnership. A husband should not make decrees. Rather, he should work with his wife until a joint decision palatable to both is developed ( H. Burke Peterson, Ensign, July 1989, p. 9).
They [husbands and wives] should be one in harmony, respect, and mutual consideration. Neither should plan or follow an independent course of action. They should consult, pray, and decide together...
I have seen so many marriages that are unequal partnerships, either the wife is more domineering over the husband or vice versa and the husband is domineering over the wife. I think it creates animosity between husband and wife and also it seems there is a distrust there with either spouse that they cannot handle a given situation without the domineering spouse to takeover and fix the problem.  
My husband and I have been very equal in our marriage.  We discuss every decision we make together and neither of us have more say in a situation than the other.  Very rarely does it come to a point where we cannot make a unanimous decision.  Elder Russell M. Ballard shared in article that he shared that it was rare that the Quorum of the twelve and First presidency ever interrupted each other or couldn't come to a unanimous decision.  He also said that each member was more concerned about hearing other's thoughts and opinions than they were about their own opinions being heard.  That really stuck out to me remembering the different councils I have been in whether it was with my family or in a ward council meeting.  I want to be sure that I go into any council with that same attitude of learning and hearing other's perspective and knowledge other than trying to make myself heard.

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